diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index 8128c8308..c5378b97e 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -325,20 +325,17 @@ draw_text_markup_expand(draw_parser_data_t *data,
  * \param font The font to use.
  * \param area Area to draw to.
  * \param text Text to draw.
+ * \param len Text to draw length.
  * \param data Optional parser data.
  */
 void
 draw_text(draw_context_t *ctx, font_t *font,
-          area_t area, const char *text, draw_parser_data_t *pdata)
+          area_t area, const char *text, ssize_t len, draw_parser_data_t *pdata)
 {
     int x, y;
-    ssize_t len = 0, olen;
     PangoRectangle ext;
     draw_parser_data_t parser_data;
 
-    if(!(len = a_strlen(text)))
-        return;
-
     if(!pdata)
     {
         draw_parser_data_init(&parser_data);
@@ -357,8 +354,6 @@ draw_text(draw_context_t *ctx, font_t *font,
         len = pdata->text.len;
     }
 
-    olen = len;
-
     if(pdata->has_bg_color)
         draw_rectangle(ctx, area, 1.0, true, &pdata->bg_color);
 
diff --git a/common/draw.h b/common/draw.h
index c820a3370..478339fa9 100644
--- a/common/draw.h
+++ b/common/draw.h
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ typedef struct
 void draw_parser_data_init(draw_parser_data_t *);
 void draw_parser_data_wipe(draw_parser_data_t *);
 
-void draw_text(draw_context_t *, font_t *, area_t, const char *, draw_parser_data_t *);
+void draw_text(draw_context_t *, font_t *, area_t, const char *, ssize_t len, draw_parser_data_t *);
 void draw_rectangle(draw_context_t *, area_t, float, bool, const xcolor_t *);
 void draw_rectangle_gradient(draw_context_t *, area_t, float, bool, vector_t,
                              const xcolor_t *, const xcolor_t *, const xcolor_t *);
diff --git a/mouse.c b/mouse.c
index 4f79f19a0..9da99bacf 100644
--- a/mouse.c
+++ b/mouse.c
@@ -241,11 +241,12 @@ mouse_infobox_draw(draw_context_t *ctx,
 {
     area_t draw_geometry = { 0, 0, ctx->width, ctx->height };
     char size[64];
+    size_t len;
 
-    snprintf(size, sizeof(size), "<text align=\"center\"/>%dx%d+%d+%d",
-             geometry.width, geometry.height, geometry.x, geometry.y);
+    len = snprintf(size, sizeof(size), "<text align=\"center\"/>%dx%d+%d+%d",
+                   geometry.width, geometry.height, geometry.x, geometry.y);
     draw_rectangle(ctx, draw_geometry, 1.0, true, &globalconf.colors.bg);
-    draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, draw_geometry, size, NULL);
+    draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, draw_geometry, size, len, NULL);
     simplewindow_move(sw,
                       geometry.x + ((2 * border + geometry.width) - sw->geometry.width) / 2,
                       geometry.y + ((2 * border + geometry.height) - sw->geometry.height) / 2);
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index ea98743c8..d7e35bafd 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ taglist_draw(draw_context_t *ctx, int screen, widget_node_t *w,
     area_t area;
     taglist_drawn_area_t *tda;
     int prev_width = 0;
-    size_t len;
 
     tag_array_t *tags = &globalconf.screens[screen].tags;
     const char **text = p_alloca(const char *, tags->len);
+    size_t *len = p_alloca(size_t, tags->len);
     draw_parser_data_t *pdata = p_alloca(draw_parser_data_t, tags->len);
 
     w->area.width = w->area.y = 0;
@@ -125,13 +125,13 @@ taglist_draw(draw_context_t *ctx, int screen, widget_node_t *w,
         luaA_dofunction(globalconf.L, data->label, 1, 1);
 
         if(lua_isstring(globalconf.L, -1))
-            text[i] = lua_tolstring(globalconf.L, -1, &len);
+            text[i] = lua_tolstring(globalconf.L, -1, &len[i]);
 
         lua_pop(globalconf.L, 1);
 
         draw_parser_data_init(&pdata[i]);
         area = draw_text_extents(ctx->connection, ctx->phys_screen,
-                                 globalconf.font, text[i], len, &pdata[i]);
+                                 globalconf.font, text[i], len[i], &pdata[i]);
 
         if(pdata[i].bg_image)
             area.width = MAX(area.width, pdata[i].bg_resize ? w->area.height : pdata[i].bg_image->width);
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ taglist_draw(draw_context_t *ctx, int screen, widget_node_t *w,
 
         r->x = w->area.x + prev_width;
         prev_width += r->width;
-        draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, *r, text[i], &pdata[i]);
+        draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, *r, text[i], len[i], &pdata[i]);
         draw_parser_data_wipe(&pdata[i]);
     }
 
diff --git a/widgets/tasklist.c b/widgets/tasklist.c
index 02b0bd05e..99edde0d2 100644
--- a/widgets/tasklist.c
+++ b/widgets/tasklist.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ tasklist_draw(draw_context_t *ctx, int screen,
             if(i == n - 1)
                 area.width += box_width_rest;
 
-            draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, area, text, NULL);
+            draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, area, text, len, NULL);
 
             i++;
         }
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index 8eab4ffac..dcd574bd4 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ textbox_draw(draw_context_t *ctx, int screen __attribute__ ((unused)),
                                         w->widget->align);
     w->area.y = 0;
 
-    draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, w->area, d->text, pdata_arg);
+    draw_text(ctx, globalconf.font, w->area, d->text, d->len, pdata_arg);
     if (pdata_arg)
         draw_parser_data_wipe(pdata_arg);