diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
index de455aceac..867a0e7eb3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/axis_view.cc
@@ -151,12 +151,15 @@ AxisView::set_name_ellipsize_mode ()
 	switch (UIConfiguration::instance().get_time_axis_name_ellipsize_mode()) {
 	case -1:
 		name_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_START);
+		inactive_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_START);
 		break;
 	case 1:
 		name_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_END);
+		inactive_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_END);
 		break;
 	default:
 		name_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_MIDDLE);
+		inactive_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_MIDDLE);
 		break;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
index d03828344c..2f3432c46d 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ TimeAxisView::TimeAxisView (ARDOUR::Session* sess, PublicEditor& ed, TimeAxisVie
 
 	inactive_label.set_name (X_("TrackNameEditor"));
 	inactive_label.set_alignment (0.0, 0.5);
+	inactive_label.set_width_chars (12);
 	set_tooltip (inactive_label, _("This track is inactive. (right-click to activate)"));
 
 	{