diff --git a/lib/wibox/layout/fixed.lua b/lib/wibox/layout/fixed.lua
index 6525f2ae5..0649b549f 100644
--- a/lib/wibox/layout/fixed.lua
+++ b/lib/wibox/layout/fixed.lua
@@ -20,45 +20,61 @@ local fixed = {}
 -- @param height The available height.
 function fixed:layout(context, width, height)
     local result = {}
-    local pos,spacing = 0, self._private.spacing
-    local spacing_widget = self._private.spacing_widget
+    local spacing = self._private.spacing or 0
     local is_y = self._private.dir == "y"
     local is_x = not is_y
     local abspace = math.abs(spacing)
     local spoffset = spacing < 0 and 0 or spacing
+    local widgets_nr = #self._private.widgets
+    local spacing_widget
+    local x, y = 0, 0
+
+    spacing_widget = spacing ~= 0 and self._private.spacing_widget or nil
 
     for k, v in pairs(self._private.widgets) do
-        local x, y, w, h, _
+        local w, h = width - x, height - y
+
         if is_y then
-            x, y = 0, pos
-            w, h = width, height - pos
-            if k ~= #self._private.widgets or not self._private.fill_space then
-                _, h = base.fit_widget(self, context, v, w, h);
+            if k ~= widgets_nr or not self._private.fill_space then
+                h = select(2, base.fit_widget(self, context, v, w, h))
+            end
+
+            if y - spacing >= height then
+                -- pop the spacing widget added in previous iteration if used
+                if spacing_widget then
+                    table.remove(result)
+                end
+                break
             end
-            pos = pos + h + spacing
         else
-            x, y = pos, 0
-            w, h = width - pos, height
-            if k ~= #self._private.widgets or not self._private.fill_space then
-                w, _ = base.fit_widget(self, context, v, w, h);
+            if k ~= widgets_nr or not self._private.fill_space then
+                w = select(1, base.fit_widget(self, context, v, w, h))
+            end
+
+            if x - spacing >= width then
+                -- pop the spacing widget added in previous iteration if used
+                if spacing_widget then
+                    table.remove(result)
+                end
+                break
             end
-            pos = pos + w + spacing
         end
 
-        if (is_y and pos-spacing > height) or
-            (is_x and pos-spacing > width) then
-            break
-        end
+        -- Place widget
+        table.insert(result, base.place_widget_at(v, x, y, w, h))
 
-        -- Add the spacing widget
-        if k > 1 and abspace > 0 and spacing_widget then
+        x = is_x and x + w + spacing or x
+        y = is_y and y + h + spacing or y
+
+        -- Add the spacing widget (if needed)
+        if k < widgets_nr and spacing_widget then
             table.insert(result, base.place_widget_at(
                 spacing_widget, is_x and (x - spoffset) or x, is_y and (y - spoffset) or y,
                 is_x and abspace or w, is_y and abspace or h
             ))
         end
-        table.insert(result, base.place_widget_at(v, x, y, w, h))
     end
+
     return result
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/wibox/layout/fixed_spec.lua b/spec/wibox/layout/fixed_spec.lua
index 537465679..3d50163ec 100644
--- a/spec/wibox/layout/fixed_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/wibox/layout/fixed_spec.lua
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ describe("wibox.layout.fixed", function()
                     assert.widget_layout(layout, { 100, 20 }, {
                         p(first,  0,  0, 100, 10),
                         p(second, 0, 10, 100, 10),
-                        p(third,  0, 20, 100,  0),
                     })
                 end)
             end)
@@ -169,6 +168,14 @@ describe("wibox.layout.fixed", function()
                     it("fit", function()
                         assert.widget_fit(layout, { 15, 20 }, { 15, 20 })
                     end)
+
+                    it("layout", function()
+                        assert.widget_layout(layout, { 15, 20 }, {
+                            p(first,  0, 0, 15, 10),
+                            p(spacing_widget,  0, 5, 15, 5),
+                            p(second, 0, 5, 15, 15),
+                        })
+                    end)
                 end)
             end) -- , negative spacing
         end) -- with spacing