diff --git a/cmd/wm/bar.c b/cmd/wm/bar.c
index c0a40a04..cbd89484 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/bar.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/bar.c
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ create_bar(Bar **b_link, char *name)
 	cext_strlcpy(b->name, name, sizeof(b->name));
 	b->brush = bbrush;
 	b->brush.color = def.normcolor;
-	b->brush.align = CENTER;
 
 	for(i=b_link; *i; i=&(*i)->next)
 		if(strcmp((*i)->name, name) >= 0)
diff --git a/liblitz/brush.c b/liblitz/brush.c
index 471ae8dc..dd87e072 100644
--- a/liblitz/brush.c
+++ b/liblitz/brush.c
@@ -45,9 +45,8 @@ blitz_draw_label(BlitzBrush *b, char *text)
 	y = b->rect.y + b->rect.height / 2 - h / 2 + b->font->ascent;
 
 	/* shorten text if necessary */
-	while (len && (w = blitz_textwidth(b->font, buf)) > b->rect.width) {
-		buf[len - 1] = 0;
-		len--;
+	while (len && (w = blitz_textwidth(b->font, buf)) > b->rect.width - h) {
+		buf[--len] = 0;
 		shortened = 1;
 	}
 
@@ -63,12 +62,16 @@ blitz_draw_label(BlitzBrush *b, char *text)
 		if (len > 1)
 			buf[len - 1] = '.';
 	}
+	/* shorten text more if necessary */
+	while (len && (w = blitz_textwidth(b->font, buf)) > b->rect.width - h)
+		buf[--len] = 0;
+
 	switch (b->align) {
 	case EAST:
 		x = b->rect.x + b->rect.width - (h / 2 + w);
 		break;
 	case CENTER:
-		x = b->rect.x + (b->rect.width - w) / 2;
+		x = b->rect.x + h / 2 + (b->rect.width - h - w) / 2;
 		break;
 	default:
 		x = b->rect.x + h / 2;