diff --git a/src/common/textmeasurecmn.cpp b/src/common/textmeasurecmn.cpp
index 6381059dd8..f583662cd1 100644
--- a/src/common/textmeasurecmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/textmeasurecmn.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ void wxTextMeasureBase::GetTextExtent(const wxString& string,
     if ( !height )
         height = &unusedHeight;
 
-    if ( string.empty() )
+    // Avoid even setting up the DC for measuring if we don't actually need to
+    // measure anything.
+    if ( string.empty() && !descent && !externalLeading )
     {
         *width =
         *height = 0;
diff --git a/src/gtk/textmeasure.cpp b/src/gtk/textmeasure.cpp
index eafd06848d..87bc7c90d5 100644
--- a/src/gtk/textmeasure.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/textmeasure.cpp
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ void wxTextMeasure::DoGetTextExtent(const wxString& string,
 
     // Set layout's text
     const wxCharBuffer dataUTF8 = wxGTK_CONV_FONT(string, GetFont());
-    if ( !dataUTF8 )
+    if ( !dataUTF8 && !string.empty() )
     {
         // hardly ideal, but what else can we do if conversion failed?
         wxLogLastError(wxT("GetTextExtent"));
diff --git a/tests/graphics/measuring.cpp b/tests/graphics/measuring.cpp
index ae02d27239..bc83433dbb 100644
--- a/tests/graphics/measuring.cpp
+++ b/tests/graphics/measuring.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public:
 private:
     CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE( MeasuringTextTestCase );
         CPPUNIT_TEST( DCGetTextExtent );
+        CPPUNIT_TEST( LeadingAndDescent );
         CPPUNIT_TEST( WindowGetTextExtent );
         CPPUNIT_TEST( GetPartialTextExtent );
 #ifdef TEST_GC
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ private:
     CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_END();
 
     void DCGetTextExtent();
+    void LeadingAndDescent();
     void WindowGetTextExtent();
 
     void GetPartialTextExtent();
@@ -127,6 +129,30 @@ void MeasuringTextTestCase::DCGetTextExtent()
 #endif
 }
 
+void MeasuringTextTestCase::LeadingAndDescent()
+{
+    wxClientDC dc(wxTheApp->GetTopWindow());
+
+    // Retrieving just the descent should work.
+    int descent = -17;
+    dc.GetTextExtent("foo", NULL, NULL, &descent);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT( descent != -17 );
+
+    // Same for external leading.
+    int leading = -289;
+    dc.GetTextExtent("foo", NULL, NULL, NULL, &leading);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT( leading != -289 );
+
+    // And both should also work for the empty string as they retrieve the
+    // values valid for the entire font and not just this string.
+    int descent2,
+        leading2;
+    dc.GetTextExtent("", NULL, NULL, &descent2, &leading2);
+
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL( descent, descent2 );
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL( leading, leading2 );
+}
+
 void MeasuringTextTestCase::WindowGetTextExtent()
 {
     wxWindow* const win = wxTheApp->GetTopWindow();