diff --git a/src/settings_gui.cpp b/src/settings_gui.cpp
index efd9580952..abeb78a31c 100644
--- a/src/settings_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/settings_gui.cpp
@@ -393,11 +393,10 @@ struct GameOptionsWindow : Window {
 				if (list != NULL) {
 					/* Find the biggest item for the default size. */
 					for (DropDownList::iterator it = list->begin(); it != list->end(); it++) {
-						static const Dimension extra = {WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT, WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM};
 						Dimension string_dim;
 						int width = (*it)->Width();
-						string_dim.width = width + extra.width;
-						string_dim.height = (*it)->Height(width) + extra.height;
+						string_dim.width = width + padding.width;
+						string_dim.height = (*it)->Height(width) + padding.height;
 						*size = maxdim(*size, string_dim);
 						delete *it;
 					}
diff --git a/src/story_gui.cpp b/src/story_gui.cpp
index defbb6449a..7a23dec7d3 100644
--- a/src/story_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/story_gui.cpp
@@ -585,8 +585,8 @@ public:
 					}
 				}
 
-				d.width += padding.width + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT;
-				d.height += padding.height + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM;
+				d.width += padding.width;
+				d.height += padding.height;
 				*size = maxdim(*size, d);
 				break;
 			}
diff --git a/src/widget.cpp b/src/widget.cpp
index 6edcd1d741..839ee98ce3 100644
--- a/src/widget.cpp
+++ b/src/widget.cpp
@@ -567,16 +567,18 @@ static inline void DrawButtonDropdown(const Rect &r, Colours colour, bool clicke
 {
 	int text_offset = max(0, ((int)(r.bottom - r.top + 1) - FONT_HEIGHT_NORMAL) / 2); // Offset for rendering the text vertically centered
 
+	int dd_width = NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension.width;
+
 	if (_current_text_dir == TD_LTR) {
-		DrawFrameRect(r.left, r.top, r.right - 12, r.bottom, colour, clicked_button ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
-		DrawFrameRect(r.right - 11, r.top, r.right, r.bottom, colour, clicked_dropdown ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
-		DrawString(r.right - (clicked_dropdown ? 10 : 11), r.right, r.top + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), DOWNARROW, TC_BLACK, SA_HOR_CENTER);
-		if (str != STR_NULL) DrawString(r.left + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + clicked_button, r.right - WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT + clicked_button, r.top + text_offset + clicked_button, str, TC_BLACK);
+		DrawFrameRect(r.left, r.top, r.right - dd_width, r.bottom, colour, clicked_button ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
+		DrawFrameRect(r.right + 1 - dd_width, r.top, r.right, r.bottom, colour, clicked_dropdown ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
+		DrawString(r.right - dd_width + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), r.right, r.top + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), DOWNARROW, TC_BLACK, SA_HOR_CENTER);
+		if (str != STR_NULL) DrawString(r.left + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + clicked_button, r.right - dd_width - WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT + clicked_button, r.top + text_offset + clicked_button, str, TC_BLACK);
 	} else {
-		DrawFrameRect(r.left + 12, r.top, r.right, r.bottom, colour, clicked_button ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
-		DrawFrameRect(r.left, r.top, r.left + 11, r.bottom, colour, clicked_dropdown ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
-		DrawString(r.left + clicked_dropdown, r.left + 11, r.top + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), DOWNARROW, TC_BLACK, SA_HOR_CENTER);
-		if (str != STR_NULL) DrawString(r.left + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT + clicked_button, r.right - WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + clicked_button, r.top + text_offset + clicked_button, str, TC_BLACK);
+		DrawFrameRect(r.left + dd_width, r.top, r.right, r.bottom, colour, clicked_button ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
+		DrawFrameRect(r.left, r.top, r.left + dd_width - 1, r.bottom, colour, clicked_dropdown ? FR_LOWERED : FR_NONE);
+		DrawString(r.left + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), r.left + dd_width, r.top + (clicked_dropdown ? 2 : 1), DOWNARROW, TC_BLACK, SA_HOR_CENTER);
+		if (str != STR_NULL) DrawString(r.left + dd_width + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + clicked_button, r.right - WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT + clicked_button, r.top + text_offset + clicked_button, str, TC_BLACK);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2066,6 +2068,7 @@ Dimension NWidgetScrollbar::horizontal_dimension = {0, 0};
 	stickybox_dimension.width = stickybox_dimension.height = 0;
 	resizebox_dimension.width = resizebox_dimension.height = 0;
 	closebox_dimension.width  = closebox_dimension.height  = 0;
+	dropdown_dimension.width  = dropdown_dimension.height  = 0;
 }
 
 Dimension NWidgetLeaf::shadebox_dimension  = {0, 0};
@@ -2074,6 +2077,7 @@ Dimension NWidgetLeaf::defsizebox_dimension = {0, 0};
 Dimension NWidgetLeaf::stickybox_dimension = {0, 0};
 Dimension NWidgetLeaf::resizebox_dimension = {0, 0};
 Dimension NWidgetLeaf::closebox_dimension  = {0, 0};
+Dimension NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension  = {0, 0};
 
 /**
  * Nested leaf widget.
@@ -2333,8 +2337,14 @@ void NWidgetLeaf::SetupSmallestSize(Window *w, bool init_array)
 		case WWT_DROPDOWN:
 		case NWID_BUTTON_DROPDOWN:
 		case NWID_PUSHBUTTON_DROPDOWN: {
-			static const Dimension extra = {WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT, WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM};
+			static Dimension extra = {WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT, WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM};
 			padding = &extra;
+			if (NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension.width == 0) {
+				NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension = GetSpriteSize(SPR_ARROW_DOWN);
+				NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension.width += WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT;
+				NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension.height += WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM;
+				extra.width = WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT + WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT + NWidgetLeaf::dropdown_dimension.width;
+			}
 			if (this->index >= 0) w->SetStringParameters(this->index);
 			Dimension d2 = GetStringBoundingBox(this->widget_data);
 			d2.width += extra.width;
diff --git a/src/widget_type.h b/src/widget_type.h
index 60980f28c2..6d8b32bc9c 100644
--- a/src/widget_type.h
+++ b/src/widget_type.h
@@ -777,6 +777,8 @@ public:
 	bool ButtonHit(const Point &pt);
 
 	static void InvalidateDimensionCache();
+
+	static Dimension dropdown_dimension;  ///< Cached size of a dropdown widget.
 private:
 	static Dimension shadebox_dimension;  ///< Cached size of a shadebox widget.
 	static Dimension debugbox_dimension;  ///< Cached size of a debugbox widget.
diff --git a/src/window_gui.h b/src/window_gui.h
index b6b994d520..bf8500f0f3 100644
--- a/src/window_gui.h
+++ b/src/window_gui.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ enum WidgetDrawDistances {
 	/* Dropdown widget. */
 	WD_DROPDOWN_HEIGHT     = 12, ///< Height of a drop down widget.
 	WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_LEFT   = 2,  ///< Left offset of the dropdown widget string.
-	WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT  = 14, ///< Right offset of the dropdown widget string.
+	WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_RIGHT  = 2,  ///< Right offset of the dropdown widget string.
 	WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_TOP    = 1,  ///< Top offset of the dropdown widget string.
 	WD_DROPDOWNTEXT_BOTTOM = 1,  ///< Bottom offset of the dropdown widget string.