diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
index 24a1c711ba..bdfb095109 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view_item.cc
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ TimeAxisViewItem::set_frame_gradient ()
 	ArdourCanvas::Color darker = ArdourCanvas::hsv_to_color (h, s, v, a);
 	stops.push_back (std::make_pair (1.0, darker));
 	
-	frame->set_gradient (stops, _height);
+	frame->set_gradient (stops, true);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/fill.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/fill.h
index ae87edb2dc..f52260c571 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/fill.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/fill.h
@@ -44,14 +44,16 @@ public:
 
         typedef std::vector<std::pair<double,Color> > StopList;
 	
-        void set_gradient (StopList const & stops, double height);
+        void set_gradient (StopList const & stops, bool is_vertical);
 
 protected:
 	void setup_fill_context (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>) const;
-	
+        void setup_gradient_context (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>, Rect const &, Duple const &) const;
+       	
 	Color _fill_color;
 	bool _fill;
-        Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::LinearGradient> _gradient;
+        StopList _stops;
+        bool _vertical_gradient;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/libs/canvas/fill.cc b/libs/canvas/fill.cc
index e33c5d2bc0..8a16f4f794 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/fill.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/fill.cc
@@ -59,37 +59,39 @@ Fill::set_fill (bool fill)
 void
 Fill::setup_fill_context (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context) const
 {
-	if (_gradient) {
-		Cairo::Matrix m;
-
-		Duple origin = item_to_window (Duple (0, 0));
-
-		context->translate (origin.x, origin.y);
-		context->set_source (_gradient);
-		context->translate (-origin.x, -origin.y);
-
-	} else {
-		set_source_rgba (context, _fill_color);
-	}
+	set_source_rgba (context, _fill_color);
 }
 
 void
-Fill::set_gradient (StopList const & stops, double height)
+Fill::setup_gradient_context (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context, Rect const & self, Duple const & draw_origin) const
+{
+	Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::LinearGradient> _gradient;
+	
+	if (_vertical_gradient) {
+		_gradient = Cairo::LinearGradient::create (draw_origin.x, self.y0, draw_origin.x, self.y1);
+	} else {
+		_gradient = Cairo::LinearGradient::create (self.x0, draw_origin.y, self.x1, draw_origin.y);
+	}
+	
+	for (StopList::const_iterator s = _stops.begin(); s != _stops.end(); ++s) {
+		double r, g, b, a;
+		color_to_rgba (s->second, r, g, b, a);
+		_gradient->add_color_stop_rgba (s->first, r, g, b, a);
+	}
+	
+	context->set_source (_gradient);
+}
+
+void
+Fill::set_gradient (StopList const & stops, bool vertical)
 {
 	begin_visual_change ();
 
 	if (stops.empty()) {
-		_gradient.clear();
+		_stops.clear ();
 	} else {
-
-		double r, g, b, a;
-		
-		_gradient = Cairo::LinearGradient::create (0, 0, 0, height);
-		
-		for (StopList::const_iterator s = stops.begin(); s != stops.end(); ++s) {
-			color_to_rgba (s->second, r, g, b, a);
-			_gradient->add_color_stop_rgba (s->first, r, g, b, a);
-		}
+		_stops = stops;
+		_vertical_gradient = vertical;
 	}
 
 	end_visual_change ();
diff --git a/libs/canvas/rectangle.cc b/libs/canvas/rectangle.cc
index 9512b69417..2207ea80a1 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/rectangle.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/rectangle.cc
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ Rectangle::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context) con
 	Rect stroke_rect = fill_rect.expand (0.5);
 
 	if (_fill) {
-		setup_fill_context (context);
+		if (_stops.empty()) {
+			setup_fill_context (context);
+		} else {
+			setup_gradient_context (context, self, Duple (draw.x0, draw.y0));
+		}
 		context->rectangle (fill_rect.x0, fill_rect.y0, fill_rect.width(), fill_rect.height());
 		context->fill ();
 	}
diff --git a/libs/canvas/text.cc b/libs/canvas/text.cc
index 511bf6e629..7143f2aca7 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/text.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/text.cc
@@ -151,8 +151,7 @@ Text::compute_bounding_box () const
 			Pango::Rectangle const r = layout->get_ink_extents ();
 			
 			_bounding_box = Rect (
-				r.get_x() / Pango::SCALE,
-				r.get_y() / Pango::SCALE,
+				0, 0, 
 				(r.get_x() + r.get_width()) / Pango::SCALE,
 				(r.get_y() + r.get_height()) / Pango::SCALE
 				);