diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.cc
index 04f88542ba..5ca976b983 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.cc
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ EditorGroupTabs::compute_tabs () const
 }
 
 void
-EditorGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab) const
+EditorGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab)
 {
 	double const arc_radius = get_width();
 	double r, g, b, a;
@@ -108,20 +108,26 @@ EditorGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab) const
 	cairo_line_to (cr, 0, tab.from + arc_radius);
 	cairo_fill (cr);
 
-	if (tab.group) {
-		pair<string, double> const f = Gtkmm2ext::fit_to_pixels (cr, tab.group->name(), tab.to - tab.from - arc_radius * 2);
+	if (tab.group && (tab.to - tab.from) > arc_radius) {
+		int text_width, text_height;
 
-		cairo_text_extents_t ext;
-		cairo_text_extents (cr, tab.group->name().c_str(), &ext);
+		Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout;
+		layout = Pango::Layout::create (get_pango_context ());
+		layout->set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_MIDDLE);
+
+		layout->set_text (tab.group->name ());
+		layout->set_width ((tab.to - tab.from - arc_radius) * PANGO_SCALE);
+		layout->get_pixel_size (text_width, text_height);
+
+		cairo_move_to (cr, (get_width() - text_height) * .5, (text_width + tab.to + tab.from) * .5);
 
 		ArdourCanvas::Color c = ArdourCanvas::contrasting_text_color (ArdourCanvas::rgba_to_color (r, g, b, a));
 		ArdourCanvas::color_to_rgba (c, r, g, b, a);
-
 		cairo_set_source_rgb (cr, r, g, b);
-		cairo_move_to (cr, get_width() - ext.height / 2, tab.from + (f.second + tab.to - tab.from) / 2);
+
 		cairo_save (cr);
-		cairo_rotate (cr, - M_PI / 2);
-		cairo_show_text (cr, f.first.c_str());
+		cairo_rotate (cr, M_PI * -.5);
+		pango_cairo_show_layout (cr, layout->gobj ());
 		cairo_restore (cr);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.h b/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.h
index 801dc987de..c927ab2c42 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_group_tabs.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
 	std::list<Tab> compute_tabs () const;
-	void draw_tab (cairo_t *, Tab const &) const;
+	void draw_tab (cairo_t *, Tab const &);
 	double primary_coordinate (double, double) const;
 	ARDOUR::RouteList routes_for_tab (Tab const *) const;
 	double extent () const {
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.cc b/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.cc
index 1efca69d12..3adce69bf9 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.cc
@@ -86,9 +86,8 @@ GroupTabs::set_session (Session* s)
 void
 GroupTabs::on_size_request (Gtk::Requisition *req)
 {
-	/* Use a dummy, small width and the actual height that we want */
-	req->width = 16;
-	req->height = 16;
+	req->width = std::max (16.f, rintf (16.f * UIConfiguration::instance().get_ui_scale()));
+	req->height = std::max (16.f, rintf (16.f * UIConfiguration::instance().get_ui_scale()));
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.h b/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.h
index c1cd2fcd76..fc8f50b2bc 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/group_tabs.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ private:
 	 *  @param cr Cairo context.
 	 *  @param t Tab.
 	 */
-	virtual void draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & t) const = 0;
+	virtual void draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & t) = 0;
 
 	/** @param x x coordinate
 	 *  @param y y coordinate
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.cc b/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.cc
index e235bf16cc..c26a553905 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.cc
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ MixerGroupTabs::compute_tabs () const
 }
 
 void
-MixerGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab) const
+MixerGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab)
 {
 	double const arc_radius = get_height();
 	double r, g, b, a;
@@ -127,20 +127,24 @@ MixerGroupTabs::draw_tab (cairo_t* cr, Tab const & tab) const
 	cairo_line_to (cr, tab.from, get_height());
 	cairo_fill (cr);
 
-	if (tab.group) {
-		pair<string, double> const f = Gtkmm2ext::fit_to_pixels (cr, tab.group->name(), tab.to - tab.from - arc_radius * 2);
+	if (tab.group && (tab.to - tab.from) > arc_radius) {
+		int text_width, text_height;
 
-		cairo_text_extents_t ext;
-		cairo_text_extents (cr, tab.group->name().c_str(), &ext);
+		Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout;
+		layout = Pango::Layout::create (get_pango_context ());
+		layout->set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_MIDDLE);
+
+		layout->set_text (tab.group->name ());
+		layout->set_width ((tab.to - tab.from - arc_radius) * PANGO_SCALE);
+		layout->get_pixel_size (text_width, text_height);
+
+		cairo_move_to (cr, tab.from + (tab.to - tab.from - text_width) * .5, (get_height () - text_height) * .5);
 
 		ArdourCanvas::Color c = ArdourCanvas::contrasting_text_color (ArdourCanvas::rgba_to_color (r, g, b, a));
 		ArdourCanvas::color_to_rgba (c, r, g, b, a);
-
 		cairo_set_source_rgb (cr, r, g, b);
-		cairo_move_to (cr, tab.from + (tab.to - tab.from - f.second) / 2, get_height() - ext.height / 2);
-		cairo_save (cr);
-		cairo_show_text (cr, f.first.c_str());
-		cairo_restore (cr);
+
+		pango_cairo_show_layout (cr, layout->gobj ());
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.h b/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.h
index 05a0d7e2e5..ff9a9e4512 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/mixer_group_tabs.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
 	std::list<Tab> compute_tabs () const;
-	void draw_tab (cairo_t *, Tab const &) const;
+	void draw_tab (cairo_t *, Tab const &);
 	double primary_coordinate (double, double) const;
 	ARDOUR::RouteList routes_for_tab (Tab const *) const;
 	double extent () const {