diff --git a/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.cpp b/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.cpp
index d708bb5f37fa..a21b8bf0a971 100644
--- a/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.cpp
@@ -1200,7 +1200,6 @@ void nsFontMetricsXlib::RealizeFont()
   mDeviceContext->GetDevUnitsToAppUnits(f);
 
   nscoord lineSpacing = nscoord((mFontHandle->ascent + mFontHandle->descent) * f);
-  // XXXldb Shouldn't we get mEmHeight from the metrics?
   mEmHeight = PR_MAX(1, nscoord(mWesternFont->mSize * f));
   if (lineSpacing > mEmHeight)
     mLeading = lineSpacing - mEmHeight;
@@ -1932,6 +1931,9 @@ nsFontXlib::LoadFont(void)
          ::XDisplayString(aDisplay), mName, (long)xlibFont));
 
   if (xlibFont) {
+    mMaxAscent = xlibFont->ascent;
+    mMaxDescent = xlibFont->descent;
+
     if (mCharSetInfo == &ISO106461) {
       mCCMap = GetMapFor10646Font(xlibFont);
       if (!mCCMap) {
diff --git a/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.h b/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.h
index 200102c23280..865687447359 100644
--- a/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.h
+++ b/gfx/src/xlib/nsFontMetricsXlib.h
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ public:
   PRUint16               mSize;
   PRInt16                mBaselineAdjust;
   PRBool                 mAlreadyCalledLoadFont;
+
+  // these values are not in app units, they need to be scaled with 
+  // nsIDeviceContext::GetDevUnitsToAppUnits()
+  PRInt16                mMaxAscent;
+  PRInt16                mMaxDescent;
 };
 
 class nsFontMetricsXlib : public nsIFontMetrics
diff --git a/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.cpp b/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.cpp
index ae6753c4c813..730218e7b2d0 100644
--- a/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.cpp
@@ -1349,10 +1349,102 @@ FoundFont:
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsRenderingContextXlib::GetTextDimensions(const char* aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                                          nsTextDimensions& aDimensions)
+{
+  mFontMetrics->GetMaxAscent(aDimensions.ascent);
+  mFontMetrics->GetMaxDescent(aDimensions.descent);
+  return GetWidth(aString, aLength, aDimensions.width);
+}
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsRenderingContextXlib::GetTextDimensions(const PRUnichar* aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                                          nsTextDimensions& aDimensions, PRInt32 *aFontID)
+{
+  PR_LOG(RenderingContextXlibLM, PR_LOG_DEBUG, ("nsRenderingContextXlib::GetTextDimensions()\n"));
+  aDimensions.Clear();
+  if (0 < aLength) {
+    nsFontMetricsXlib* metrics = (nsFontMetricsXlib*) mFontMetrics;
+    nsFontXlib *prevFont = nsnull;
+    int rawWidth = 0, rawAscent = 0, rawDescent = 0;
+    PRUint32 start = 0;
+    PRUint32 i;
+    for (i = 0; i < aLength; i++) {
+      PRUnichar c = aString[i];
+      nsFontXlib* currFont = nsnull;
+      nsFontXlib** font = metrics->mLoadedFonts;
+      nsFontXlib** end = &metrics->mLoadedFonts[metrics->mLoadedFontsCount];
+      while (font < end) {
+        if (IS_REPRESENTABLE((*font)->mMap, c)) {
+          currFont = *font;
+          goto FoundFont; // for speed -- avoid "if" statement
+        }
+        font++;
+      }
+      currFont = metrics->FindFont(c);
+FoundFont:
+      // XXX avoid this test by duplicating code -- erik
+      if (prevFont) {
+        if (currFont != prevFont) {
+          rawWidth += prevFont->GetWidth(&aString[start], i - start);
+          if (rawAscent < prevFont->mMaxAscent)
+            rawAscent = prevFont->mMaxAscent;
+          if (rawDescent < prevFont->mMaxDescent)
+            rawDescent = prevFont->mMaxDescent;
+          prevFont = currFont;
+          start = i;
+        }
+      }
+      else {
+        prevFont = currFont;
+        start = i;
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (prevFont) {
+      rawWidth += prevFont->GetWidth(&aString[start], i - start);
+      if (rawAscent < prevFont->mMaxAscent)
+        rawAscent = prevFont->mMaxAscent;
+      if (rawDescent < prevFont->mMaxDescent)
+        rawDescent = prevFont->mMaxDescent;
+    }
+
+    aDimensions.width = NSToCoordRound(rawWidth * mP2T);
+    aDimensions.ascent = NSToCoordRound(rawAscent * mP2T);
+    aDimensions.descent = NSToCoordRound(rawDescent * mP2T);
+  }
+  if (nsnull != aFontID)
+    *aFontID = 0;
+
+  return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const char *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
                                    nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
                                    const nscoord* aSpacing)
+{
+  nscoord y;
+  mFontMetrics->GetMaxAscent(y);
+  return DrawString2(aString, aLength, aX, aY + y, aSpacing);
+}
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                                   nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
+                                   PRInt32 aFontID,
+                                   const nscoord* aSpacing)
+{
+  nscoord y;
+  mFontMetrics->GetMaxAscent(y);
+  return DrawString2(aString, aLength, aX, aY + y, aFontID, aSpacing);
+}
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString2(const char *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                                   nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
+                                   const nscoord* aSpacing)
 {
   PR_LOG(RenderingContextXlibLM, PR_LOG_DEBUG, ("nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString()\n"));
   if (0 != aLength) {
@@ -1361,12 +1453,6 @@ nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const char *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
     
     nscoord x = aX;
     nscoord y = aY;
-    
-    // Substract xFontStruct ascent since drawing specifies baseline
-    if (mFontMetrics) {
-      mFontMetrics->GetMaxAscent(y);
-      y += aY;
-    }
 
     UpdateGC();
 
@@ -1454,7 +1540,7 @@ nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const char *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP
-nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString2(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
                                    nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
                                    PRInt32 aFontID,
                                    const nscoord* aSpacing)
@@ -1465,12 +1551,7 @@ nsRenderingContextXlib::DrawString(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
       return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
     nscoord x = aX;
-    nscoord y;
-
-    // Substract xFontStruct ascent since drawing specifies baseline
-    mFontMetrics->GetMaxAscent(y);
-    y += aY;
-    aY = y;
+    nscoord y = aY;
 
     mTranMatrix->TransformCoord(&x, &y);
 
diff --git a/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.h b/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.h
index 690059178bfb..0570e2e92985 100644
--- a/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.h
+++ b/gfx/src/xlib/nsRenderingContextXlib.h
@@ -189,6 +189,18 @@ class nsRenderingContextXlib : public nsRenderingContextImpl
                         PRInt32 aFontID,
                         const nscoord* aSpacing);
 
+  NS_IMETHOD GetTextDimensions(const char* aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                               nsTextDimensions& aDimensions);
+  NS_IMETHOD GetTextDimensions(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                               nsTextDimensions& aDimensions, PRInt32 *aFontID);
+  NS_IMETHOD DrawString2(const char *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                        nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
+                        const nscoord* aSpacing);
+  NS_IMETHOD DrawString2(const PRUnichar *aString, PRUint32 aLength,
+                        nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
+                        PRInt32 aFontID,
+                        const nscoord* aSpacing);
+
   NS_IMETHOD DrawImage(nsIImage *aImage, nscoord aX, nscoord aY);
   NS_IMETHOD DrawImage(nsIImage *aImage, nscoord aX, nscoord aY,
                        nscoord aWidth, nscoord aHeight);