diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/layout.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/layout.hpp
index 7f8d35fbc..69a4772e6 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/layout.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/layout.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
     typedef std::vector<glyph_info> glyph_vector;
     typedef glyph_vector::const_iterator const_iterator;
     glyph_vector const& get_glyphs() const { return glyphs_; }
-    void add_glyph(glyph_info const& glyph);
+    void add_glyph(glyph_info const& glyph, double scale_factor_);
 
     void reserve(glyph_vector::size_type length);
     const_iterator begin() const;
diff --git a/src/text/layout.cpp b/src/text/layout.cpp
index e1b4d7cd0..a0a568d57 100644
--- a/src/text/layout.cpp
+++ b/src/text/layout.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void text_layout::break_line(text_line_ptr line, double wrap_width, unsigned tex
     unsigned last_break_position = 0;
     for (unsigned i=line->get_first_char(); i<line->get_last_char(); i++)
     {
-        //TODO: Char spacing
+        //TODO: character_spacing
         std::map<unsigned, double>::const_iterator width_itr = width_map_.find(i);
         if (width_itr != width_map_.end())
         {
@@ -192,14 +192,15 @@ text_line::text_line(unsigned first_char, unsigned last_char)
 {
 }
 
-void text_line::add_glyph(const glyph_info &glyph)
+void text_line::add_glyph(const glyph_info &glyph, double scale_factor_)
 {
     line_height_ = std::max(line_height_, glyph.line_height + glyph.format->line_spacing);
     if (glyphs_.empty())
     {
         width_ = glyph.width;
-    } else {
-        width_ += glyph.width + glyphs_.back().format->character_spacing;
+    } else if (glyph.width) {
+        //Only add character spacing if the character is not a zero-width part of a cluster.
+        width_ += glyph.width + glyphs_.back().format->character_spacing  * scale_factor_;
     }
     glyphs_.push_back(glyph);
 }
diff --git a/src/text/layout_shape_dummy.cpp b/src/text/layout_shape_dummy.cpp
index 54a715ecc..afbc0902f 100644
--- a/src/text/layout_shape_dummy.cpp
+++ b/src/text/layout_shape_dummy.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void text_layout::shape_text(text_line_ptr line)
 
             width_map_[i] += tmp.width;
 
-            line->add_glyph(tmp);
+            line->add_glyph(tmp, scale_factor_);
         }
         line->update_max_char_height(face->get_char_height());
     }
diff --git a/src/text/layout_shape_hb.cpp b/src/text/layout_shape_hb.cpp
index 8bce35616..45d5b0d5f 100644
--- a/src/text/layout_shape_hb.cpp
+++ b/src/text/layout_shape_hb.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void text_layout::shape_text(text_line_ptr line)
 
                 width_map_[glyphs[i].cluster] += tmp.width;
 
-                line->add_glyph(tmp);
+                line->add_glyph(tmp, scale_factor_);
             }
             line->update_max_char_height(face->get_char_height());
             break; //When we reach this point the current font had all glyphs.