diff --git a/app/config/gimprc-blurbs.h b/app/config/gimprc-blurbs.h
index fd51d9ff16..e4ae1861f9 100644
--- a/app/config/gimprc-blurbs.h
+++ b/app/config/gimprc-blurbs.h
@@ -293,11 +293,13 @@ _("Sets the default quick mask color.")
 
 #define RESIZE_WINDOWS_ON_RESIZE_BLURB \
 _("When enabled, the image window will automatically resize itself " \
-  "whenever the physical image size changes.")
+  "whenever the physical image size changes. This setting only takes " \
+  "effect in multi-window mode.")
 
 #define RESIZE_WINDOWS_ON_ZOOM_BLURB \
 _("When enabled, the image window will automatically resize itself " \
-  "when zooming into and out of images.")
+  "when zooming into and out of images. This setting only takes " \
+  "effect in multi-window mode.")
 
 #define RESTORE_SESSION_BLURB \
 _("Let GIMP try to restore your last saved session on each startup.")
diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-handlers.c b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-handlers.c
index 62be4d500d..c828de440b 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-handlers.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-handlers.c
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
 
 #include "display-types.h"
 
-#include "config/gimpdisplayconfig.h"
 #include "config/gimpdisplayoptions.h"
+#include "config/gimpguiconfig.h"
 
 #include "core/gimp.h"
 #include "core/gimpguide.h"
@@ -580,9 +580,15 @@ gimp_display_shell_resolution_changed_handler (GimpImage        *image,
        * a display shell point of view. Force a redraw of the display
        * so that we don't get any display garbage.
        */
-      gimp_display_shell_scale_resize (shell,
-                                       shell->display->config->resize_windows_on_resize,
-                                       FALSE);
+
+      GimpDisplayConfig *config = shell->display->config;
+      gboolean           resize_window;
+
+      /* Resize windows only in multi-window mode */
+      resize_window = (config->resize_windows_on_resize &&
+                       ! GIMP_GUI_CONFIG (config)->single_window_mode);
+
+      gimp_display_shell_scale_resize (shell, resize_window, FALSE);
     }
 }
 
@@ -744,7 +750,14 @@ gimp_display_shell_size_changed_detailed_handler (GimpImage        *image,
                                                   gint              previous_height,
                                                   GimpDisplayShell *shell)
 {
-  if (shell->display->config->resize_windows_on_resize)
+  GimpDisplayConfig *config = shell->display->config;
+  gboolean           resize_window;
+
+  /* Resize windows only in multi-window mode */
+  resize_window = (config->resize_windows_on_resize &&
+                   ! GIMP_GUI_CONFIG (config)->single_window_mode);
+
+  if (resize_window)
     {
       GimpImageWindow *window = gimp_display_shell_get_window (shell);
 
diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-scale.c b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-scale.c
index 6500e22bc1..d8b2108b16 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-scale.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplayshell-scale.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #include "display-types.h"
 
-#include "config/gimpdisplayconfig.h"
+#include "config/gimpguiconfig.h"
 
 #include "core/gimp.h"
 #include "core/gimpimage.h"
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ gimp_display_shell_scale_set_dot_for_dot (GimpDisplayShell *shell,
 
   if (dot_for_dot != shell->dot_for_dot)
     {
+      GimpDisplayConfig *config = shell->display->config;
+      gboolean           resize_window;
+
+      /* Resize windows only in multi-window mode */
+      resize_window = (config->resize_windows_on_zoom &&
+                       ! GIMP_GUI_CONFIG (config)->single_window_mode);
+
       /* freeze the active tool */
       gimp_display_shell_pause (shell);
 
@@ -190,9 +197,7 @@ gimp_display_shell_scale_set_dot_for_dot (GimpDisplayShell *shell,
 
       gimp_display_shell_scale_update (shell);
 
-      gimp_display_shell_scale_resize (shell,
-                                       shell->display->config->resize_windows_on_zoom,
-                                       FALSE);
+      gimp_display_shell_scale_resize (shell, resize_window, FALSE);
 
       /* re-enable the active tool */
       gimp_display_shell_resume (shell);
@@ -309,7 +314,14 @@ gimp_display_shell_scale (GimpDisplayShell *shell,
 
   if (! SCALE_EQUALS (new_scale, current_scale))
     {
-      if (shell->display->config->resize_windows_on_zoom)
+      GimpDisplayConfig *config = shell->display->config;
+      gboolean           resize_window;
+
+      /* Resize windows only in multi-window mode */
+      resize_window = (config->resize_windows_on_zoom &&
+                       ! GIMP_GUI_CONFIG (config)->single_window_mode);
+
+      if (resize_window)
         {
           GimpImageWindow *window = gimp_display_shell_get_window (shell);
 
diff --git a/app/tools/gimpmagnifytool.c b/app/tools/gimpmagnifytool.c
index 48b3dbb5e1..056b60e979 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimpmagnifytool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimpmagnifytool.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 #include "tools-types.h"
 
+#include "config/gimpguiconfig.h"
+
 #include "core/gimpimage.h"
 
 #include "widgets/gimphelp-ids.h"
@@ -183,18 +185,23 @@ gimp_magnify_tool_button_release (GimpTool              *tool,
 
     case GIMP_BUTTON_RELEASE_NORMAL:
       {
-        gdouble x, y;
-        gdouble width, height;
+        gdouble  x, y;
+        gdouble  width, height;
+        gboolean resize_window;
 
         x      = (magnify->w < 0) ?  magnify->x + magnify->w : magnify->x;
         y      = (magnify->h < 0) ?  magnify->y + magnify->h : magnify->y;
         width  = (magnify->w < 0) ? -magnify->w : magnify->w;
         height = (magnify->h < 0) ? -magnify->h : magnify->h;
 
+        /* Resize windows only in multi-window mode */
+        resize_window = (options->auto_resize &&
+                         ! GIMP_GUI_CONFIG (display->config)->single_window_mode);
+
         gimp_display_shell_scale_to_rectangle (shell,
                                                options->zoom_type,
                                                x, y, width, height,
-                                               options->auto_resize);
+                                               resize_window);
       }
       break;