diff --git a/win/X11/winX.c b/win/X11/winX.c
index 28d3e4da5..1b3089e9e 100644
--- a/win/X11/winX.c
+++ b/win/X11/winX.c
@@ -749,27 +749,28 @@ nhFreePixel(
 Dimension
 nhFontHeight(Widget w)
 {
+    Arg args[1];
+    XFontStruct *fs;
+
 #ifdef _XawTextSink_h
-    Widget sink;
+    Widget sink = NULL;
     XawTextPosition pos = 0;
     int resWidth, resHeight;
-    Arg args[1];
 
     XtSetArg(args[0], XtNtextSink, &sink);
     XtGetValues(w, args, 1);
 
-    XawTextSinkFindPosition(sink, pos, 0, 0, 0, &pos, &resWidth, &resHeight);
-    return resHeight;
-#else
-    XFontStruct *fs;
-    Arg args[1];
+    if (sink != NULL) {
+        XawTextSinkFindPosition(sink, pos, 0, 0, 0, &pos, &resWidth, &resHeight);
+        return resHeight;
+    }
+#endif
 
     XtSetArg(args[0], XtNfont, &fs);
     XtGetValues(w, args, 1);
 
     /* Assume font height is ascent + descent. */
-    return = fs->ascent + fs->descent;
-#endif
+    return fs->ascent + fs->descent;
 }
 
 static String *default_resource_data = 0, /* NULL-terminated arrays */
diff --git a/win/X11/winstat.c b/win/X11/winstat.c
index b5bdc1072..8d7f3230c 100644
--- a/win/X11/winstat.c
+++ b/win/X11/winstat.c
@@ -1113,6 +1113,12 @@ create_tty_status(Widget parent, Widget top)
     X11_status_widget = XtCreateManagedWidget("status_form", windowWidgetClass,
                                               form, args, num_args);
 
+    int height = nhFontHeight(X11_status_widget) * 3;
+    num_args = 0;
+    XtSetArg(args[num_args], XtNheight, height); num_args++;
+    XtSetValues(form, args, num_args);
+    XtSetValues(X11_status_widget, args, num_args);
+
     XtAddCallback(X11_status_widget, XtNexposeCallback, tty_status_exposed,
                   (XtPointer) 0);
 
@@ -1194,15 +1200,13 @@ tty_status_redraw(Widget w)
     };
     Arg args[5];
     int num_args;
-    XFontStruct *font;
     Dimension width;
 
     /* Get the height of the font and the width of the widget */
     num_args = 0;
-    XtSetArg(args[num_args], XtNfont, &font); num_args++;
     XtSetArg(args[num_args], XtNwidth, &width); num_args++;
     XtGetValues(w, args, num_args);
-    int height = font->max_bounds.ascent + font->max_bounds.descent;
+    int height = nhFontHeight(w);
 
     int x = 0;
     int y = 0;