diff --git a/include/winX.h b/include/winX.h
index dc34bd572..1c1521074 100644
--- a/include/winX.h
+++ b/include/winX.h
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 
 #ifdef USE_XFT
 #include <X11/Xft/Xft.h>
+typedef XftFont X11_Font;
+#else
+typedef XFontStruct X11_Font;
 #endif
 
 #ifndef COLOR_H
@@ -529,6 +532,7 @@ extern void X11_set_attrs(Widget, unsigned);
 extern void X11_set_highlight(Widget, boolean);
 extern void X11_set_percent(Widget, unsigned, Pixel);
 extern void X11_blink_labels(void);
+extern int X11_font_height(X11_Font *);
 
 /*
  * These are for widgets that use the enhanced label services only for text
diff --git a/win/X11/winX.c b/win/X11/winX.c
index c59ab5fab..0f63a5761 100644
--- a/win/X11/winX.c
+++ b/win/X11/winX.c
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ nhFontHeight(Widget w, int win_type)
 #ifdef USE_XFT
 
     XftFont *font = X11_new_font(w, 0, win_type);
-    Dimension height = font->height;
+    Dimension height = X11_font_height(font);
     X11_release_font(w, font);
     return height;
 
diff --git a/win/X11/winlabel.c b/win/X11/winlabel.c
index e7a673a7a..662644f13 100644
--- a/win/X11/winlabel.c
+++ b/win/X11/winlabel.c
@@ -19,13 +19,7 @@
 #include "winX.h"
 
 /* Declarations depending on Xft support or none */
-#ifdef USE_XFT
-typedef XftFont X11_Font;
-#else
-typedef XFontStruct X11_Font;
-#endif
 static int X11_text_width(Display *, X11_Font *, const char *, size_t);
-static int X11_font_height(X11_Font *);
 
 /* Data attached to a wrapped widget */
 typedef struct WidgetData {
@@ -383,7 +377,7 @@ update_label(Widget w, WidgetData *data)
 
             /* Render the line */
 #ifdef USE_XFT
-            XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x, y - font->ascent, lwidth, font->height);
+            XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x, y - font->ascent, lwidth, X11_font_height(font));
             XftDrawString8(draw, &fgcolor, font, x, y,
                            (const FcChar8 *) (label + i), line2);
 #else
@@ -507,10 +501,10 @@ X11_text_width(Display *display, X11_Font *font, const char *text, size_t length
     return extents.width - extents.x;
 }
 
-static int
+int
 X11_font_height(X11_Font *font)
 {
-    return font->height;
+    return max(font->height, font->ascent + font->descent);
 }
 #else /* !USE_XFT */
 static int
@@ -520,7 +514,7 @@ X11_text_width(Display *display, X11_Font *font, const char *text, size_t length
     return XTextWidth(font, text, length);
 }
 
-static int
+int
 X11_font_height(X11_Font *font)
 {
     return font->ascent + font->descent;
diff --git a/win/X11/winmap.c b/win/X11/winmap.c
index a09691957..6e92eda63 100644
--- a/win/X11/winmap.c
+++ b/win/X11/winmap.c
@@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ get_char_info(struct xwindow *wp)
     struct text_map_info_t *text_map = &map_info->text_map;
     XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MAP);
     text_map->square_width = font->max_advance_width;
-    text_map->square_height = font->height;
+    text_map->square_height = X11_font_height(font);
     text_map->square_ascent = 0;
     text_map->square_lbearing = 0;
     X11_release_font(wp->w, font);
@@ -1546,7 +1546,7 @@ X11_draw_image_string(
 {
     XftDrawRect(draw, bgcolor, x, y,
                 length * font->max_advance_width,
-                font->height);
+                X11_font_height(font));
 
     int xt = x;
     int yt = y + font->ascent;
diff --git a/win/X11/winmesg.c b/win/X11/winmesg.c
index aa707a186..ed172c4f8 100644
--- a/win/X11/winmesg.c
+++ b/win/X11/winmesg.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ create_message_window(struct xwindow *wp, /* window pointer */
     XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MESSAGE);
     XGlyphInfo extents;
     mesg_info->char_width = font->max_advance_width;
-    mesg_info->char_height = font->height;
+    mesg_info->char_height = X11_font_height(font);
     mesg_info->char_ascent = font->ascent;
     mesg_info->char_lbearing = 0;
     /* Xft seems to offer no direct way to distinguish proportional from
diff --git a/win/X11/winstat.c b/win/X11/winstat.c
index 2fa32ae6b..5224522b3 100644
--- a/win/X11/winstat.c
+++ b/win/X11/winstat.c
@@ -785,6 +785,7 @@ tty_render_text(Widget w, const XRectangle *clip, int x, int y,
 
     /* Get the font */
     XftFont *font = X11_new_font(w, attr, NHW_STATUS);
+    int height = X11_font_height(font);
 
     /* Get the drawing resources */
     Display *display = XtDisplay(w);
@@ -827,7 +828,7 @@ tty_render_text(Widget w, const XRectangle *clip, int x, int y,
             goldwidth = extents.width - extents.x;
 
             /* Render the gold symbol */
-            XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x, y, goldwidth, font->height);
+            XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x, y, goldwidth, height);
 #ifdef ENHANCED_SYMBOLS
             XftDrawString32(draw, &fgcolor, font, x, y + font->ascent, &goldch, 1);
 #else /* !ENHANCED_SYMBOLS */
@@ -857,7 +858,7 @@ tty_render_text(Widget w, const XRectangle *clip, int x, int y,
     }
 
     /* Render the string */
-    XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x + goldwidth, y, width, font->height);
+    XftDrawRect(draw, &bgcolor, x + goldwidth, y, width, height);
     XftDrawString8(draw, &fgcolor, font,
                    x + goldwidth, y + font->ascent,
                      (const FcChar8 *) text, strlen(text));