diff --git a/src/aesthetics.rs b/src/aesthetics.rs
index 0c6c627..d85a207 100644
--- a/src/aesthetics.rs
+++ b/src/aesthetics.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::geom::{
     AesFilter, AnyTag, Drag, GeomArrow, GeomHist, GeomMetabolite, HistPlot, HistTag, PopUp, Side,
     VisCondition, Xaxis,
 };
-use crate::gui::{or_color, UiState};
+use crate::gui::{or_color, ActiveData, UiState};
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ impl Plugin for AesPlugin {
             .add_systems(Update, unscale_histogram_children)
             .add_systems(Update, fill_conditions)
             .add_systems(Update, filter_histograms)
+            .add_systems(Update, activate_settings)
             .add_systems(Update, follow_the_axes)
             // TODO: check since these were before load_map
             .add_systems(PostUpdate, (build_axes, build_hover_axes, build_point_axes))
@@ -854,3 +855,48 @@ fn follow_the_axes(
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Set which data is actively plotted in the screen to show its corresponding
+/// settings.
+fn activate_settings(
+    ui_state: ResMut<UiState>,
+    mut active_data: ResMut<ActiveData>,
+    arrows: Query<(&Aesthetics, &Point<f32>), With<GeomArrow>>,
+    circles: Query<(&Aesthetics, &Point<f32>), With<GeomMetabolite>>,
+    hists: Query<(&Aesthetics, &GeomHist), With<Distribution<f32>>>,
+) {
+    active_data.arrow = arrows
+        .iter()
+        // this works because data without a condition should always be shown
+        .any(|(aes, _)| {
+            aes.condition
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|c| c == &ui_state.condition)
+                .unwrap_or(true)
+        });
+    active_data.circle = circles.iter().any(|(aes, _)| {
+        aes.condition
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|c| c == &ui_state.condition)
+            .unwrap_or(true)
+    });
+    (
+        active_data.histogram.left,
+        active_data.histogram.right,
+        active_data.histogram.top,
+    ) = hists
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|(aes, _)| {
+            aes.condition
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|c| c == &ui_state.condition)
+                .unwrap_or(true)
+        })
+        .fold((false, false, false), |(left, right, top), (_, geom)| {
+            (
+                left | (geom.side == Side::Left),
+                right | (geom.side == Side::Right),
+                top | (geom.side == Side::Up),
+            )
+        });
+}
diff --git a/src/gui.rs b/src/gui.rs
index 7d950b4..79f5886 100644
--- a/src/gui.rs
+++ b/src/gui.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ impl Plugin for GuiPlugin {
             .add_plugins(EguiPlugin)
             .insert_resource(UiState::default())
             .insert_resource(AxisMode::Hide)
+            .insert_resource(ActiveData::default())
             .add_event::<SaveEvent>()
             .add_systems(Update, ui_settings)
             .add_systems(Update, show_hover)
@@ -180,6 +181,35 @@ impl UiState {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct ActiveHists {
+    pub left: bool,
+    pub right: bool,
+    pub top: bool,
+}
+
+#[derive(Default, Resource)]
+/// Holds state about what data is being plotted, to then only show relevant
+/// options in the Settings at [`ui_settings`].
+pub struct ActiveData {
+    pub arrow: bool,
+    pub circle: bool,
+    pub histogram: ActiveHists,
+}
+
+impl ActiveData {
+    fn get(&self, key: &str) -> bool {
+        match key {
+            "Reaction" => self.arrow,
+            "Metabolite" => self.circle,
+            "left" => self.histogram.left,
+            "right" => self.histogram.right,
+            "top" => self.histogram.top,
+            _ => panic!("{key} should never be an ActiveData key!"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Event)]
 pub struct SaveEvent(String);
 
@@ -188,6 +218,7 @@ pub struct SaveEvent(String);
 pub fn ui_settings(
     mut egui_context: EguiContexts,
     mut state: ResMut<UiState>,
+    active_set: Res<ActiveData>,
     mut save_events: EventWriter<SaveEvent>,
     mut load_events: EventWriter<FileDragAndDrop>,
     mut screen_events: EventWriter<ScreenshotEvent>,
@@ -201,6 +232,9 @@ pub fn ui_settings(
             .into_iter()
             .cartesian_product(["min", "max"])
         {
+            if !active_set.get(geom) {
+                continue;
+            }
             if "min" == ext {
                 ui.label(format!("{geom} scale"));
             }
@@ -215,6 +249,9 @@ pub fn ui_settings(
         if condition != "ALL" {
             ui.label("Histogram scale");
             for side in ["left", "right", "top"] {
+                if !active_set.get(side) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 ui.horizontal(|ui| {
                     let (color, value) = state.get_geom_params_mut(side, &condition);
                     color_edit_button_rgba(ui, color, Alpha::BlendOrAdditive);
diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index b24a6cb..650bae8 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::aesthetics::{AesPlugin, Aesthetics, Distribution, Gy, Point, RestoreEvent, Unscale};
 use crate::geom::{AesFilter, GeomHist, HistTag, Xaxis};
-use crate::gui::{file_drop, UiState};
+use crate::gui::{file_drop, ActiveData, UiState};
 use crate::{data, escher, geom, info};
 use bevy::prelude::*;
 use bevy_prototype_lyon::prelude::{GeometryBuilder, Path, PathBuilder, ShapeBundle, Stroke};
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ fn gy_dist_aes_spaws_xaxis_spawns_hist() {
 
     let asset_server = setup("assets");
     app.insert_resource(asset_server);
+    app.insert_resource(ActiveData::default());
     app.insert_resource(UiState::default());
     app.add_plugins(AesPlugin);
     app.update();
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ fn point_dist_aes_spaws_box_axis_spawns_box() {
     ));
 
     app.insert_resource(UiState::default());
+    app.insert_resource(ActiveData::default());
     app.insert_resource(AssetServer::new(FileAssetIo::new("asset1", &None)));
     app.add_plugins(AesPlugin);
     app.update();