diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen2.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen2.hs
index 2cf211c73..f6a1569c5 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen2.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen2.hs
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ drawRegisterScreen2 AppState{aopts=_opts, aScreen=RegisterScreen2{rs2State=l}} =
       -- calculate column widths, based on current available width
       c <- getContext
       let
-        totalwidth = c^.availWidthL - 2 -- XXX trimmed.. for the margin ?
+        totalwidth = c^.availWidthL
+                     - 2 -- XXX due to margin ? shouldn't be necessary (cf UIUtils)
 
         -- the date column is fixed width
         datewidth = 10
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
index 58af7ae4e..62f49f4c9 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module Hledger.UI.UIUtils (
  ,popScreen
  ,screenEnter
  ,getViewportSize
- ,margin
+ -- ,margin
  ,withBorderAttr
  ,topBottomBorderWithLabel
  ,defaultLayout
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ getViewportSize name = do
 defaultLayout label =
   topBottomBorderWithLabel label .
   margin 1 0 Nothing
-  -- margin 1 0 (Just white)
+  -- topBottomBorderWithLabel2 label .
+  -- padLeftRight 1 -- XXX should reduce inner widget's width by 2, but doesn't
+                    -- "the layout adjusts... if you use the core combinators"
 
 topBottomBorderWithLabel label = \wrapped ->
   Widget Greedy Greedy $ do
@@ -79,9 +81,21 @@ topBottomBorderWithLabel label = \wrapped ->
       <=>
       hBorder
 
+-- XXX should be equivalent to the above, but isn't (page down goes offscreen)
+_topBottomBorderWithLabel2 label = \wrapped ->
+ let debugmsg = ""
+ in hBorderWithLabel (label <+> str debugmsg)
+    <=>
+    wrapped
+    <=>
+    hBorder
+
+-- XXX superseded by pad, in theory
 -- | Wrap a widget in a margin with the given horizontal and vertical
 -- thickness, using the current background colour or the specified
--- colour. XXX May disrupt border style of inner widgets.
+-- colour.
+-- XXX May disrupt border style of inner widgets.
+-- XXX Should reduce the available size visible to inner widget, but doesn't seem to (cf drawRegisterScreen2).
 margin :: Int -> Int -> Maybe Color -> Widget -> Widget
 margin h v mcolour = \w ->
   Widget Greedy Greedy $ do