diff --git a/awesome-menu.c b/awesome-menu.c
index 72bea2e79..91121361f 100644
--- a/awesome-menu.c
+++ b/awesome-menu.c
@@ -431,8 +431,7 @@ redraw(void)
 
     if(a_strlen(globalconf.prompt))
     {
-        draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry,
-                  MARGIN, globalconf.prompt, globalconf.styles.focus);
+        draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, globalconf.prompt, globalconf.styles.focus);
 
         len = MARGIN * 2 + draw_text_extents(globalconf.connection, globalconf.default_screen,
                                              globalconf.styles.focus.font, globalconf.prompt).width;
@@ -440,8 +439,7 @@ redraw(void)
         geometry.width -= len;
     }
 
-    draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry,
-              MARGIN, globalconf.text, globalconf.styles.normal);
+    draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, globalconf.text, globalconf.styles.normal);
 
     len = MARGIN * 2 + MAX(draw_text_extents(globalconf.connection, globalconf.default_screen,
                                              globalconf.styles.normal.font, globalconf.text).width,
@@ -463,7 +461,7 @@ redraw(void)
                 else
                     selected_item_is_drawn = true;
             }
-            draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, MARGIN / 2, item->data, style);
+            draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, item->data, style);
             geometry.x += len;
             geometry.width -= len;
         }
@@ -485,7 +483,7 @@ redraw(void)
                 if(geometry.x < prompt_len)
                     break;
 
-                draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, MARGIN / 2, item->data, style);
+                draw_text(globalconf.ctx, geometry, item->data, style);
             }
 
         if(item)
diff --git a/awesome-message.c b/awesome-message.c
index 95d0a1983..02d142e9f 100644
--- a/awesome-message.c
+++ b/awesome-message.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                            geometry.width, geometry.height, sw->drawable);
 
     geometry.x = geometry.y = 0;
-    draw_text(ctx, geometry, 0, argv[optind], globalconf.style);
+    draw_text(ctx, geometry, argv[optind], globalconf.style);
 
     if(icon_geometry.width > 0 && icon_geometry.height > 0)
         draw_image(ctx, 0, (geometry.height / 2) - (globalconf.style.font->height / 2),
diff --git a/common/configopts.c b/common/configopts.c
index fb7adce1b..c659c6ca6 100644
--- a/common/configopts.c
+++ b/common/configopts.c
@@ -280,11 +280,11 @@ cfg_opt_t widget_taglist_opts[] =
     /** Mouse bindings. */
     CFG_SEC((char *) "mouse", mouse_taglist_opts, CFGF_MULTI),
     /** Markup title string for normal tags */
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_normal", (char *) "<text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#444444\"/><title/>", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_STR((char *) "text_normal", (char *) " <text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#444444\"/><title/> ", CFGF_NONE),
     /** Markup title string for selected tags. */
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_focus", (char *) "<text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#535d6c\"/><title/>", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_STR((char *) "text_focus", (char *) " <text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#535d6c\"/><title/> ", CFGF_NONE),
     /** Markup title string for tags with urgent windows. */
-    CFG_STR((char *) "text_urgent", (char *) "<text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#ff4500\"/><title/>", CFGF_NONE),
+    CFG_STR((char *) "text_urgent", (char *) " <text align=\"center\"/><bg color=\"#ff4500\"/><title/> ", CFGF_NONE),
     CFG_AWESOME_END()
 };
 /** This section defines iconbox widget options. */
diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index b167a4dd6..88a67609e 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ typedef struct
     int phys_screen;
     char *text;
     alignment_t align;
+    struct
+    {
+        int left, right;
+    } margin;
     bool has_bg_color;
     xcolor_t bg_color;
 } draw_parser_data_t;
@@ -229,14 +233,14 @@ static bool
 draw_text_markup_expand(draw_parser_data_t *data,
                         const char *str, ssize_t slen)
 {
-    const char *elements[] = { "bg", "text", NULL };
+    const char *elements[] = { "bg", "text", "margin", NULL };
     markup_parser_data_t *p;
     int i;
 
     p = markup_parser_data_new(elements, NULL, countof(elements));
 
     if(!markup_parse(p, str, slen))
-        return false;
+        return a_strdup(str);
 
     /* bg */
     if(p->attribute_names[0])
@@ -251,6 +255,16 @@ draw_text_markup_expand(draw_parser_data_t *data,
             if(!a_strcmp(p->attribute_names[1][i], "align"))
                 data->align = draw_align_get_from_str(p->attribute_values[1][i]);
 
+    /* margin */
+    if(p->attribute_names[2])
+        for(i = 0; p->attribute_names[2][i]; i++)
+        {
+            if(!a_strcmp(p->attribute_names[2][i], "left"))
+                data->margin.left = atoi(p->attribute_values[2][i]);
+            else if(!a_strcmp(p->attribute_names[2][i], "right"))
+                data->margin.right = atoi(p->attribute_values[2][i]);
+        }
+
     /* stole text */
     data->text = p->text;
     p->text = NULL;
@@ -263,16 +277,11 @@ draw_text_markup_expand(draw_parser_data_t *data,
 /** Draw text into a draw context
  * \param ctx DrawCtx to draw to
  * \param area area to draw to
- * \param padding padding to add before drawing the text
  * \param text text to draw
  * \return area_t with width and height are set to what used
  */
 void
-draw_text(DrawCtx *ctx,
-          area_t area,
-          int padding,
-          const char *text,
-          style_t style)
+draw_text(DrawCtx *ctx, area_t area, const char *text, style_t style)
 {
     int x, y;
     ssize_t len, olen;
@@ -311,13 +320,16 @@ draw_text(DrawCtx *ctx,
     else
         draw_rectangle(ctx, area, 1.0, true, style.bg);
 
-    pango_layout_set_width(ctx->layout, pango_units_from_double(area.width - padding));
+    pango_layout_set_width(ctx->layout,
+                           pango_units_from_double(area.width
+                                                   - (parser_data.margin.left
+                                                      + parser_data.margin.right)));
     pango_layout_set_ellipsize(ctx->layout, PANGO_ELLIPSIZE_END);
     pango_layout_set_markup(ctx->layout, buf, len);
     pango_layout_set_font_description(ctx->layout, style.font->desc);
     pango_layout_get_pixel_extents(ctx->layout, NULL, &ext);
 
-    x = area.x + padding;
+    x = area.x + parser_data.margin.left;
     /* + 1 is added for rounding, so that in any case of doubt we rather draw
      * the text 1px lower than too high which usually results in a better type
      * face */
diff --git a/common/draw.h b/common/draw.h
index 1a08486f7..19079b89c 100644
--- a/common/draw.h
+++ b/common/draw.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ void draw_context_delete(DrawCtx **);
 font_t *draw_font_new(xcb_connection_t *, int, char *);
 void draw_font_delete(font_t **);
 
-void draw_text(DrawCtx *, area_t, int, const char *, style_t);
+void draw_text(DrawCtx *, area_t, const char *, style_t);
 void draw_rectangle(DrawCtx *, area_t, float, bool, xcolor_t);
 void draw_rectangle_gradient(DrawCtx *, area_t, float, bool, area_t, xcolor_t *, xcolor_t *, xcolor_t *);
 
diff --git a/common/markup.c b/common/markup.c
index 495adce29..a666c9a6c 100644
--- a/common/markup.c
+++ b/common/markup.c
@@ -148,10 +148,7 @@ markup_parse_text(GMarkupParseContext *context __attribute__ ((unused)),
     len = a_strlen(p->text);
     rlen = len + 1 + text_len;
     p_realloc(&p->text, rlen);
-    if(len)
-        a_strncat(p->text, rlen, text, len);
-    else
-        a_strncpy(p->text, rlen, text, text_len);
+    a_strncat(p->text, rlen, text, text_len);
 }
 
 /** Create a markup_parser_data_t structure with elements list.
@@ -169,6 +166,7 @@ markup_parser_data_new(const char **elements, const char **elements_sub, ssize_t
 
     p = p_new(markup_parser_data_t, 1);
 
+    p->text = p_new(char, 1);
     p->elements = elements;
     p->elements_sub = elements_sub;
     p->attribute_names = p_new(char **, nelem);
diff --git a/mouse.c b/mouse.c
index bd3cf0b19..3fd037dd7 100644
--- a/mouse.c
+++ b/mouse.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ mouse_resizebar_draw(DrawCtx *ctx, style_t style, simple_window_t *sw, area_t ge
 
     snprintf(size, sizeof(size), "<text align=\"center\"/>%dx%d+%d+%d",
              geometry.x, geometry.y, geometry.width, geometry.height);
-    draw_text(ctx, draw_geometry, style.font->height / 2, size, style);
+    draw_text(ctx, draw_geometry, size, style);
     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/titlebar.c b/titlebar.c
index 433a4d033..e3507cbf3 100644
--- a/titlebar.c
+++ b/titlebar.c
@@ -216,8 +216,7 @@ titlebar_draw(client_t *c)
 
     text = titlebar_text(c);
     geometry.x = geometry.y = 0;
-    draw_text(ctx, geometry, 0,
-              text, globalconf.screens[c->screen].styles.normal);
+    draw_text(ctx, geometry, text, globalconf.screens[c->screen].styles.normal);
     p_delete(&text);
 
     switch(c->titlebar.position)
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index 41ac5fab9..a742ed1c7 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ taglist_draw(widget_t *widget,
         *area = draw_text_extents(ctx->connection, ctx->default_screen,
                                   style.font, text[i]);
         area->x = widget->area.width;
-        area->width += style.font->height;
         area->height = widget->statusbar->height;
         area_list_append(&data->draw_area, area);
         widget->area.width += area->width;
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ taglist_draw(widget_t *widget,
         tag && area;
         tag = tag->next, area = area->next, i++)
     {
-        draw_text(ctx, *area, 0, text[i], style);
+        draw_text(ctx, *area, text[i], style);
 
         if(tag_isoccupied(tag))
         {
diff --git a/widgets/tasklist.c b/widgets/tasklist.c
index 84de43646..3cca03f37 100644
--- a/widgets/tasklist.c
+++ b/widgets/tasklist.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ tasklist_draw(widget_t *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
             if(i == n - 1)
                 area.width += box_width_rest;
 
-            draw_text(ctx, area, style.font->height / 2, text, style);
+            draw_text(ctx, area, text, style);
 
             p_delete(&text);
 
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index 812bb0017..d45484092 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ textbox_draw(widget_t *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
     if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
         widget->area.y = 0;
 
-    draw_text(ctx, widget->area, 0, d->text, globalconf.screens[widget->statusbar->screen].styles.normal);
+    draw_text(ctx, widget->area, d->text, globalconf.screens[widget->statusbar->screen].styles.normal);
 
     return widget->area.width;
 }