diff --git a/lib/awful/layout/init.lua b/lib/awful/layout/init.lua
index 984786068..0b5e7afd4 100755
--- a/lib/awful/layout/init.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/layout/init.lua
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ function layout.arrange(screen)
 
         local p = {}
         p.workarea = capi.screen[screen].workarea
-        local useless_gap = tag.getgap(tag.selected(screen))
+        local useless_gap = tag.getgap(tag.selected(screen), #client.tiled(s))
         -- Handle padding
         local padding = ascreen.padding(capi.screen[screen]) or {}
         p.workarea.x = p.workarea.x + (padding.left or 0) + useless_gap
diff --git a/lib/awful/tag.lua b/lib/awful/tag.lua
index 70c36f973..9b8668ec4 100644
--- a/lib/awful/tag.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/tag.lua
@@ -407,10 +407,16 @@ function tag.incgap(add, t)
     tag.setgap(tag.getgap(t) + add, t)
 end
 
---- Get the spacing between clients
--- @param t Optional tag.
-function tag.getgap(t)
+--- Get the spacing between clients.
+-- @tparam[opt=tag.selected()] tag t The tag.
+-- @tparam[opt] int numclients Number of (tiled) clients.  Passing this will
+--   return 0 for a single client.  You can override this function to change
+--   this behavior.
+function tag.getgap(t, numclients)
     local t = t or tag.selected()
+    if numclients == 1 then
+        return 0
+    end
     return tag.getproperty(t, "useless_gap") or beautiful.useless_gap or 0
 end