diff --git a/docs/labwc-theme.5.scd b/docs/labwc-theme.5.scd
index e892e4d7..61d915fa 100644
--- a/docs/labwc-theme.5.scd
+++ b/docs/labwc-theme.5.scd
@@ -50,14 +50,13 @@ labwc-config(5).
 	Line width (integer) of border drawn around window frames.
 	Default is 1.
 
-*padding.width*
-	Horizontal padding size, in pixels, between border and first
+*window.titlebar.padding.width*
+	Horizontal titlebar padding size, in pixels, between border and first
 	button on the left/right.
 	Default is 0.
 
-*padding.height*
-	Vertical padding size, in pixels, used for spacing out elements
-	in the window decorations.
+*window.titlebar.padding.height*
+	Vertical titlebar padding size, in pixels.
 	Default is 0.
 
 *menu.items.padding.x*
diff --git a/docs/themerc b/docs/themerc
index 8fbf90e2..4ebccea9 100644
--- a/docs/themerc
+++ b/docs/themerc
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@
 
 # general
 border.width: 1
-padding.width: 0
-padding.height: 0
+
+#
+# We do not support the global padding.{width,height} of openbox because
+# the default labwc button geometry has deviates from that of openbox
+#
+window.titlebar.padding.width: 0
+window.titlebar.padding.height: 0
 
 # window border
 window.active.border.color: #e1dedb
diff --git a/include/theme.h b/include/theme.h
index d3ffbf05..e4c8c382 100644
--- a/include/theme.h
+++ b/include/theme.h
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ struct theme {
 	 * the space between title bar border and
 	 * buttons on the left/right/top
 	 */
-	int padding_width;
-	int padding_height;
+	int window_titlebar_padding_width;
+	int window_titlebar_padding_height;
 
 	int title_height;
 	int menu_overlap_x;
@@ -156,7 +156,10 @@ struct theme {
 	struct lab_data_buffer *shadow_corner_bottom_inactive;
 	struct lab_data_buffer *shadow_edge_inactive;
 
-	/* not set in rc.xml/themerc, but derived from font & padding_height */
+	/*
+	 * Not set in rc.xml/themerc, but derived from the tallest titlebar
+	 * object plus 2 * window_titlebar_padding_height
+	 */
 	int osd_window_switcher_item_height;
 
 	/* magnifier */
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
index 9937896d..91be8717 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ ssd_titlebar_create(struct ssd *ssd)
 
 		/* Buttons */
 		struct title_button *b;
-		int x = theme->padding_width;
+		int x = theme->window_titlebar_padding_width;
 
 		/* Center vertically within titlebar */
 		int y = (theme->title_height - theme->window_button_height) / 2;
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ ssd_titlebar_create(struct ssd *ssd)
 			x += theme->window_button_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
 		}
 
-		x = width - theme->padding_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
+		x = width - theme->window_titlebar_padding_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
 		wl_list_for_each_reverse(b, &rc.title_buttons_right, link) {
 			x -= theme->window_button_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
 			struct lab_data_buffer **buffers =
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static void
 update_visible_buttons(struct ssd *ssd)
 {
 	struct view *view = ssd->view;
-	int width = view->current.width - (2 * view->server->theme->padding_width);
+	int width = view->current.width - (2 * view->server->theme->window_titlebar_padding_width);
 	int button_width = view->server->theme->window_button_width;
 	int button_spacing = view->server->theme->window_button_spacing;
 	int button_count_left = wl_list_length(&rc.title_buttons_left);
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ ssd_titlebar_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 			wlr_scene_rect_from_node(part->node),
 			width - bg_offset * 2, theme->title_height);
 
-		x = theme->padding_width;
+		x = theme->window_titlebar_padding_width;
 		wl_list_for_each(b, &rc.title_buttons_left, link) {
 			part = ssd_get_part(&subtree->parts, b->type);
 			wlr_scene_node_set_position(part->node, x, y);
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ ssd_titlebar_update(struct ssd *ssd)
 		part = ssd_get_part(&subtree->parts, LAB_SSD_PART_TITLEBAR_CORNER_RIGHT);
 		wlr_scene_node_set_position(part->node, x, -rc.theme->border_width);
 
-		x = width - theme->padding_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
+		x = width - theme->window_titlebar_padding_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
 		wl_list_for_each_reverse(b, &rc.title_buttons_right, link) {
 			part = ssd_get_part(&subtree->parts, b->type);
 			x -= theme->window_button_width + theme->window_button_spacing;
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ get_title_offsets(struct ssd *ssd, int *offset_left, int *offset_right)
 	struct ssd_sub_tree *subtree = &ssd->titlebar.active;
 	int button_width = ssd->view->server->theme->window_button_width;
 	int button_spacing = ssd->view->server->theme->window_button_spacing;
-	int padding_width = ssd->view->server->theme->padding_width;
+	int padding_width = ssd->view->server->theme->window_titlebar_padding_width;
 	*offset_left = padding_width;
 	*offset_right = padding_width;
 
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ ssd_update_window_icon(struct ssd *ssd)
 	 */
 	int hpad = theme->window_button_width / 10;
 	int icon_size = MIN(theme->window_button_width - 2 * hpad,
-		theme->title_height - 2 * theme->padding_height);
+		theme->title_height - 2 * theme->window_titlebar_padding_height);
 
 	/*
 	 * Load/render icons at the max scale of any usable output (at
diff --git a/src/theme.c b/src/theme.c
index 3b943f16..4e573c34 100644
--- a/src/theme.c
+++ b/src/theme.c
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ create_rounded_buffer(struct theme *theme, enum corner corner,
 	float white[4] = {1, 1, 1, 1};
 	struct rounded_corner_ctx rounded_ctx = {
 		.box = &(struct wlr_box){
-			.width = theme->padding_width + width,
+			.width = theme->window_titlebar_padding_width + width,
 			.height = height,
 		},
 		.radius = rc.corner_radius,
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ create_rounded_buffer(struct theme *theme, enum corner corner,
 	};
 	int mask_offset;
 	if (corner == LAB_CORNER_TOP_LEFT) {
-		mask_offset = -theme->padding_width;
+		mask_offset = -theme->window_titlebar_padding_width;
 	} else {
 		mask_offset = 0;
 	}
@@ -573,7 +573,8 @@ static void
 theme_builtin(struct theme *theme, struct server *server)
 {
 	theme->border_width = 1;
-	theme->padding_height = 0;
+	theme->window_titlebar_padding_height = 0;
+	theme->window_titlebar_padding_width = 0;
 	theme->title_height = INT_MIN;
 	theme->menu_overlap_x = 0;
 	theme->menu_overlap_y = 0;
@@ -591,7 +592,6 @@ theme_builtin(struct theme *theme, struct server *server)
 	theme->window_label_text_justify = parse_justification("Center");
 	theme->menu_title_text_justify = parse_justification("Center");
 
-	theme->padding_width = 0;
 	theme->window_button_width = 26;
 	theme->window_button_height = 26;
 	theme->window_button_spacing = 0;
@@ -707,13 +707,13 @@ entry(struct theme *theme, const char *key, const char *value)
 		theme->border_width = get_int_if_positive(
 			value, "border.width");
 	}
-	if (match_glob(key, "padding.width")) {
-		theme->padding_width = get_int_if_positive(
-			value, "padding.width");
+	if (match_glob(key, "window.titlebar.padding.width")) {
+		theme->window_titlebar_padding_width = get_int_if_positive(
+			value, "window.titlebar.padding.width");
 	}
-	if (match_glob(key, "padding.height")) {
-		theme->padding_height = get_int_if_positive(
-			value, "padding.height");
+	if (match_glob(key, "window.titlebar.padding.height")) {
+		theme->window_titlebar_padding_height = get_int_if_positive(
+			value, "window.titlebar.padding.height");
 	}
 	if (match_glob(key, "menu.items.padding.x")) {
 		theme->menu_item_padding_x = get_int_if_positive(
@@ -1474,7 +1474,7 @@ get_titlebar_height(struct theme *theme)
 	if (h < theme->window_button_height) {
 		h = theme->window_button_height;
 	}
-	h += 2 * theme->padding_height;
+	h += 2 * theme->window_titlebar_padding_height;
 	return h;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/view.c b/src/view.c
index 8be5028f..bcb86ea0 100644
--- a/src/view.c
+++ b/src/view.c
@@ -2284,7 +2284,7 @@ view_get_min_width(void)
 	return (rc.theme->window_button_width * (button_count_left + button_count_right)) +
 		(rc.theme->window_button_spacing * MAX((button_count_right - 1), 0)) +
 		(rc.theme->window_button_spacing * MAX((button_count_left - 1), 0)) +
-		(2 * rc.theme->padding_width);
+		(2 * rc.theme->window_titlebar_padding_width);
 }
 
 void