diff --git a/gtk/gtkstatusicon.c b/gtk/gtkstatusicon.c
index 1cdb0c1..62b3913 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkstatusicon.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkstatusicon.c
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ static void     gtk_status_icon_screen_changed   (GtkStatusIcon  *status_icon,
 						  GdkScreen      *old_screen);
 static void     gtk_status_icon_embedded_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon);
 static void     gtk_status_icon_orientation_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon);
+static void     gtk_status_icon_padding_changed  (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon);
 static gboolean gtk_status_icon_scroll           (GtkStatusIcon  *status_icon,
 						  GdkEventScroll *event);
 static gboolean gtk_status_icon_query_tooltip    (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon,
@@ -850,6 +851,8 @@ gtk_status_icon_init (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon)
 			    G_CALLBACK (gtk_status_icon_embedded_changed), status_icon);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (priv->tray_icon, "notify::orientation",
 			    G_CALLBACK (gtk_status_icon_orientation_changed), status_icon);
+  g_signal_connect_swapped (priv->tray_icon, "notify::padding",
+			    G_CALLBACK (gtk_status_icon_padding_changed), status_icon);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (priv->tray_icon, "button-press-event",
 			    G_CALLBACK (gtk_status_icon_button_press), status_icon);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (priv->tray_icon, "button-release-event",
@@ -975,6 +978,8 @@ gtk_status_icon_finalize (GObject *object)
   g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (priv->tray_icon,
 			                gtk_status_icon_orientation_changed, status_icon);
   g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (priv->tray_icon,
+			                gtk_status_icon_padding_changed, status_icon);
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (priv->tray_icon,
 			                gtk_status_icon_button_press, status_icon);
   g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (priv->tray_icon,
 			                gtk_status_icon_button_release, status_icon);
@@ -1679,14 +1684,32 @@ gtk_status_icon_screen_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon,
 #ifdef GDK_WINDOWING_X11
 
 static void
+gtk_status_icon_padding_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon)
+{
+  GtkStatusIconPrivate *priv = status_icon->priv;
+  GtkOrientation orientation;
+  gint padding;
+
+  orientation = _gtk_tray_icon_get_orientation (GTK_TRAY_ICON (priv->tray_icon));
+  padding = _gtk_tray_icon_get_padding (GTK_TRAY_ICON (priv->tray_icon));
+
+  if (orientation == GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL)
+    gtk_misc_set_padding (GTK_MISC (priv->image), padding, 0);
+  else
+    gtk_misc_set_padding (GTK_MISC (priv->image), 0, padding);
+}
+
+static void
 gtk_status_icon_embedded_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon)
 {
+  gtk_status_icon_padding_changed (status_icon);
   g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (status_icon), "embedded");
 }
 
 static void
 gtk_status_icon_orientation_changed (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon)
 {
+  gtk_status_icon_padding_changed (status_icon);
   g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (status_icon), "orientation");
 }
 
@@ -1804,7 +1827,7 @@ gtk_status_icon_reset_image_data (GtkStatusIcon *status_icon)
 
       g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (status_icon), "stock");
       break;
-      
+
     case GTK_IMAGE_ICON_NAME:
       g_free (priv->image_data.icon_name);
       priv->image_data.icon_name = NULL;
diff --git a/gtk/gtktrayicon-x11.c b/gtk/gtktrayicon-x11.c
index 32c3140..74413df 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktrayicon-x11.c
+++ b/gtk/gtktrayicon-x11.c
@@ -43,23 +43,26 @@
 
 enum {
   PROP_0,
-  PROP_ORIENTATION
+  PROP_ORIENTATION,
+  PROP_PADDING
 };
 
 struct _GtkTrayIconPrivate
 {
   guint stamp;
-  
+
   Atom selection_atom;
   Atom manager_atom;
   Atom system_tray_opcode_atom;
   Atom orientation_atom;
   Atom visual_atom;
+  Atom padding_atom;
   Window manager_window;
   GdkVisual *manager_visual;
   gboolean manager_visual_rgba;
 
   GtkOrientation orientation;
+  gint padding;
 };
 
 static void gtk_tray_icon_constructed   (GObject     *object);
@@ -113,6 +116,16 @@ gtk_tray_icon_class_init (GtkTrayIconClass *class)
 						      GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL,
 						      GTK_PARAM_READABLE));
 
+  g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class,
+				   PROP_PADDING,
+				   g_param_spec_int ("padding",
+						     P_("Padding"),
+						     P_("Padding that should be put around icons in the tray"),
+						     0,
+                                                     G_MAXINT,
+                                                     0,
+						     GTK_PARAM_READABLE));
+
   g_type_class_add_private (class, sizeof (GtkTrayIconPrivate));
 }
 
@@ -124,6 +137,7 @@ gtk_tray_icon_init (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
   
   icon->priv->stamp = 1;
   icon->priv->orientation = GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL;
+  icon->priv->padding = 0;
 
   gtk_widget_set_app_paintable (GTK_WIDGET (icon), TRUE);
   gtk_widget_add_events (GTK_WIDGET (icon), GDK_PROPERTY_CHANGE_MASK);
@@ -161,6 +175,10 @@ gtk_tray_icon_constructed (GObject *object)
 					 "_NET_SYSTEM_TRAY_VISUAL",
 					 False);
 
+  icon->priv->padding_atom = XInternAtom (xdisplay,
+					 "_NET_SYSTEM_TRAY_PADDING",
+					 False);
+
   /* Add a root window filter so that we get changes on MANAGER */
   gdk_window_add_filter (root_window,
 			 gtk_tray_icon_manager_filter, icon);
@@ -212,6 +230,9 @@ gtk_tray_icon_get_property (GObject    *object,
     case PROP_ORIENTATION:
       g_value_set_enum (value, icon->priv->orientation);
       break;
+    case PROP_PADDING:
+      g_value_set_int (value, icon->priv->padding);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -372,9 +393,58 @@ gtk_tray_icon_get_visual_property (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
     XFree (prop.prop);
 }
 
+static void
+gtk_tray_icon_get_padding_property (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
+{
+  GdkScreen *screen = gtk_widget_get_screen (GTK_WIDGET (icon));
+  GdkDisplay *display = gdk_screen_get_display (screen);
+  Display *xdisplay = GDK_DISPLAY_XDISPLAY (display);
+
+  Atom type;
+  int format;
+  union {
+	gulong *prop;
+	guchar *prop_ch;
+  } prop = { NULL };
+  gulong nitems;
+  gulong bytes_after;
+  int error, result;
+
+  g_assert (icon->priv->manager_window != None);
+
+  gdk_error_trap_push ();
+  type = None;
+  result = XGetWindowProperty (xdisplay,
+			       icon->priv->manager_window,
+			       icon->priv->padding_atom,
+			       0, G_MAXLONG, FALSE,
+			       XA_CARDINAL,
+			       &type, &format, &nitems,
+			       &bytes_after, &(prop.prop_ch));
+  error = gdk_error_trap_pop ();
+
+  if (!error && result == Success &&
+      type == XA_CARDINAL && nitems == 1 && format == 32)
+    {
+      gint padding;
+
+      padding = prop.prop[0];
+
+      if (icon->priv->padding != padding)
+	{
+	  icon->priv->padding = padding;
+
+	  g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (icon), "padding");
+	}
+    }
+
+  if (type != None)
+    XFree (prop.prop);
+}
+
 static GdkFilterReturn
-gtk_tray_icon_manager_filter (GdkXEvent *xevent, 
-			      GdkEvent  *event, 
+gtk_tray_icon_manager_filter (GdkXEvent *xevent,
+			      GdkEvent  *event,
 			      gpointer   user_data)
 {
   GtkTrayIcon *icon = user_data;
@@ -399,6 +469,11 @@ gtk_tray_icon_manager_filter (GdkXEvent *xevent,
 
 	  gtk_tray_icon_get_orientation_property (icon);
 	}
+      else if (xev->xany.type == PropertyNotify &&
+               xev->xproperty.atom == icon->priv->padding_atom)
+        {
+          gtk_tray_icon_get_padding_property (icon);
+        }
       else if (xev->xany.type == DestroyNotify)
 	{
           GTK_NOTE (PLUGSOCKET,
@@ -504,6 +579,7 @@ gtk_tray_icon_update_manager_window (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
 
       gtk_tray_icon_get_orientation_property (icon);
       gtk_tray_icon_get_visual_property (icon);
+      gtk_tray_icon_get_padding_property (icon);
 
       if (GTK_WIDGET_REALIZED (icon))
 	{
@@ -740,6 +816,14 @@ _gtk_tray_icon_get_orientation (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
   return icon->priv->orientation;
 }
 
+gint
+_gtk_tray_icon_get_padding (GtkTrayIcon *icon)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GTK_IS_TRAY_ICON (icon), 0);
+
+  return icon->priv->padding;
+}
+
 
 #define __GTK_TRAY_ICON_X11_C__
 #include "gtkaliasdef.c"
diff --git a/gtk/gtktrayicon.h b/gtk/gtktrayicon.h
index 4c1e184..6dc9852 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktrayicon.h
+++ b/gtk/gtktrayicon.h
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ void           _gtk_tray_icon_cancel_message  (GtkTrayIcon *icon,
 					       guint        id);
 
 GtkOrientation _gtk_tray_icon_get_orientation (GtkTrayIcon *icon);
-					    
+gint           _gtk_tray_icon_get_padding     (GtkTrayIcon *icon);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GTK_TRAY_ICON_H__ */
