Index: intern/bmfont/BMF_Api.h
===================================================================
--- intern/bmfont/BMF_Api.h	(revision 11154)
+++ intern/bmfont/BMF_Api.h	(working copy)
@@ -89,13 +89,25 @@
 int BMF_GetStringWidth(BMF_Font* font, char* str);
 
 /**
+ * Returns the bounding box of a string of characters.
+ * @param font	The font to use.
+ * @param str	The string.
+ * @param llx   Lower left x coord
+ * @param lly   Lower left y coord
+ * @param urx   Upper right x coord
+ * @param ury   Upper right y coord
+ */
+void BMF_GetStringBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, char* str, float*llx, float *lly, float *urx, float *ury);
+
+
+/**
  * Returns the bounding box of the font. The width and
  * height represent the bounding box of the union of
  * all glyps. The minimum and maximum values of the
  * box represent the extent of the font and its positioning
  * about the origin.
  */
-void BMF_GetBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, int *xmin_r, int *ymin_r, int *xmax_r, int *ymax_r);
+void BMF_GetFontBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, int *xmin_r, int *ymin_r, int *xmax_r, int *ymax_r);
 
 /**
  * Convert the given @a font to a texture, and return the GL texture
Index: intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_Api.cpp
===================================================================
--- intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_Api.cpp	(revision 11154)
+++ intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_Api.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -150,11 +150,18 @@
 	return ((BMF_BitmapFont*)font)->GetStringWidth(str);
 }
 
+void BMF_GetStringBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, char* str, float*llx, float *lly, float *urx, float *ury){
+	if (!font){
+		*llx = *lly = *urx = *ury = 0;
+	}else{
+		((BMF_BitmapFont*)font)->GetStringBoundingBox(str, llx, lly, urx, ury);
+	}
+}
 
-void BMF_GetBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, int *xmin_r, int *ymin_r, int *xmax_r, int *ymax_r)
+void BMF_GetFontBoundingBox(BMF_Font* font, int *xmin_r, int *ymin_r, int *xmax_r, int *ymax_r)
 {
 	if (!font) return;
-	((BMF_BitmapFont*)font)->GetBoundingBox(*xmin_r, *ymin_r, *xmax_r, *ymax_r);
+	((BMF_BitmapFont*)font)->GetFontBoundingBox(*xmin_r, *ymin_r, *xmax_r, *ymax_r);
 }
 
 int BMF_GetFontTexture(BMF_Font* font) {
Index: intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.cpp
===================================================================
--- intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.cpp	(revision 11154)
+++ intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 	return length;
 }
 
-void BMF_BitmapFont::GetBoundingBox(int & xMin, int & yMin, int & xMax, int & yMax)
+void BMF_BitmapFont::GetFontBoundingBox(int & xMin, int & yMin, int & xMax, int & yMax)
 {
 	xMin = m_fontData->xmin;
 	yMin = m_fontData->ymin;
@@ -115,6 +115,27 @@
 	yMax = m_fontData->ymax;
 }
 
+void BMF_BitmapFont::GetStringBoundingBox(char* str, float*llx, float *lly, float *urx, float *ury)
+{
+	unsigned char c;
+	int length = 0;
+	int ascent = 0;
+	int descent = 0;
+
+	while ( (c = (unsigned char) *str++) ) {
+		length += m_fontData->chars[c].advance;
+		int d = m_fontData->chars[c].yorig;
+		int a = m_fontData->chars[c].height - m_fontData->chars[c].yorig;
+		if(a > ascent) ascent = a;
+		if(d > descent) descent = d;
+	}
+	*llx = (float)0;
+	*lly = (float)-descent;
+	*urx = (float)length;
+	*ury = (float)ascent;
+}
+
+
 int BMF_BitmapFont::GetTexture()
 {
 	int fWidth = m_fontData->xmax - m_fontData->xmin;
Index: intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.h
===================================================================
--- intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.h	(revision 11154)
+++ intern/bmfont/intern/BMF_BitmapFont.h	(working copy)
@@ -76,8 +76,20 @@
 	 * box represent the extent of the font and its positioning
 	 * about the origin.
 	 */
-	void GetBoundingBox(int & xMin, int & yMin, int & xMax, int & yMax);
+	void GetFontBoundingBox(int & xMin, int & yMin, int & xMax, int & yMax);
+	
+	/**
+	 * Returns the bounding box of a string of characters.
+	 * @param font	The font to use.
+	 * @param str	The string.
+	 * @param llx   Lower left x coord
+	 * @param lly   Lower left y coord
+	 * @param urx   Upper right x coord
+	 * @param ury   Upper right y coord
+	 */
+	void GetStringBoundingBox(char* str, float*llx, float *lly, float *urx, float *ury);
 
+
 	/**
 	 * Convert the font to a texture, and return the GL texture
 	 * ID of the texture. If the texture ID is bound, text can
Index: source/blender/ftfont/FTF_Api.h
===================================================================
--- source/blender/ftfont/FTF_Api.h	(revision 11154)
+++ source/blender/ftfont/FTF_Api.h	(working copy)
@@ -106,12 +106,12 @@
 
 /**
  * Get Bounding Box
- * @param llx
- * @param lly
- * @param llz
- * @param urx
- * @param ury
- * @param urz
+ * @param llx   Lower left near x coord
+ * @param lly   Lower left near y coord
+ * @param llz   Lower left near z coord
+ * @param urx   Upper right far x coord
+ * @param ury   Upper right far y coord
+ * @param urz   Upper right far z coord
  * @param mode flag to forward to FTF_TransConvString()
  * not test yet.
  */
Index: source/blender/ftfont/intern/FTF_TTFont.h
===================================================================
--- source/blender/ftfont/intern/FTF_TTFont.h	(revision 11154)
+++ source/blender/ftfont/intern/FTF_TTFont.h	(working copy)
@@ -78,6 +78,17 @@
 
 	float GetStringWidth(char* str, unsigned int flag);
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the bounding box for a string.
+	 *
+	 * @param str	The string
+	 * @param llx   Lower left near x coord
+	 * @param lly   Lower left near y coord
+	 * @param llz   Lower left near z coord
+	 * @param urx   Upper right far x coord
+	 * @param ury   Upper right far y coord
+	 * @param urz   Upper right far z coord
+	 */
 	void GetBoundingBox(char* str, float *llx, float *lly, float *llz, float *urx, float *ury, float *urz, unsigned int flag);
 
 	/**
Index: source/blender/include/BIF_language.h
===================================================================
--- source/blender/include/BIF_language.h	(revision 11154)
+++ source/blender/include/BIF_language.h	(working copy)
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #ifndef BIF_LANGUAGE_H
 #define BIF_LANGUAGE_H
 
+#include "DNA_vec_types.h"
+
 struct BMF_Font;
 
 int  read_languagefile(void);		/* usiblender.c */
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@
 
 int BIF_DrawString(struct BMF_Font* font, char *str, int translate);
 float BIF_GetStringWidth(struct BMF_Font* font, char *str, int translate);
+void BIF_GetBoundingBox(struct BMF_Font* font, char* str, int translate, rctf* bbox);
 
 void BIF_RasterPos(float x, float y);
 void BIF_SetScale(float aspect);
Index: source/blender/src/interface.c
===================================================================
--- source/blender/src/interface.c	(revision 11154)
+++ source/blender/src/interface.c	(working copy)
@@ -4805,31 +4805,16 @@
 {
 	uiOverDraw *od;
 	float x1, x2, y1, y2;
+	rctf tip_bbox;
 
-#ifdef INTERNATIONAL
-	if(G.ui_international == TRUE) {
-		float llx,lly,llz,urx,ury,urz;  //for FTF_GetBoundingBox()
+	BIF_GetBoundingBox(but->font, but->tip, (U.transopts & USER_TR_TOOLTIPS), &tip_bbox);
+	
+	x1= (but->x1+but->x2)/2;
+	x2= x1+but->aspect*((tip_bbox.xmax-tip_bbox.xmin) + 8);
+	y2= but->y1-12;
+	y1= y2-but->aspect*((tip_bbox.ymax+(tip_bbox.ymax-tip_bbox.ymin)) - 4);
 
-		if(U.transopts & USER_TR_TOOLTIPS) {
-			FTF_GetBoundingBox(but->tip, &llx,&lly,&llz,&urx,&ury,&urz, FTF_USE_GETTEXT | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);
 
-			x1= (but->x1+but->x2)/2; x2= 10+x1+ but->aspect*FTF_GetStringWidth(but->tip, FTF_USE_GETTEXT | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);  //BMF_GetStringWidth(but->font, but->tip);
-			y1= but->y1-(ury+FTF_GetSize())-12; y2= but->y1-12;
-		} else {
-			FTF_GetBoundingBox(but->tip, &llx,&lly,&llz,&urx,&ury,&urz, FTF_NO_TRANSCONV | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);
-
-			x1= (but->x1+but->x2)/2; x2= 10+x1+ but->aspect*FTF_GetStringWidth(but->tip, FTF_NO_TRANSCONV | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);  //BMF_GetStringWidth(but->font, but->tip);
-			y1= but->y1-(ury+FTF_GetSize())-12; y2= but->y1-12;
-		}
-	} else {
-		x1= (but->x1+but->x2)/2; x2= 10+x1+ but->aspect*BMF_GetStringWidth(but->font, but->tip);
-		y1= but->y1-30; y2= but->y1-12;
-	}
-#else
-	x1= (but->x1+but->x2)/2; x2= 10+x1+ but->aspect*BMF_GetStringWidth(but->font, but->tip);
-	y1= but->y1-30; y2= but->y1-12;
-#endif
-
 	/* for pulldown menus it doesnt work */
 	if(mywinget()==G.curscreen->mainwin);
 	else {
@@ -4846,13 +4831,6 @@
 		y2 += 36;
 	}
 
-	// adjust tooltip heights
-	if(mywinget()==G.curscreen->mainwin)
-		y2 -= G.ui_international ? 4:1;		//tip is from pulldownmenu
-	else if(curarea->win != mywinget())
-		y2 -= G.ui_international ? 5:1;		//tip is from a windowheader
-//	else y2 += 1;							//tip is from button area
-
 	od= ui_begin_overdraw((int)(x1-1), (int)(y1-2), (int)(x2+4), (int)(y2+4));
 
 	glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
@@ -4874,7 +4852,10 @@
 	glRectf(x1, y1, x2, y2);
 	
 	glColor3ub(0,0,0);
-	ui_rasterpos_safe( x1+3, y1+5.0/but->aspect, but->aspect);
+	/* set the position for drawing text +4 in from the left edge, and leaving an equal gap between the top of the background box
+	 * and the top of the string's tip_bbox, and the bottom of the background box, and the bottom of the string's tip_bbox
+	 */
+	ui_rasterpos_safe(x1+4, ((y2-tip_bbox.ymax)+(y1+tip_bbox.ymin))/2 - tip_bbox.ymin, but->aspect);
 	BIF_SetScale(1.0);
 
 	BIF_DrawString(but->font, but->tip, (U.transopts & USER_TR_TOOLTIPS));
Index: source/blender/src/language.c
===================================================================
--- source/blender/src/language.c	(revision 11154)
+++ source/blender/src/language.c	(working copy)
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "DNA_listBase.h"
 #include "DNA_userdef_types.h"
+#include "DNA_vec_types.h"
 
 #include "BKE_global.h"		/* G */
 #include "BKE_utildefines.h"
@@ -134,7 +135,22 @@
 	return rt;
 }
 
+void BIF_GetBoundingBox(struct BMF_Font* font, char* str, int translate, rctf *bbox){
+	float dummy;
+#ifdef INTERNATIONAL
+	if(G.ui_international == TRUE)
+		if(translate && (U.transopts & USER_TR_BUTTONS))
+			FTF_GetBoundingBox(str, &bbox->xmin, &bbox->ymin, &dummy, &bbox->xmax, &bbox->ymax, &dummy, FTF_USE_GETTEXT | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);
+		else
+			FTF_GetBoundingBox(str, &bbox->xmin, &bbox->ymin, &dummy, &bbox->xmax, &bbox->ymax, &dummy, FTF_NO_TRANSCONV | FTF_INPUT_UTF8);
+	else
+		BMF_GetStringBoundingBox(font, str, &bbox->xmin, &bbox->ymin, &bbox->xmax, &bbox->ymax);
+#else
+	BMF_GetStringBoundingBox(font, str, &bbox->xmin, &bbox->ymin, &bbox->xmax, &bbox->ymax);
+#endif
+}
 
+
 #ifdef INTERNATIONAL
 
 char *fontsize_pup(void)