diff --git a/gridstack.js b/gridstack.js
index dc3624b..b2e9041 100644
--- a/gridstack.js
+++ b/gridstack.js
@@ -67,6 +67,23 @@
 
         this.nodes = items || [];
         this.onchange = onchange || function () {};
+
+        this._update_counter = 0;
+        this._float = this.float;
+    };
+
+    GridStackEngine.prototype.batch_update = function () {
+        this._update_counter = 1;
+        this.float = true;
+    };
+
+    GridStackEngine.prototype.commit = function () {
+        this._update_counter = 0;
+        if (this._update_counter == 0) {
+            this.float = this._float;
+            this._pack_nodes();
+            this._notify();
+        }
     };
 
     GridStackEngine.prototype._fix_collisions = function (node) {
@@ -188,6 +205,9 @@
     };
 
     GridStackEngine.prototype._notify = function () {
+        if (this._update_counter) {
+            return;
+        }
         var deleted_nodes = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1).concat(this.get_dirty_nodes());
         deleted_nodes = deleted_nodes.concat(this.get_dirty_nodes());
         this.onchange(deleted_nodes);
@@ -502,6 +522,9 @@
     };
 
     GridStack.prototype._update_container_height = function () {
+        if (this.grid._update_counter) {
+            return;
+        }
         this.container.height(this.grid.get_grid_height() * (this.opts.cell_height + this.opts.vertical_margin) - this.opts.vertical_margin);
     };
 
@@ -522,7 +545,7 @@
             height: el.attr('data-gs-height'),
             max_width: el.attr('data-gs-max-width'),
             min_width: el.attr('data-gs-min-width'),
-            max_height: el.attr('data-gs-max-height') || 100,
+            max_height: el.attr('data-gs-max-height'),
             min_height: el.attr('data-gs-min-height'),
             auto_position: Utils.toBool(el.attr('data-gs-auto-position')),
             no_resize: Utils.toBool(el.attr('data-gs-no-resize')),
@@ -751,6 +774,17 @@
         });
     };
 
+    GridStack.prototype.update = function (el, x, y, width, height) {
+        this._update_element(el, function (el, node) {
+            x = (x != null && typeof x != 'undefined') ? x : node.x;
+            y = (y != null && typeof y != 'undefined') ? y : node.y;
+            width = (width != null && typeof width != 'undefined') ? width : node.width;
+            height = (height != null && typeof height != 'undefined') ? height : node.height;
+
+            this.grid.move_node(node, x, y, width, height);
+        });
+    };
+
     GridStack.prototype.cell_height = function (val) {
         if (typeof val == 'undefined') {
             return this.opts.cell_height;
@@ -778,6 +812,15 @@
         return {x: Math.floor(relativeLeft / column_width), y: Math.floor(relativeTop / row_height)};
     };
 
+    GridStack.prototype.batch_update = function () {
+        this.grid.batch_update();
+    };
+
+    GridStack.prototype.commit = function () {
+        this.grid.commit();
+        this._update_container_height()
+    };
+
     scope.GridStackUI = GridStack;
 
     scope.GridStackUI.Utils = Utils;