diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/utils.h b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/utils.h
index 2554fe27ac..317b8c2206 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/utils.h
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/gtkmm2ext/utils.h
@@ -63,9 +63,8 @@ namespace Gtkmm2ext {
 	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API int pixel_width (const std::string& str, const Pango::FontDescription& font);
 	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void pixel_size (const std::string& str, const Pango::FontDescription& font, int& width, int& height);
 
-	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void get_ink_pixel_size (Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout>,
-	                                          int& width, int& height);
-
+	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void get_ink_pixel_size (Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout>, int& width, int& height);
+	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void get_ink_pixel_size_with_descent (Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout>, int& width, int& height, int& descent);
 
 	LIBGTKMM2EXT_API void set_size_request_to_display_given_text (Gtk::Widget&       w,
 	                                                              std::string const& text,
diff --git a/libs/gtkmm2ext/utils.cc b/libs/gtkmm2ext/utils.cc
index f32ba97800..c2c2432248 100644
--- a/libs/gtkmm2ext/utils.cc
+++ b/libs/gtkmm2ext/utils.cc
@@ -57,14 +57,31 @@ Gtkmm2ext::init (const char* localedir)
 void
 Gtkmm2ext::get_ink_pixel_size (Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout,
 			       int& width,
-			       int& height)
+                               int& height)
 {
 	Pango::Rectangle ink_rect = layout->get_ink_extents ();
 
+	std::string s = layout->get_text ();
+
 	width = PANGO_PIXELS(ink_rect.get_width());
 	height = PANGO_PIXELS(ink_rect.get_height());
 }
 
+void
+Gtkmm2ext::get_ink_pixel_size_with_descent (Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout,
+                                            int& width,
+                                            int& height,
+                                            int& descent)
+{
+	Pango::Rectangle ink_rect = layout->get_ink_extents ();
+
+	std::string s = layout->get_text ();
+
+	width = PANGO_PIXELS(ink_rect.get_width());
+	height = PANGO_PIXELS(ink_rect.get_height());
+	descent = PANGO_PIXELS(ink_rect.get_descent());
+}
+
 static void
 _set_size_request_to_display_given_text (Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Style> const& sty, Gtk::Widget* w, std::string const& text,
 						   gint hpadding, gint vpadding)