diff --git a/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.cpp b/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.cpp
index 07f7cc461cd8e542d986ae55a23115ffb33fa6e2..98c3c3d01ab670988764ebcc81353972b1ff9d98 100644
--- a/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.cpp
+++ b/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ ParamString::ParamString(Inkscape::XML::Node *xml, Inkscape::Extension::Extensio
                       _appearance, _name, _extension->get_id());
         }
     }
+
+    // parse width/height
+    char const *width = xml->attribute("width");
+    if (width) {
+        _width = strtoul(width, nullptr, 0);
+    }
+    char const *height = xml->attribute("height");
+    if (height) {
+        _height = strtoul(height, nullptr, 0);
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -207,13 +217,56 @@ Gtk::Widget *ParamString::get_widget(sigc::signal<void ()> *changeSignal)
         entry->set_vexpand();
         textarea->set_child(*entry);
 
+        set_multiline_size(*box);
         UI::pack_start(*box, *textarea, true, true);
     } else {
         Gtk::Widget *entry = Gtk::make_managed<ParamStringEntry>(this, changeSignal);
+        set_singleline_size(*box);
         UI::pack_start(*box, *entry, true, true);
     }
 
     return box;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Sets the height in number of rows and width in columns
+ * by converting them to appropriate pixel values.
+ */
+void ParamString::set_multiline_size(Gtk::Box& box)
+{
+    set_size_helper(box, true);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sets the width of the widget in columns
+ * by converting it to appropriate pixel values
+ */
+void ParamString::set_singleline_size(Gtk::Box& box)
+{
+    set_size_helper(box, false);
+}
+
+void ParamString::set_size_helper(Gtk::Box& box, bool set_height)
+{
+    auto context = box.get_pango_context();
+    if (!context) {
+        return;
+    }
+    auto font_description = context->get_font_description();
+    Pango::FontMetrics metrics = context->get_metrics(font_description);
+
+    int total_height = -1;
+    if (set_height)
+    {
+        int row_height = PANGO_PIXELS(metrics.get_height());
+        total_height = row_height * _height;
+    }
+
+    // Only approximate but best we can do
+    int row_width = PANGO_PIXELS(metrics.get_approximate_digit_width());
+    int total_width = row_width * _width;
+
+    box.set_size_request(std::max(-1, total_width), std::max(-1, total_height));
+}
+
 } // namespace Inkscape::Extension
diff --git a/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.h b/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.h
index 19441e7c409aed75c763c696e70cd4db10b47208..2e7b2f8d645c0221c9f94b7bb63abdd23ff9a3c5 100644
--- a/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.h
+++ b/src/extension/prefdialog/parameter-string.h
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 
 #include <glibmm/ustring.h>
 
+namespace Gtk {
+class Box;
+}
+
 namespace Inkscape::Extension {
 
 class ParamString : public InxParameter {
@@ -45,6 +49,15 @@ private:
 
     /** \brief Maximum length of the string in characters (zero meaning unlimited). */
     int _max_length = 0;
+
+    /** \brief Starting width of the widget (-1 is unset) */
+    int _width = -1;
+    /** \brief Starting height of the widget (-1 is unset) */
+    int _height = -1;
+
+    void set_multiline_size(Gtk::Box& box);
+    void set_singleline_size(Gtk::Box& box);
+    void set_size_helper(Gtk::Box& box, bool setHeight);
 };
 
 } // namespace Inkscape::Extension