diff --git a/examples/simple-app/src/App.module.css b/examples/simple-app/src/App.module.css
index 3ee1159e..0245df79 100644
--- a/examples/simple-app/src/App.module.css
+++ b/examples/simple-app/src/App.module.css
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
     align-items: center;
     justify-content: center;
     font-size: 1rem;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/shell/src/PluginLoader.jsx b/shell/src/PluginLoader.jsx
index ee1178df..03d7233a 100644
--- a/shell/src/PluginLoader.jsx
+++ b/shell/src/PluginLoader.jsx
@@ -10,64 +10,49 @@ const PluginResizeInner = ({
     propsFromParent,
     resizePluginHeight,
     resizePluginWidth,
+    clientWidth,
 }) => {
-    const divRef = useRef()
-    const innerDivRef = useRef()
+    const resizeDivRef = useRef()
+
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (divRef && divRef.current && resizePluginHeight) {
-            const container = divRef.current
+        if (resizeDivRef?.current) {
+            const resizeDiv = resizeDivRef.current
             const resizeObserver = new ResizeObserver(() => {
-                // the additional pixels currently account for possible horizontal scroll bar
-                resizePluginHeight(container.offsetHeight + 20)
+                if (resizePluginHeight) {
+                    // offsetHeight takes into account possible scrollbar size
+                    resizePluginHeight(resizeDiv.offsetHeight)
+                }
+                if (resizePluginWidth) {
+                    resizePluginWidth(resizeDiv.scrollWidth)
+                }
             })
-            resizeObserver.observe(container)
-            return () => {
-                resizeObserver.unobserve(container)
-                resizeObserver.disconnect()
-            }
-        }
-    }, [resizePluginHeight])
 
-    const previousWidth = useRef()
+            resizeObserver.observe(resizeDiv)
 
-    const resetWidth = useCallback(() => {
-        const currentWidth = innerDivRef.current?.scrollWidth
-        if (resizePluginWidth && currentWidth) {
-            if (
-                previousWidth.current &&
-                Math.abs(currentWidth - previousWidth.current) > 20
-            ) {
-                resizePluginWidth(currentWidth + 20)
+            return () => {
+                resizeObserver.unobserve(resizeDiv)
+                resizeObserver.disconnect()
             }
-            previousWidth.current = currentWidth
-        }
-        requestAnimationFrame(resetWidth)
-    }, [resizePluginWidth])
-
-    useEffect(() => {
-        if (resizePluginWidth) {
-            requestAnimationFrame(resetWidth)
         }
-    }, [resetWidth, resizePluginWidth])
+    }, [resizePluginHeight, resizePluginWidth])
 
-    // inner div disables margin collapsing which would prevent computing correct height
+    // For the width to be content-driven, the clientWidth needs to be specified
+    // so that width is not just 'auto'. Then, when content resizes, it will
+    // actually trigger the resize observer, updating the parent's iframe size
     return (
-        <div ref={divRef}>
-            <div>
-                <div id="innerDiv" ref={innerDivRef}>
-                    <D2App
-                        config={config}
-                        resizePluginWidth={resizePluginWidth}
-                        {...propsFromParent}
-                    />
-                </div>
-            </div>
+        <div id="resizeDiv" ref={resizeDivRef} style={{ width: clientWidth }}>
+            <D2App
+                config={config}
+                resizePluginWidth={resizePluginWidth}
+                {...propsFromParent}
+            />
         </div>
     )
 }
 
 PluginResizeInner.propTypes = {
     D2App: PropTypes.object,
+    clientWidth: PropTypes.string,
     config: PropTypes.object,
     propsFromParent: PropTypes.object,
     resizePluginHeight: PropTypes.func,
@@ -80,15 +65,13 @@ const PluginInner = ({
     propsFromParent,
     resizePluginHeight,
     resizePluginWidth,
+    clientWidth,
 }) => {
+    // If a resize function isn't defined, that value is container-driven and
+    // doesn't need resizing.
+    // If neither are defined, then don't need the ResizeInner
     if (!resizePluginHeight && !resizePluginWidth) {
-        return (
-            <D2App
-                config={config}
-                resizePluginWidth={resizePluginWidth}
-                {...propsFromParent}
-            />
-        )
+        return <D2App config={config} {...propsFromParent} />
     }
     return (
         <PluginResizeInner
@@ -97,12 +80,14 @@ const PluginInner = ({
             propsFromParent={propsFromParent}
             resizePluginHeight={resizePluginHeight}
             resizePluginWidth={resizePluginWidth}
+            clientWidth={clientWidth}
         />
     )
 }
 
 PluginInner.propTypes = {
     D2App: PropTypes.object,
+    clientWidth: PropTypes.string,
     config: PropTypes.object,
     propsFromParent: PropTypes.object,
     resizePluginHeight: PropTypes.func,
@@ -116,8 +101,15 @@ export const PluginLoader = ({ config, requiredProps, D2App }) => {
     const [showAlertsInPlugin, setShowAlertsInPlugin] = useState(false)
     const [onPluginError, setOnPluginError] = useState(() => () => {})
     const [clearPluginError, setClearPluginError] = useState(() => () => {})
+    // These two can be populated with callbacks from the parent. They can be
+    // called with a new value for the respective dimension, which will be set
+    // on the iframe element to resize the plugin
     const [resizePluginHeight, setResizePluginHeight] = useState(null)
     const [resizePluginWidth, setResizePluginWidth] = useState(null)
+    // This value will be used as the 'width' property of the div wrapping the
+    // app inside the plugin. Gets set by a prop from the parent.
+    // See the Plugin docs or the PluginResizeInner component for more info
+    const [clientWidth, setClientWidth] = useState(null)
 
     const receivePropsFromParent = useCallback(
         (event) => {
@@ -127,11 +119,10 @@ export const PluginLoader = ({ config, requiredProps, D2App }) => {
                 setCommunicationReceived,
                 alertsAdd,
                 showAlertsInPlugin,
-                height,
                 setPluginHeight,
-                width,
                 setPluginWidth,
                 onError,
+                clientWidth: clientWidthFromParent,
                 ...explicitlyPassedProps
             } = receivedProps
 
@@ -173,12 +164,21 @@ export const PluginLoader = ({ config, requiredProps, D2App }) => {
                 setShowAlertsInPlugin(Boolean(showAlertsInPlugin))
             }
 
-            if (!height && setPluginHeight) {
+            // if these resize callbacks are defined, then that dimension isn't
+            // fixed or container-driven; add them to the props list here.
+            // It will be called by a resize observer in ResizePluginInner
+            if (setPluginHeight) {
                 setResizePluginHeight(() => (height) => setPluginHeight(height))
             }
+            // same as height
+            if (setPluginWidth) {
+                setResizePluginWidth(() => (width) => {
+                    setPluginWidth(width)
+                })
+            }
 
-            if (!width && setPluginWidth) {
-                setResizePluginWidth(() => (width) => setPluginWidth(width))
+            if (clientWidthFromParent) {
+                setClientWidth(clientWidthFromParent)
             }
         },
         [
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ export const PluginLoader = ({ config, requiredProps, D2App }) => {
             setShowAlertsInPlugin,
             setResizePluginHeight,
             setResizePluginWidth,
+            setClientWidth,
         ]
     )
 
@@ -247,6 +248,7 @@ export const PluginLoader = ({ config, requiredProps, D2App }) => {
                     propsFromParent={propsFromParent}
                     resizePluginHeight={resizePluginHeight}
                     resizePluginWidth={resizePluginWidth}
+                    clientWidth={clientWidth}
                 />
             </React.Suspense>
         </AppAdapter>