diff --git a/examples/api-tests/src/views.spec.js b/examples/api-tests/src/views.spec.js
index cdec58bc2348f..61e57595308cd 100644
--- a/examples/api-tests/src/views.spec.js
+++ b/examples/api-tests/src/views.spec.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-only WITH Classpath-exception-2.0
 // *****************************************************************************
 
+const { timeout } = require('@theia/core/lib/common/promise-util');
+
 // @ts-check
 describe('Views', function () {
     this.timeout(7500);
@@ -52,24 +54,26 @@ describe('Views', function () {
             if (view) {
                 assert.notEqual(shell.getAreaFor(view), contribution.defaultViewOptions.area);
                 assert.isFalse(view.isVisible);
-                assert.notEqual(view, shell.activeWidget);
+                assert.isTrue(view !== shell.activeWidget, `${contribution.viewLabel} !== shell.activeWidget`);
             }
 
             view = await contribution.toggleView();
-            assert.notEqual(view, undefined);
+            // we can't use "equals" here because Mocha chokes on the diff for certain widgets
+            assert.isTrue(view !== undefined, `${contribution.viewLabel}  !== undefined`);
             assert.equal(shell.getAreaFor(view), contribution.defaultViewOptions.area);
             assert.isDefined(shell.getTabBarFor(view));
             // @ts-ignore
             assert.equal(shell.getAreaFor(shell.getTabBarFor(view)), contribution.defaultViewOptions.area);
             assert.isTrue(view.isVisible);
-            assert.equal(view, shell.activeWidget);
+            assert.isTrue(view === shell.activeWidget, `${contribution.viewLabel}  === shell.activeWidget`);
 
             view = await contribution.toggleView();
+            await timeout(0); // seems that the "await" is not enought to guarantee that the panel is hidden
             assert.notEqual(view, undefined);
             assert.equal(shell.getAreaFor(view), contribution.defaultViewOptions.area);
             assert.isDefined(shell.getTabBarFor(view));
             assert.isFalse(view.isVisible);
-            assert.notEqual(view, shell.activeWidget);
+            assert.isTrue(view !== shell.activeWidget, `${contribution.viewLabel}  !== shell.activeWidget`);
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/browser/shell/split-panels.ts b/packages/core/src/browser/shell/split-panels.ts
index cb3de57c26dd7..d9f59bdf4a97a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/browser/shell/split-panels.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/browser/shell/split-panels.ts
@@ -91,13 +91,14 @@ export class SplitPositionHandler {
             move.resolve = resolve;
             move.reject = reject;
             if (this.splitMoves.length === 0) {
-                window.requestAnimationFrame(this.animationFrame.bind(this));
+                setTimeout(this.animationFrame.bind(this), 10);
             }
             this.splitMoves.push(move);
         });
     }
 
-    protected animationFrame(time: number): void {
+    protected animationFrame(): void {
+        const time = Date.now();
         const move = this.splitMoves[this.currentMoveIndex];
         let rejectedOrResolved = false;
         if (move.ended || move.referenceWidget && move.referenceWidget.isHidden) {
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ export class SplitPositionHandler {
             this.currentMoveIndex = 0;
         }
         if (this.splitMoves.length > 0) {
-            window.requestAnimationFrame(this.animationFrame.bind(this));
+            setTimeout(this.animationFrame.bind(this));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts b/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
index b004fd444d07a..5a895f7ca2221 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/electron-main/electron-main-application.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@
 // *****************************************************************************
 
 import { inject, injectable, named } from 'inversify';
-import { screen, app, BrowserWindow, WebContents, Event as ElectronEvent, BrowserWindowConstructorOptions, nativeImage,
-    nativeTheme, shell, dialog } from '../../electron-shared/electron';
+import {
+    screen, app, BrowserWindow, WebContents, Event as ElectronEvent, BrowserWindowConstructorOptions, nativeImage,
+    nativeTheme, shell, dialog
+} from '../../electron-shared/electron';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import { Argv } from 'yargs';
 import { AddressInfo } from 'net';
@@ -350,6 +352,9 @@ export class ElectronMainApplication {
             alwaysOnTop: true,
             show: false,
             transparent: true,
+            webPreferences: {
+                backgroundThrottling: false
+            }
         });
 
         if (this.isShowWindowEarly()) {
@@ -458,6 +463,7 @@ export class ElectronMainApplication {
                 // Setting the following option to `true` causes some features to break, somehow.
                 // Issue: https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/issues/8577
                 nodeIntegrationInWorker: false,
+                backgroundThrottling: false,
                 preload: path.resolve(this.globals.THEIA_APP_PROJECT_PATH, 'lib', 'frontend', 'preload.js').toString()
             },
             ...this.config.electron?.windowOptions || {},