diff --git a/headers/private/interface/ColumnTypes.h b/headers/private/interface/ColumnTypes.h
index 6033cb626b..c9fc5882df 100644
--- a/headers/private/interface/ColumnTypes.h
+++ b/headers/private/interface/ColumnTypes.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ class BTitledColumn : public BColumn
 		void				Title				(BString* forTitle) const; // sets the BString arg to be the title
 		float				FontHeight			() const;
 
+		virtual float		GetPreferredWidth(BField* field, BView* parent) const;
+
 	private:
 		float				fFontHeight;
 		BString				fTitle;
diff --git a/src/kits/interface/ColumnTypes.cpp b/src/kits/interface/ColumnTypes.cpp
index dee5efae4f..5298f19276 100644
--- a/src/kits/interface/ColumnTypes.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/interface/ColumnTypes.cpp
@@ -103,6 +103,15 @@ BTitledColumn::FontHeight() const
 }
 
 
+float
+BTitledColumn::GetPreferredWidth(BField *_field, BView* parent) const
+{
+	BFont font;
+	parent->GetFont(&font);
+	return font.StringWidth(fTitle.String()) + 2 * kTEXT_MARGIN;
+}
+
+
 // #pragma mark -
 
 
@@ -193,7 +202,9 @@ BStringColumn::GetPreferredWidth(BField *_field, BView* parent) const
 	BStringField* field = static_cast<BStringField*>(_field);
 	BFont font;
 	parent->GetFont(&font);
-	return font.StringWidth(field->String()) + 2 * kTEXT_MARGIN;
+	float width = font.StringWidth(field->String()) + 2 * kTEXT_MARGIN;
+	float parentWidth = BTitledColumn::GetPreferredWidth(_field, parent);
+	return max_c(width, parentWidth);
 }