diff --git a/vivarium/controllers/panel_controller.py b/vivarium/controllers/panel_controller.py
index d6117f6..78aec5f 100644
--- a/vivarium/controllers/panel_controller.py
+++ b/vivarium/controllers/panel_controller.py
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class Selected(param.Parameterized):
     def selection_nve_idx(self, nve_idx):
         return nve_idx[np.array(self.selection)].tolist()
 
+    def __len__(self):
+        return len(self.selection)
 
 class PanelController(SimulatorController):
 
@@ -58,9 +60,10 @@ def __init__(self, **params):
                               for stype, configs in self.configs.items()}
         self.selected_panel_configs = {EntityType.AGENT: PanelAgentConfig(), EntityType.OBJECT: PanelObjectConfig()}
         self.panel_simulator_config = PanelSimulatorConfig()
+        self.pull_selected_panel_configs()
 
         self.update_entity_list()
-        for etype, selected in self.selected_entities.items():
+        for selected in self.selected_entities.values():
             selected.param.watch(self.pull_selected_configs, ['selection'], onlychanged=True, precedence=1)
             selected.param.watch(self.pull_selected_panel_configs, ['selection'], onlychanged=True)
 
diff --git a/vivarium/interface/panel_app.py b/vivarium/interface/panel_app.py
index f08966f..db89e99 100644
--- a/vivarium/interface/panel_app.py
+++ b/vivarium/interface/panel_app.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ def plot(self, fig: figure):
 
 class WindowManager(Parameterized):
     controller = PanelController(client=SimulatorGRPCClient())
-    config_types = [key.name for key in controller.configs.keys()]
+    config_types = [k.name for k, v in controller.configs.items() if v]
     start_toggle = pn.widgets.Toggle(**({"name": "Stop", "value": True} if controller.is_started()
                                         else {"name": "Start", "value": False}),align="center")
     entity_toggle = pn.widgets.ToggleGroup(name="EntityToggle", options=config_types,
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
                 panel_simulator_config=self.controller.panel_simulator_config,
                 selected=self.controller.selected_entities[etype], etype=etype,
                 state=self.controller.state)
-                for etype, manager_class in self.entity_manager_classes.items()
+                for etype, manager_class in self.entity_manager_classes.items() if len(self.controller.configs[etype.to_state_type()])
         }
 
         self.plot = self.create_plot()
@@ -233,8 +233,8 @@ def start_toggle_cb(self, event):
 
 
     def entity_toggle_cb(self, event):
-        for i, t in enumerate(self.config_types):
-            self.config_columns[i].visible = t in event.new
+        for cc in self.config_columns:
+            cc.visible = cc.name in event.new
 
     def update_timestep_cb(self, event):
         self.pcb_plot.period = event.new
@@ -273,16 +273,18 @@ def create_app(self):
         self.config_columns = pn.Row(*
             [pn.Column(
                 pn.pane.Markdown("### SIMULATOR", align="center"),
-                pn.panel(self.controller.panel_simulator_config, name="Visualization configurations"),
-                pn.panel(self.controller.simulator_config, name="Configurations"),
-                visible=False, sizing_mode="scale_height", scroll=True)] +
+                pn.panel(self.controller.panel_simulator_config, name="Visualization configuration"),
+                pn.panel(self.controller.simulator_config, name="Configuration"),
+                visible=False, sizing_mode="scale_height", scroll=True,
+                name="SIMULATOR")] +
             [pn.Column(
                 pn.pane.Markdown(f"### {etype.name}", align="center"),
                 self.controller.selected_entities[etype],
-                pn.panel(self.controller.selected_panel_configs[etype], name="Visualization configurations"),
-                pn.panel(self.controller.selected_configs[etype], name="State configurations"),
-                visible=True, sizing_mode="scale_height", scroll=True)
-            for etype in EntityType])
+                pn.panel(self.controller.selected_panel_configs[etype], name="Visualization configuration"),
+                pn.panel(self.controller.selected_configs[etype], name="State configuration"),
+                visible=True, sizing_mode="scale_height", scroll=True,
+                name=etype.name)
+            for etype in self.entity_managers.keys()])
 
         app = pn.Row(pn.Column(pn.Row(pn.pane.Markdown("### Start/Stop server", align="center"),
                                       self.start_toggle),