diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/big_clock_window.cc b/gtk2_ardour/big_clock_window.cc
index 6c18ced98b..acb5b8950a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/big_clock_window.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/big_clock_window.cc
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ BigClockWindow::BigClockWindow (AudioClock& c)
 	add (clock);
 	clock.show_all ();
 
-	clock.size_request (default_size);
+	default_size = clock.size_request ();
 
 	clock.signal_size_allocate().connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &BigClockWindow::clock_size_reallocated));
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
index d6bb075ac2..a702075ddf 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/editor_canvas.cc
@@ -308,16 +308,15 @@ Editor::track_canvas_viewport_size_allocated ()
 void
 Editor::reset_controls_layout_width ()
 {
-	GtkRequisition req = { 0, 0 };
+	GtkRequisition req = edit_controls_vbox.size_request ();
 	gint w;
 
-	edit_controls_vbox.size_request (req);
 	w = req.width;
 
-        if (_group_tabs->get_visible()) {
-		_group_tabs->size_request (req);
-                w += req.width;
-        }
+	if (_group_tabs->get_visible ()) {
+		req = _group_tabs->size_request ();
+		w += req.width;
+	}
 
         /* the controls layout has no horizontal scrolling, its visible
            width is always equal to the total width of its contents.
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/gain_meter.cc b/gtk2_ardour/gain_meter.cc
index 81df411589..cf0b5c724a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/gain_meter.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/gain_meter.cc
@@ -1072,15 +1072,13 @@ GainMeter::set_controls (boost::shared_ptr<Route> r,
 int
 GainMeter::get_gm_width ()
 {
-	Gtk::Requisition sz;
+	Gtk::Requisition sz = meter_metric_area.size_request ();
 	int min_w = 0;
-	sz.width = 0;
-	meter_metric_area.size_request (sz);
 	min_w += sz.width;
-	level_meter->size_request (sz);
+	sz = level_meter->size_request ();
 	min_w += sz.width;
 
-	fader_alignment.size_request (sz);
+	sz = fader_alignment.size_request ();
 	if (_width == Wide)
 		return max(sz.width * 2, min_w * 2) + 6;
 	else
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
index 14f1b24a68..b91a05b2f3 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/time_axis_view.cc
@@ -150,8 +150,7 @@ TimeAxisView::TimeAxisView (ARDOUR::Session* sess, PublicEditor& ed, TimeAxisVie
 	{
 		std::auto_ptr<Gtk::Entry> an_entry (new Gtkmm2ext::FocusEntry);
 		an_entry->set_name (X_("TrackNameEditor"));
-		Gtk::Requisition req;
-		an_entry->size_request (req);
+		Gtk::Requisition req = an_entry->size_request ();
 
 		name_label.set_size_request (-1, req.height);
 		name_label.set_ellipsize (Pango::ELLIPSIZE_MIDDLE);