diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
   <kcfgfile name=""/>
 
   <group name="General">
+     <entry name="fillWidth" type="Bool">
+      <label>Whether to use all available space or only required.</label>
+      <default>true</default>
+    </entry>
     <entry name="showOnlyCurrentScreen" type="Bool">
       <label>Whether to show only window tasks that are on the same screen as the widget.</label>
       <default>false</default>
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigGeneral.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigGeneral.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigGeneral.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigGeneral.qml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
     readonly property bool plasmaPaAvailable: Qt.createComponent("PulseAudio.qml").status === Component.Ready
 
+    property alias cfg_fillWidth: fillWidth.checked
     property alias cfg_forceStripes: forceStripes.checked
     property alias cfg_iconSize: iconSize.value
     property alias cfg_showToolTips: showToolTips.checked
@@ -108,6 +109,11 @@
                     text: i18n("Large")
                 }
 
+                CheckBox {
+                    id: fillWidth
+                    text: vertical ? i18n("Fill height") : i18n("Fill width")
+                    Layout.columnSpan: 4
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
     property bool vertical: (plasmoid.formFactor == PlasmaCore.Types.Vertical)
     property bool iconsOnly: (plasmoid.pluginName == "org.kde.plasma.icontasks")
+    property bool fillWidth: plasmoid.configuration.fillWidth
 
     property QtObject contextMenuComponent: Qt.createComponent("ContextMenu.qml");
 
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@
 
     Layout.fillWidth: true
     Layout.fillHeight:true
+    Layout.maximumWidth: (fillWidth || vertical) ? -1 : Layout.preferredWidth
+    Layout.maximumHeight: (fillWidth || !vertical) ? -1 : Layout.preferredHeight
     Layout.minimumWidth: tasks.vertical ? 0 : LayoutManager.preferredMinWidth()
     Layout.minimumHeight: !tasks.vertical ? 0 : LayoutManager.preferredMinHeight()