diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 6eb18df60..15cf022ea 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ struct Widget
     Alignment alignment;
     /** Misc private data */
     void *data;
+    /** True if user supplied coords */
+    Bool user_supplied_x;
+    Bool user_supplied_y;
     /** Area */
     Area area;
     /** Buttons bindings */
diff --git a/widget.c b/widget.c
index 33f60cacf..121c882fc 100644
--- a/widget.c
+++ b/widget.c
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ widget_common_new(Widget *widget, Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t* config)
     widget->button_press = widget_common_button_press;
     widget->area.x = cfg_getint(config, "x");
     widget->area.y = cfg_getint(config, "y");
+    widget->user_supplied_x = (widget->area.x >= 0);
+    widget->user_supplied_y = (widget->area.y >= 0);
 }
 
 /** Send command to widget
diff --git a/widgets/focustitle.c b/widgets/focustitle.c
index 868a2aa4e..190ebd5cc 100644
--- a/widgets/focustitle.c
+++ b/widgets/focustitle.c
@@ -43,32 +43,31 @@ focustitle_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
 {
     Data *d = widget->data;
     Client *sel = focus_get_current_client(widget->statusbar->screen);
-    Area widget_area = widget->area;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  0,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
     if(sel)
     {
-        draw_text(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+        draw_text(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                   widget->statusbar->width - used,
                   widget->statusbar->height,
                   d->align,
                   widget->font->height / 2, widget->font, sel->name,
                   d->fg, d->bg);
         if(sel->isfloating)
-            draw_circle(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+            draw_circle(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                         (widget->font->height + 2) / 4,
                         sel->ismax, d->fg);
     }
     else
-        draw_rectangle(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+        draw_rectangle(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                        widget->statusbar->width - used, widget->statusbar->height, True, d->bg);
 
     widget->area.width = widget->statusbar->width - used;
diff --git a/widgets/iconbox.c b/widgets/iconbox.c
index 6ad6aa011..7b9bd1254 100644
--- a/widgets/iconbox.c
+++ b/widgets/iconbox.c
@@ -35,23 +35,23 @@ iconbox_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
              int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
     Data *d = widget->data;
-    Area area = draw_get_image_size(d->image), widget_area = widget->area;
+    Area area = draw_get_image_size(d->image);
 
     if(d->resize)
         widget->area.width = ((double) widget->statusbar->height / area.height) * area.width;
     else
         widget->area.width = area.width;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  widget->area.width,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
-    draw_image(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+    draw_image(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                d->resize ? widget->statusbar->height : 0, d->image);
 
     return widget->area.width;
diff --git a/widgets/layoutinfo.c b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
index cc0e86c5c..90172d7bc 100644
--- a/widgets/layoutinfo.c
+++ b/widgets/layoutinfo.c
@@ -34,20 +34,19 @@ layoutinfo_draw(Widget *widget,
                 int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
     Tag **curtags = get_current_tags(widget->statusbar->screen);
-    Area widget_area = widget->area;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  widget->statusbar->height,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
     widget->area.width = widget->statusbar->height;
 
-    draw_image(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+    draw_image(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                widget->statusbar->height,
                curtags[0]->layout->image);
 
diff --git a/widgets/netwmicon.c b/widgets/netwmicon.c
index ad70094da..119c77d1c 100644
--- a/widgets/netwmicon.c
+++ b/widgets/netwmicon.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int
 netwmicon_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
                     int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
-    Area area, widget_area = widget->area;
+    Area area;
     Rule* r;
     Client *sel = focus_get_current_client(widget->statusbar->screen);
     NetWMIcon *icon;
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ netwmicon_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
             area = draw_get_image_size(r->icon);
             widget->area.width = ((double) widget->statusbar->height / (double) area.height)
                 * area.width;
-            if(widget->area.x < 0)
-                widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+            if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+                widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                          widget->area.width,
                                                          offset,
                                                          widget->alignment);
 
-            if(widget->area.y < 0)
-                widget_area.y = 0;
-            draw_image(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+            if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+                widget->area.y = 0;
+            draw_image(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                        widget->statusbar->height, r->icon);
 
             return widget->area.width;
@@ -74,17 +74,17 @@ netwmicon_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
 
     widget->area.width = ((double) widget->statusbar->height / (double) icon->height) * icon->width;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  widget->area.width,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
     draw_image_from_argb_data(ctx,
-                              widget_area.x, widget_area.y,
+                              widget->area.x, widget->area.y,
                               icon->width, icon->height,
                               widget->statusbar->height, icon->image);
 
diff --git a/widgets/progressbar.c b/widgets/progressbar.c
index 8b6a4ee1c..dad829235 100644
--- a/widgets/progressbar.c
+++ b/widgets/progressbar.c
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ progressbar_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
                  int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
     int i, width, pwidth, margin_top, pb_height, left_offset;
-    Area widget_area = widget->area;
 
     Data *d = widget->data;
 
@@ -64,18 +63,18 @@ progressbar_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
 
     width = d->width - d->lpadding;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  d->width,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
-    margin_top = (int) (widget->statusbar->height * (1 - d->height)) / 2 + 0.5 + widget_area.y;
+    margin_top = (int) (widget->statusbar->height * (1 - d->height)) / 2 + 0.5 + widget->area.y;
     pb_height = (int) (widget->statusbar->height * d->height - (d->gap * (d->bars - 1))) / d->bars + 0.5; 
-    left_offset = widget_area.x + d->lpadding;
+    left_offset = widget->area.x + d->lpadding;
 
     for(i = 0; i < d->bars; i++)
     {
diff --git a/widgets/taglist.c b/widgets/taglist.c
index c7d3b5e5f..084a13531 100644
--- a/widgets/taglist.c
+++ b/widgets/taglist.c
@@ -75,12 +75,13 @@ taglist_draw(Widget *widget,
     for(tag = vscreen.tags; tag; tag = tag->next)
         widget->area.width += textwidth(vscreen.font, tag->name) + vscreen.font->height;
 
-    widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  widget->area.width,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
         widget->area.y = 0;
 
     widget->area.width = 0;
diff --git a/widgets/tasklist.c b/widgets/tasklist.c
index 599a0da16..9008530fb 100644
--- a/widgets/tasklist.c
+++ b/widgets/tasklist.c
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ tasklist_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset, int used)
 
     box_width = (widget->statusbar->width - used) / n;
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
         widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  0,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
 
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget->area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = widget->area.y = 0;
 
     for(c = globalconf.clients; c; c = c->next)
         if(ISVISIBLE_ON_TB(c, widget->statusbar->screen))
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index a971b43b8..6176dce2a 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -40,22 +40,21 @@ textbox_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
              int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
     Data *d = widget->data;
-    Area widget_area = widget->area;
 
     if(d->width)
         widget->area.width = d->width;
     else
         widget->area.width = textwidth(widget->font, d->text);
 
-    if(widget->area.x < 0)
-        widget_area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_x)
+        widget->area.x = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                  widget->area.width,
                                                  offset,
                                                  widget->alignment);
-    if(widget->area.y < 0)
-        widget_area.y = 0;
+    if(!widget->user_supplied_y)
+        widget->area.y = 0;
 
-    draw_text(ctx, widget_area.x, widget_area.y, widget->area.width,
+    draw_text(ctx, widget->area.x, widget->area.y, widget->area.width,
               widget->statusbar->height, d->align, 0, widget->font,
               d->text, d->fg, d->bg);