diff --git a/gooey/gui/components/header.py b/gooey/gui/components/header.py
index 19343d8..1868726 100644
--- a/gooey/gui/components/header.py
+++ b/gooey/gui/components/header.py
@@ -95,7 +95,14 @@ class FrameHeader(wx.Panel):
     def build_heading_sizer(self):
         sizer = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)
         sizer.AddStretchSpacer(1)
-        sizer.Add(self._header, 0)
-        sizer.Add(self._subheader, 0)
+        if self.buildSpec['header_show_title']:
+            sizer.Add(self._header, 0)
+        else:
+            self._header.Hide()
+
+        if self.buildSpec['header_show_subtitle']:
+            sizer.Add(self._subheader, 0)
+        else:
+            self._subheader.Hide()
         sizer.AddStretchSpacer(1)
         return sizer
diff --git a/gooey/tests/harness.py b/gooey/tests/harness.py
index 876b25d..935f0bf 100644
--- a/gooey/tests/harness.py
+++ b/gooey/tests/harness.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import wx
 from gui import application
 from python_bindings.config_generator import create_from_parser
 from python_bindings.gooey_decorator import defaults
+from util.functional import merge
 
 
 @contextmanager
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ def instrumentGooey(parser, **kwargs):
     Context manager used during testing for setup/tear down of the
     WX infrastructure during subTests.
     """
-    buildspec = create_from_parser(parser, "", **defaults)
+    buildspec = create_from_parser(parser, "", **merge(defaults, kwargs))
     app, gooey = application.build_app(buildspec)
     try:
         yield (app, gooey)
diff --git a/gooey/tests/test_header.py b/gooey/tests/test_header.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9368ed2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gooey/tests/test_header.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import unittest
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+from itertools import *
+
+from tests.harness import instrumentGooey
+
+
+class TestGooeyHeader(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def make_parser(self):
+        parser = ArgumentParser(description='description')
+        return parser
+
+    def test_header_visibility(self):
+        """
+        Test that the title and subtitle components correctly show/hide
+        based on config settings.
+
+        Verifying Issue #497
+        """
+        for testdata in self.testcases():
+            with self.subTest(testdata):
+                with instrumentGooey(self.make_parser(), **testdata) as (app, gooeyApp):
+                    header = gooeyApp.header
+
+                    self.assertEqual(
+                        header._header.IsShown(),
+                        testdata.get('header_show_title', True)
+                    )
+
+                    self.assertEqual(
+                        header._subheader.IsShown(),
+                        testdata.get('header_show_subtitle', True)
+                    )
+
+
+    def test_header_string(self):
+        """
+        Verify that string in the buildspec get correctly
+        placed into the UI.
+        """
+        parser = ArgumentParser(description='Foobar')
+        with instrumentGooey(parser, program_name='BaZzEr') as (app, gooeyApp):
+            self.assertEqual(gooeyApp.header._header.GetLabelText(), 'BaZzEr')
+            self.assertEqual(gooeyApp.header._subheader.GetLabelText(), 'Foobar')
+
+
+    def testcases(self):
+        """
+        Generate a powerset of all possible combinations of
+        the header parameters (empty, some present, all present, all combos)
+        """
+        iterable = product(['header_show_title', 'header_show_subtitle'], [True, False])
+        allCombinations = list(powerset(iterable))
+        return [{k: v for k,v in args}
+                for args in allCombinations]
+
+
+def powerset(iterable):
+    "powerset([1,2,3]) --> () (1,) (2,) (3,) (1,2) (1,3) (2,3) (1,2,3)"
+    s = list(iterable)
+    return chain.from_iterable(combinations(s, r) for r in range(len(s)+1))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gooey/tests/test_radiogroup.py b/gooey/tests/test_radiogroup.py
index 54ad285..d47372e 100644
--- a/gooey/tests/test_radiogroup.py
+++ b/gooey/tests/test_radiogroup.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class TestRadioGroupBehavior(unittest.TestCase):
                     for scenario in testcase['scenario']:
                         targetButton = scenario['clickButton']
 
-                        event = wx.CommandEvent(wx.wxEVT_LEFT_DOWN, wx.NewId())
+                        event = wx.CommandEvent(wx.wxEVT_LEFT_DOWN, wx.Window.NewControlId())
                         event.SetEventObject(radioGroup.radioButtons[targetButton])
 
                         radioGroup.radioButtons[targetButton].ProcessEvent(event)