diff --git a/sdk/example/demo_launcher/lib/main.dart b/sdk/example/demo_launcher/lib/main.dart
index 458f204c878..139325479f4 100644
--- a/sdk/example/demo_launcher/lib/main.dart
+++ b/sdk/example/demo_launcher/lib/main.dart
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ const double kCardHeight = 120.0;
 const EdgeDims kListPadding = const EdgeDims.all(4.0);
 
 class DemoList extends FixedHeightScrollable {
-  DemoList({ String key }) : super(key: key, itemHeight: kCardHeight, padding: kListPadding) {
-    itemCount = demos.length;
-  }
+  DemoList({ String key }) : super(key: key, itemHeight: kCardHeight, padding: kListPadding);
+
+  int get itemCount => demos.length;
 
   Widget buildDemo(SkyDemo demo) {
     return new Listener(
diff --git a/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart b/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
index b26e392780a..7adb18f314a 100644
--- a/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
+++ b/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_home.dart
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class StockHome extends StatefulComponent {
       _drawerController.close();
     });
   }
-  
+
   Widget buildToolBar() {
     return new ToolBar(
         left: new IconButton(
@@ -185,18 +185,30 @@ class StockHome extends StatefulComponent {
   int selectedTabIndex = 0;
   List<String> portfolioSymbols = ["AAPL","FIZZ", "FIVE", "FLAT", "ZINC", "ZNGA"];
 
+  Iterable<Stock> _filterByPortfolio(Iterable<Stock> stocks) {
+    return stocks.where((stock) => portfolioSymbols.contains(stock.symbol));
+  }
+
+  Iterable<Stock> _filterBySearchQuery(Iterable<Stock> stocks) {
+    if (_searchQuery == null)
+      return stocks;
+    RegExp regexp = new RegExp(_searchQuery, caseSensitive: false);
+    return stocks.where((stock) => stock.symbol.contains(regexp));
+  }
+
+  Widget buildMarketStockList() {
+    return new Stocklist(stocks: _filterBySearchQuery(stocks).toList());
+  }
+
   Widget buildPortfolioStocklist() {
-    return new Stocklist(
-     stocks: stocks.where((s) => portfolioSymbols.contains(s.symbol)).toList(), 
-     query: _searchQuery
-   );
+    return new Stocklist(stocks: _filterBySearchQuery(_filterByPortfolio(stocks)).toList());
   }
 
   Widget buildTabNavigator() {
     List<TabNavigatorView> views = <TabNavigatorView>[
       new TabNavigatorView(
         label: const TabLabel(text: 'MARKET'),
-        builder: () => new Stocklist(stocks: stocks, query: _searchQuery)
+        builder: buildMarketStockList
       ),
       new TabNavigatorView(
         label: const TabLabel(text: 'PORTFOLIO'),
diff --git a/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_list.dart b/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_list.dart
index 4b36783d186..6fd63806fb8 100644
--- a/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_list.dart
+++ b/sdk/example/stocks/lib/stock_list.dart
@@ -10,28 +10,20 @@ import 'stock_row.dart';
 
 class Stocklist extends FixedHeightScrollable {
 
-  Stocklist({
-    String key,
-    this.stocks,
-    this.query
-  }) : super(itemHeight: StockRow.kHeight, key: key);
+  Stocklist({ String key, this.stocks })
+    : super(itemHeight: StockRow.kHeight, key: key);
 
-  String query;
   List<Stock> stocks;
 
+  int get itemCount => stocks.length;
+
   void syncFields(Stocklist source) {
-    query = source.query;
     stocks = source.stocks;
     super.syncFields(source);
   }
 
   List<Widget> buildItems(int start, int count) {
-    var filteredStocks = stocks.where((stock) {
-      return query == null ||
-             stock.symbol.contains(new RegExp(query, caseSensitive: false));
-    });
-    itemCount = filteredStocks.length;
-    return filteredStocks
+    return stocks
       .skip(start)
       .take(count)
       .map((stock) => new StockRow(stock: stock))
diff --git a/sdk/lib/widgets/fixed_height_scrollable.dart b/sdk/lib/widgets/fixed_height_scrollable.dart
index 1a0997cf7f1..81cdb20cc9b 100644
--- a/sdk/lib/widgets/fixed_height_scrollable.dart
+++ b/sdk/lib/widgets/fixed_height_scrollable.dart
@@ -12,16 +12,20 @@ import 'scrollable.dart';
 
 abstract class FixedHeightScrollable extends Scrollable {
 
-  final EdgeDims padding;
-
   FixedHeightScrollable({ String key, this.itemHeight, Color backgroundColor, this.padding })
       : super(key: key, backgroundColor: backgroundColor) {
     assert(itemHeight != null);
   }
 
+  EdgeDims padding;
   double itemHeight;
 
+  /// Subclasses must implement `get itemCount` to tell FixedHeightScrollable
+  /// how many items there are in the list.
+  int get itemCount;
+
   void syncFields(FixedHeightScrollable source) {
+    padding = source.padding;
     itemHeight = source.itemHeight;
     super.syncFields(source);
   }
@@ -29,18 +33,6 @@ abstract class FixedHeightScrollable extends Scrollable {
   ScrollBehavior createScrollBehavior() => new OverscrollBehavior();
   OverscrollBehavior get scrollBehavior => super.scrollBehavior;
 
-  int _itemCount = 0;
-  int get itemCount => _itemCount;
-  void set itemCount (int value) {
-    if (_itemCount != value) {
-      _itemCount = value;
-      double contentsHeight = itemHeight * _itemCount;
-      if (padding != null)
-         contentsHeight += padding.top + padding.bottom;
-      scrollBehavior.contentsHeight = contentsHeight;
-    }
-  }
-
   double _height;
   void _handleSizeChanged(Size newSize) {
     setState(() {
@@ -57,10 +49,18 @@ abstract class FixedHeightScrollable extends Scrollable {
     return super.scrollTo(newScrollOffset);
   }
 
+  void _updateContentsHeight() {
+    double contentsHeight = itemHeight * itemCount;
+    if (padding != null)
+      contentsHeight += padding.top + padding.bottom;
+    scrollBehavior.contentsHeight = contentsHeight;
+  }
+
   Widget buildContent() {
+    _updateContentsHeight();
+
     var itemShowIndex = 0;
     var itemShowCount = 0;
-
     Matrix4 transform = new Matrix4.identity();
 
     if (_height != null && _height > 0.0) {