diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index e162874d..467b52ba 100755
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 
 ### 2021-11-24
 * threads: fixed #2918
+* gui, objects, scenes: added scene-setting to hide/show buttons in the unified palette
 
 ### 2021-11-23
 * byob: refresh category buttons when hiding / showing blocks
diff --git a/snap.html b/snap.html
index 92003d1a..29860f01 100755
--- a/snap.html
+++ b/snap.html
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
         <script src="src/widgets.js?version=2021-17-09"></script>
         <script src="src/blocks.js?version=2021-11-09"></script>
         <script src="src/threads.js?version=2021-11-24"></script>
-        <script src="src/objects.js?version=2021-11-19"></script>
-        <script src="src/scenes.js?version=2021-11-12"></script>
-        <script src="src/gui.js?version=2021-11-23"></script>
+        <script src="src/objects.js?version=2021-11-24"></script>
+        <script src="src/scenes.js?version=2021-11-24"></script>
+        <script src="src/gui.js?version=2021-11-24"></script>
         <script src="src/paint.js?version=2021-07-05"></script>
         <script src="src/lists.js?version=2021-07-19"></script>
         <script src="src/byob.js?version=2021-11-23"></script>
diff --git a/src/gui.js b/src/gui.js
index 3e43f6be..2b9acf53 100644
--- a/src/gui.js
+++ b/src/gui.js
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ BlockVisibilityDialogMorph, ThreadManager*/
 
 // Global stuff ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-modules.gui = '2021-November-23';
+modules.gui = '2021-November-24';
 
 // Declarations
 
@@ -4219,6 +4219,13 @@ IDE_Morph.prototype.settingsMenu = function () {
             'uncheck to hide\ncategory names\nin the palette',
             'check to show\ncategory names\nin the palette'
         );
+        addPreference(
+            'Show buttons',
+            () => this.togglePaletteButtons(),
+            this.scene.showPaletteButtons,
+            'uncheck to hide buttons\nin the palette',
+            'check to show buttons\nin the palette'
+        );
     }
     addPreference(
         'Persist linked sublist IDs',
@@ -6363,6 +6370,12 @@ IDE_Morph.prototype.toggleCategoryNames = function () {
     this.recordUnsavedChanges();
 };
 
+IDE_Morph.prototype.togglePaletteButtons = function () {
+    this.scene.showPaletteButtons = !this.scene.showPaletteButtons;
+    this.flushBlocksCache();
+    this.refreshPalette();
+    this.recordUnsavedChanges();
+};
 
 IDE_Morph.prototype.setPaletteWidth = function (newWidth) {
     var msecs = this.isAnimating ? 100 : 0,
diff --git a/src/objects.js b/src/objects.js
index 99ebb83f..2982f8e9 100644
--- a/src/objects.js
+++ b/src/objects.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ BlockVisibilityDialogMorph*/
 
 /*jshint esversion: 6*/
 
-modules.objects = '2021-November-19';
+modules.objects = '2021-November-24';
 
 var SpriteMorph;
 var StageMorph;
@@ -3003,8 +3003,10 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.palette = function (category) {
 SpriteMorph.prototype.freshPalette = function (category) {
     var myself = this,
         palette = new ScrollFrameMorph(null, null, this.sliderColor),
-        showCategories,
         unit = SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.fontSize,
+        ide,
+        showCategories,
+        showButtons,
         x = 0,
         y = 5,
         ry = 0,
@@ -3090,7 +3092,9 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.freshPalette = function (category) {
     if (category === 'unified') {
         // In a Unified Palette custom blocks appear following each category,
         // but there is only 1 make a block button (at the end).
-        showCategories = this.parentThatIsA(IDE_Morph).scene.showCategories;
+        ide = this.parentThatIsA(IDE_Morph);
+        showCategories = ide.scene.showCategories;
+        showButtons = ide.scene.showPaletteButtons;
         blocks = SpriteMorph.prototype.allCategories().reduce(
             (blocks, category) => {
                 let header = [this.categoryText(category), '-'],
@@ -3101,11 +3105,19 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.freshPalette = function (category) {
                         (primitives.some(item =>
                             item instanceof BlockMorph) || customs.length);
 
+                // hide category names
                 if (!showCategories && category !== 'variables') {
                     primitives = primitives.filter(each =>
                         each !== '-' && each !== '=');
                 }
 
+                // hide "make / delete a variable" buttons
+                if (!showButtons && category === 'variables') {
+                    primitives = primitives.filter(each =>
+                        !(each instanceof PushButtonMorph &&
+                            !(each instanceof ToggleMorph)));
+                }
+
                 return blocks.concat(
                     showHeader ? header : [],
                     primitives,
@@ -3120,8 +3132,11 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.freshPalette = function (category) {
         // ensure we do not modify the cached array
         blocks = this.getPrimitiveTemplates(category).slice();
     }
-    blocks.push('=');
-    blocks.push(this.makeBlockButton(category));
+
+    if (category !== 'unified' || showButtons) {
+        blocks.push('=');
+        blocks.push(this.makeBlockButton(category));
+    }
 
     if (category !== 'unified') {
         blocks.push('=');
diff --git a/src/scenes.js b/src/scenes.js
index b71beeb5..90a83772 100644
--- a/src/scenes.js
+++ b/src/scenes.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ normalizeCanvas, SnapSerializer, Costume, ThreadManager*/
 
 // Global stuff ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-modules.scenes = '2021-November-12';
+modules.scenes = '2021-November-24';
 
 // Projecct /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ function Scene(aStageMorph) {
     this.hasUnsavedEdits = false;
     this.unifiedPalette = false;
     this.showCategories = true;
+    this.showPaletteButtons = true;
 
     // cached IDE state
     this.sprites = new List();