diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/placement_finder.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/placement_finder.hpp
index a416f1b1e..3a307040f 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/placement_finder.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/placement_finder.hpp
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ private:
     box2d<double> marker_box_;
     bool marker_unlocked_;
     pixel_position marker_displacement_;
+    double move_dx_ = 0.0;
 };
 
 }//ns mapnik
diff --git a/src/text/placement_finder.cpp b/src/text/placement_finder.cpp
index 2e20830ed..cb3fe460f 100644
--- a/src/text/placement_finder.cpp
+++ b/src/text/placement_finder.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ bool placement_finder::next_position()
     {
         text_layout_ptr layout = std::make_shared<text_layout>(font_manager_, scale_factor_, info_.properties.layout_defaults);
         layout->evaluate_properties(feature_, attr_);
+        move_dx_ = layout->displacement().x;
         info_.properties.process(*layout, feature_, attr_);
         layouts_.clear(); // FIXME !!!!
         layouts_.add(layout);
@@ -213,8 +214,9 @@ bool placement_finder::find_line_placements(T & path, bool points)
         {
             pp.forward(pp.length());
         }
-        double dx = layouts_.back()->displacement().x;
-        if (dx != 0.0) path_move_dx(pp, dx);
+
+        if (move_dx_ != 0.0) path_move_dx(pp, move_dx_);
+
         do
         {
             tolerance_iterator tolerance_offset(info_.properties.label_position_tolerance * scale_factor_, spacing); //TODO: Handle halign