diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/grid.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/grid.h
index c77b539652..c2a87f5dad 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/grid.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/grid.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public:
 	double top_padding, right_padding, bottom_padding, left_padding;
 	double top_margin, right_margin, bottom_margin, left_margin;
 
-	void child_changed ();
+	void child_changed (bool bbox_changed);
   private:
 	struct ChildInfo {
 		Item* item;
diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/item.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/item.h
index 07c4292d72..1e83bb60c1 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/item.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/item.h
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public:
 	void raise_child_to_top (Item *);
 	void raise_child (Item *, int);
 	void lower_child_to_bottom (Item *);
-	virtual void child_changed ();
+	virtual void child_changed (bool bbox_changed);
 
 	static int default_items_per_cell;
 
diff --git a/libs/canvas/grid.cc b/libs/canvas/grid.cc
index 10ab212496..0955f76f70 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/grid.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/grid.cc
@@ -353,11 +353,11 @@ Grid::place (Item* i, double x, double y, double col_span, double row_span)
 }
 
 void
-Grid::child_changed ()
+Grid::child_changed (bool bbox_changed)
 {
 	/* catch visibility and size changes */
 
-	Item::child_changed ();
+	Item::child_changed (bbox_changed);
 	reposition_children ();
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/canvas/item.cc b/libs/canvas/item.cc
index 9c7555c149..ebe0b9168f 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/item.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/item.cc
@@ -278,9 +278,8 @@ Item::set_position (Duple p)
 	if (visible()) {
 		_canvas->item_moved (this, pre_change_parent_bounding_box);
 
-
 		if (_parent) {
-			_parent->child_changed ();
+			_parent->child_changed (false);
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -378,7 +377,7 @@ Item::propagate_show_hide ()
 	/* bounding box may have changed while we were hidden */
 
 	if (_parent) {
-		_parent->child_changed ();
+		_parent->child_changed (false);
 	}
 
 	_canvas->item_shown_or_hidden (this);
@@ -640,7 +639,7 @@ Item::end_change ()
 		_canvas->item_changed (this, _pre_change_bounding_box);
 
 		if (_parent) {
-			_parent->child_changed ();
+			_parent->child_changed (_pre_change_bounding_box != _bounding_box);
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -1061,13 +1060,13 @@ Item::invalidate_lut () const
 }
 
 void
-Item::child_changed ()
+Item::child_changed (bool bbox_changed)
 {
 	invalidate_lut ();
-	_bounding_box_dirty = true;
+	_bounding_box_dirty = bbox_changed;
 
 	if (_parent) {
-		_parent->child_changed ();
+		_parent->child_changed (bbox_changed);
 	}
 }