diff --git a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
--- a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
+++ b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
     static const QString idTag;
 
 private:
-    void draw(QPainter& gc);
+	QSize draw(QPainter& gc);
+
+	QPixmap m_pixmap;
 };
 
 #endif /* __KIS_FPS_DECORATION_H */
diff --git a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
--- a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
+++ b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
@@ -38,22 +38,33 @@
 
 void KisFpsDecoration::drawDecoration(QPainter& gc, const QRectF& /*updateRect*/, const KisCoordinatesConverter */*converter*/, KisCanvas2* /*canvas*/)
 {
-#ifdef Q_OS_OSX
-    QPixmap pixmap(320, 128);
-    pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
-    {
-        QPainter painter(&pixmap);
-        draw(painter);
+    // we always paint into a pixmap instead of directly into gc, as the latter
+    // approach is known to cause garbled graphics on macOS, Windows, and even
+	// sometimes Linux.
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+        m_pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
+
+        QSize size;
+        {
+            QPainter painter(&m_pixmap);
+            size = draw(painter);
+        }
+
+        if ((m_pixmap.width() >= size.width() && m_pixmap.height() == size.height()) || i > 0) {
+            break;
+        }
+
+        // make it bigger than the measured text to allow for some variation.
+        m_pixmap = QPixmap(size.width() * 1.1, size.height());
     }
-    gc.drawPixmap(0, 0, pixmap);
-#else
-    draw(gc);
-#endif
+
+    gc.drawPixmap(0, 0, m_pixmap);
 }
 
 
 
-void KisFpsDecoration::draw(QPainter& gc)
+QSize KisFpsDecoration::draw(QPainter& gc)
 {
     QStringList lines;
 
@@ -80,9 +91,10 @@
     }
 
 
+    int maxWidth = 0;
     QPoint startPoint(20,30);
-    const int lineSpacing = QFontMetrics(gc.font()).lineSpacing();
-
+    const QFontMetrics metrics(gc.font());
+    const int lineSpacing = metrics.lineSpacing();
 
     gc.save();
 
@@ -91,9 +103,12 @@
         gc.drawText(startPoint + QPoint(1,1), line);
         gc.setPen(QPen(Qt::black));
         gc.drawText(startPoint, line);
+		maxWidth = qMax(maxWidth, metrics.boundingRect(line).right());
 
         startPoint += QPoint(0, lineSpacing);
     }
 
     gc.restore();
+
+    return QSize(maxWidth + startPoint.x() + 1, startPoint.y() + 1);
 }