diff --git a/app/dialogs/item-options-dialog.c b/app/dialogs/item-options-dialog.c
index 0294ae8ba6..2f8f0fff5b 100644
--- a/app/dialogs/item-options-dialog.c
+++ b/app/dialogs/item-options-dialog.c
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ check_button_with_icon_new (const gchar *label,
   GtkWidget *hbox;
   GtkWidget *button;
   GtkWidget *image;
+  GtkWidget *label_widget;
 
   hbox = gtk_box_new (GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL, 6);
   gtk_box_pack_start (vbox, hbox, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
@@ -485,5 +486,9 @@ check_button_with_icon_new (const gchar *label,
   gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (hbox), button, TRUE, TRUE, 0);
   gtk_widget_show (button);
 
+  /* size the label to its bold size, avoiding a GUI twitch */
+  label_widget = gtk_bin_get_child (GTK_BIN (button));
+  gtk_widget_set_size_request (label_widget, gimp_get_bold_label_width (label), -1);
+
   return button;
 }
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimppropwidgets.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimppropwidgets.c
index 4c032ded9b..68cb252c91 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimppropwidgets.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimppropwidgets.c
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ gimp_prop_check_button_new (GObject     *config,
   GParamSpec  *param_spec;
   GtkWidget   *button;
   const gchar *blurb;
+  GtkWidget   *label_widget;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_OBJECT (config), NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (property_name != NULL, NULL);
@@ -137,6 +138,10 @@ gimp_prop_check_button_new (GObject     *config,
   button = gtk_check_button_new_with_mnemonic (label);
   gtk_widget_show (button);
 
+  /* size the label to its bold size, avoiding a GUI twitch */
+  label_widget = gtk_bin_get_child (GTK_BIN (button));
+  gtk_widget_set_size_request (label_widget, gimp_get_bold_label_width (label), -1);
+
   blurb = g_param_spec_get_blurb (param_spec);
   if (blurb)
     gimp_help_set_help_data (button, blurb, NULL);
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgets.def b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgets.def
index 641443f69a..0587e2df0c 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgets.def
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgets.def
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ EXPORTS
 	gimp_float_adjustment_update
 	gimp_frame_get_type
 	gimp_frame_new
+	gimp_get_bold_label_width
 	gimp_get_monitor_at_pointer
 	gimp_grid_attach_aligned
 	gimp_help_connect
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.c
index 38133a3a19..0be74b1bde 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.c
@@ -1279,3 +1279,23 @@ gimp_widget_set_handle_on_mapped (GtkWidget    *widget,
 
   return FALSE;
 }
+
+/* get the width of the label when it is bold */
+gint
+gimp_get_bold_label_width (const gchar *text)
+  {
+    GtkWidget      *temp_label = gtk_label_new (NULL);
+    GtkRequisition  natural_size;
+
+    gtk_label_set_text (GTK_LABEL (temp_label), text);
+    gtk_widget_set_visible (temp_label, TRUE);
+
+    gimp_label_set_attributes (GTK_LABEL (temp_label),
+                               PANGO_ATTR_WEIGHT, PANGO_WEIGHT_BOLD,
+                               -1);
+
+    gtk_widget_get_preferred_size (temp_label, NULL, &natural_size);
+    gtk_widget_destroy (temp_label);
+
+    return natural_size.width;
+}
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.h b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.h
index 4ade052aaf..30f5852178 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.h
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimpwidgetsutils.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ const Babl         * gimp_widget_get_render_space    (GtkWidget       *widget,
 void                 gimp_widget_set_native_handle   (GtkWidget        *widget,
                                                       GBytes          **handle);
 
+gint                 gimp_get_bold_label_width       (const gchar      *text);
 
 /* Internal use */