diff --git a/headers/os/interface/Box.h b/headers/os/interface/Box.h
index 786ea50691..9ab953b9ea 100644
--- a/headers/os/interface/Box.h
+++ b/headers/os/interface/Box.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class BBox : public BView {
 		virtual	void		ResizeToPreferred();
 		virtual	void		GetPreferredSize(float* _width, float* _height);
 		virtual	void		MakeFocus(bool focused = true);
+		virtual	void		SetFont(const BFont* font, uint32 mask = B_FONT_ALL);
 		virtual	status_t	GetSupportedSuites(BMessage* message);
 
 		virtual	status_t	Perform(perform_code d, void* arg);
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ class BBox : public BView {
 		border_style		fStyle;
 		BView*				fLabelView;
 		LayoutData*			fLayoutData;
+		float				fLabelHeight;
 };
 
 #endif	// _BOX_H
diff --git a/src/kits/interface/Box.cpp b/src/kits/interface/Box.cpp
index e9ff1359f1..1c03ccddae 100644
--- a/src/kits/interface/Box.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/interface/Box.cpp
@@ -158,12 +158,7 @@ BBox::Border() const
 float
 BBox::TopBorderOffset()
 {
-	_ValidateLayoutData();
-
-	if (fLabel != NULL || fLabelView != NULL)
-		return fLayoutData->label_box.Height() / 2;
-
-	return 0;
+	return fLabelHeight / 2;
 }
 
 
@@ -446,6 +441,18 @@ BBox::MakeFocus(bool focused)
 }
 
 
+void
+BBox::SetFont(const BFont* font, uint32 mask)
+{
+	BView::SetFont(font, mask);
+
+	// recalculate the label height based on the new font
+	font_height fontHeight;
+	GetFontHeight(&fontHeight);
+	fLabelHeight = ceilf(fontHeight.ascent + fontHeight.descent) + 1;
+}
+
+
 status_t
 BBox::GetSupportedSuites(BMessage* message)
 {
@@ -635,6 +642,11 @@ BBox::_InitObject(BMessage* archive)
 
 	if (flags != 0)
 		SetFont(&font, flags);
+	else {
+		font_height fontHeight;
+		GetFontHeight(&fontHeight);
+		fLabelHeight = ceilf(fontHeight.ascent + fontHeight.descent) + 1;
+	}
 
 	if (archive != NULL) {
 		const char* string;
@@ -801,8 +813,9 @@ BBox::_ValidateLayoutData()
 		return;
 
 	// compute the label box, width and height
-	bool label = true;
-	float labelHeight = 0;	// height of the label (pixel count)
+	bool hasLabel = true;
+	float labelHeight = 0;
+		// height of the label (pixel count)
 	if (fLabel) {
 		// leave 6 pixels of the frame, and have a gap of 4 pixels between
 		// the frame and the text on either side
@@ -810,14 +823,15 @@ BBox::_ValidateLayoutData()
 		GetFontHeight(&fontHeight);
 		fLayoutData->label_box.Set(6.0f, 0, 14.0f + StringWidth(fLabel),
 			ceilf(fontHeight.ascent));
-		labelHeight = ceilf(fontHeight.ascent + fontHeight.descent) + 1;
+		labelHeight = fLabelHeight;
 	} else if (fLabelView) {
 		// the label view is placed at (0, 10) at its preferred size
 		BSize size = fLabelView->PreferredSize();
 		fLayoutData->label_box.Set(10, 0, 10 + size.width, size.height);
 		labelHeight = size.height + 1;
 	} else {
-		label = false;
+		labelHeight = fLabelHeight;
+		hasLabel = false;
 	}
 
 	// border
@@ -834,8 +848,8 @@ BBox::_ValidateLayoutData()
 			break;
 	}
 
-	// if there's a label, the top inset will be dictated by the label
-	if (label && labelHeight > fLayoutData->insets.top)
+	// Grow the top inset by the label height
+	if (labelHeight > fLayoutData->insets.top)
 		fLayoutData->insets.top = labelHeight;
 
 	// total number of pixel the border adds
@@ -843,11 +857,8 @@ BBox::_ValidateLayoutData()
 	float addHeight = fLayoutData->insets.top + fLayoutData->insets.bottom;
 
 	// compute the minimal width induced by the label
-	float minWidth;
-	if (label)
-		minWidth = fLayoutData->label_box.right + fLayoutData->insets.right;
-	else
-		minWidth = addWidth - 1;
+	float minWidth = !hasLabel ? addWidth - 1
+		: fLayoutData->label_box.right + fLayoutData->insets.right;
 
 	// finally consider the child constraints, if we shall support layout
 	BView* child = _Child();