diff --git a/xwords4/common/draw.h b/xwords4/common/draw.h
index 6338dbea5..af0a412ae 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/draw.h
+++ b/xwords4/common/draw.h
@@ -151,8 +151,7 @@ typedef struct DrawCtxVTable {
                                                 XP_U16 playerNum,
                                                 CellFlags flags );
 
-    void DRAW_VTABLE_NAME(drawTimer) ( DrawCtx* dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner, 
-                                       const XP_Rect* rOuter,
+    void DRAW_VTABLE_NAME(drawTimer) ( DrawCtx* dctx, const XP_Rect* rect, 
                                        XP_U16 player, XP_S16 secondsLeft );
 
     XP_Bool DRAW_VTABLE_NAME(drawCell) ( DrawCtx* dctx, const XP_Rect* rect, 
@@ -265,8 +264,8 @@ struct DrawCtx {
     CALL_DRAW_NAME3(score_drawPlayer,(dc),(ri),(ro),(dsi))
 #define draw_score_pendingScore(dc, r, s, p, f ) \
     CALL_DRAW_NAME4(score_pendingScore,(dc), (r), (s), (p), (f))
-#define draw_drawTimer( dc, ri, ro, plyr, sec ) \
-    CALL_DRAW_NAME4(drawTimer,(dc),(ri),(ro),(plyr),(sec))
+#define draw_drawTimer( dc, r, plyr, sec ) \
+    CALL_DRAW_NAME3(drawTimer,(dc),(r),(plyr),(sec))
 #define draw_drawCell( dc, rect, txt, bmap, t, o, bon, hi, f ) \
     CALL_DRAW_NAME8(drawCell,(dc),(rect),(txt),(bmap),(t),(o),(bon),(hi),\
     (f))
diff --git a/xwords4/common/scorebdp.c b/xwords4/common/scorebdp.c
index d43ef91cd..7b8b4e36e 100644
--- a/xwords4/common/scorebdp.c
+++ b/xwords4/common/scorebdp.c
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ drawTimer( BoardCtxt* board )
     if ( board->gi->timerEnabled ) {
         XP_S16 secondsLeft = figureSecondsLeft( board );
 
-        draw_drawTimer( board->draw, &board->timerBounds, &board->timerBounds, 
+        draw_drawTimer( board->draw, &board->timerBounds,
                         board->selPlayer, secondsLeft );
     }
 } /* drawTimer */
diff --git a/xwords4/linux/gtkdraw.c b/xwords4/linux/gtkdraw.c
index 4206f893a..fbef68d01 100644
--- a/xwords4/linux/gtkdraw.c
+++ b/xwords4/linux/gtkdraw.c
@@ -1004,7 +1004,6 @@ gtkFormatTimerText( XP_UCHAR* buf, XP_U16 bufLen, XP_S16 secondsLeft )
 
 static void
 gtk_draw_drawTimer( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner, 
-                    const XP_Rect* XP_UNUSED(rOuter),
                     XP_U16 XP_UNUSED(player), XP_S16 secondsLeft )
 {
     GtkDrawCtx* dctx = (GtkDrawCtx*)p_dctx;
diff --git a/xwords4/palm/palmdraw.c b/xwords4/palm/palmdraw.c
index 1b2205dc8..89987dd02 100644
--- a/xwords4/palm/palmdraw.c
+++ b/xwords4/palm/palmdraw.c
@@ -1283,8 +1283,7 @@ palmFormatTimerText( XP_UCHAR* buf, XP_S16 secondsLeft )
 } /* palmFormatTimerText */
 
 static void
-palm_draw_drawTimer( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner, 
-                     const XP_Rect* XP_UNUSED(rOuter),
+palm_draw_drawTimer( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rect, 
                      XP_U16 XP_UNUSED(player), XP_S16 secondsLeft )
 {
     /* This is called both from within drawScoreboard and not, meaning that
@@ -1293,7 +1292,7 @@ palm_draw_drawTimer( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner,
      */
     PalmDrawCtx* dctx = (PalmDrawCtx*)p_dctx;
     XP_UCHAR buf[10];
-    XP_Rect localR = *rInner;
+    XP_Rect localR = *rect;
     RectangleType saveClip;
     XP_U16 len, width, y;
 
diff --git a/xwords4/wince/cedraw.c b/xwords4/wince/cedraw.c
index b2c125a4b..ab999a72d 100755
--- a/xwords4/wince/cedraw.c
+++ b/xwords4/wince/cedraw.c
@@ -1479,13 +1479,14 @@ ceFormatScoreText( CEDrawCtx* dctx, const DrawScoreInfo* dsi, XP_U16 nameLen )
 {
     XP_UCHAR optPart[16];
     XP_UCHAR name[nameLen+1+1];
+    const XP_UCHAR* div = dctx->scoreIsVertical? XP_CR : ":";
         
-    /* For a horizontal scoreboard, we want [name ]300:6
+    /* For a horizontal scoreboard, we want [name:]300[:6]
      * For a vertical, it's
      *
      *     [name]
      *      300
-     *       6
+     *      [6]
      */
 
     while ( nameLen >= 1 ) {
@@ -1493,7 +1494,7 @@ ceFormatScoreText( CEDrawCtx* dctx, const DrawScoreInfo* dsi, XP_U16 nameLen )
         if ( name[nameLen-1] == ' ' ) { /* don't end with space */
             --nameLen;
         } else {
-            XP_STRCAT( name, dctx->scoreIsVertical? XP_CR : " " );
+            XP_STRCAT( name, div );
             break;
         }
     }
@@ -1502,8 +1503,7 @@ ceFormatScoreText( CEDrawCtx* dctx, const DrawScoreInfo* dsi, XP_U16 nameLen )
     }
 
     if ( dsi->nTilesLeft >= 0 ) {
-        sprintf( optPart, "%s%d", dctx->scoreIsVertical? XP_CR : ":", 
-                 dsi->nTilesLeft );
+        sprintf( optPart, "%s%d", div, dsi->nTilesLeft );
     } else {
         optPart[0] = '\0';
     }
@@ -1659,8 +1659,7 @@ DRAW_FUNC_NAME(score_pendingScore)( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* xprect,
 } /* ce_draw_score_pendingScore */
 
 DLSTATIC void
-DRAW_FUNC_NAME(drawTimer)( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner, 
-                           const XP_Rect* XP_UNUSED(rOuter),
+DRAW_FUNC_NAME(drawTimer)( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* xprect, 
                            XP_U16 player, XP_S16 secondsLeft )
 {
     CEDrawCtx* dctx = (CEDrawCtx*)p_dctx;
@@ -1676,7 +1675,7 @@ DRAW_FUNC_NAME(drawTimer)( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner,
 
     fce = ceGetSizedFont( dctx, 0, 0, RFONTS_SCORE );
 
-    XPRtoRECT( &rt, rInner );
+    XPRtoRECT( &rt, xprect );
 
     isNegative = secondsLeft < 0;
     if ( isNegative ) {
@@ -1699,10 +1698,16 @@ DRAW_FUNC_NAME(drawTimer)( DrawCtx* p_dctx, const XP_Rect* rInner,
 
     ceSetTextColor( hdc, dctx, getPlayerColor(player) );
     ceSetBkColor( hdc, dctx, CE_BKG_COLOR );
-    ceClearToBkground( dctx, rInner );
+    ceClearToBkground( dctx, xprect );
+
+    /* distribute any extra space */
+    XP_U16 width, height;
+    ceMeasureText( dctx, hdc, fce, buf, 0, &width, &height );
+    XP_S16 diff = (xprect->height - height) / 2;
+    rt.top += diff;
+    rt.bottom -= diff;
 
     oldFont = SelectObject( hdc, fce->setFont );
-    ++rt.top;
     ceDrawLinesClipped( hdc, fce, buf, CP_ACP, XP_TRUE, &rt );
     SelectObject( hdc, oldFont );