diff --git a/panda/src/grutil/frameRateMeter.cxx b/panda/src/grutil/frameRateMeter.cxx
index 24b6bd7bc3..ae9ec7790f 100644
--- a/panda/src/grutil/frameRateMeter.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/grutil/frameRateMeter.cxx
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ FrameRateMeter(const string &name) : TextNode(name) {
   _text_pattern = frame_rate_meter_text_pattern;
   _clock_object = ClockObject::get_global_clock();
 
+  float height = get_font()->get_line_height();
   set_align(A_right);
   set_transform(LMatrix4f::scale_mat(frame_rate_meter_scale) * 
-                LMatrix4f::translate_mat(LVector3f::rfu(1.0f - frame_rate_meter_side_margins * frame_rate_meter_scale, 0.0f, 1.0f - frame_rate_meter_scale)));
+                LMatrix4f::translate_mat(LVector3f::rfu(1.0f - frame_rate_meter_side_margins * frame_rate_meter_scale, 0.0f, 1.0f - frame_rate_meter_scale * height)));
   set_card_color(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.4f);
   set_card_as_margin(frame_rate_meter_side_margins, frame_rate_meter_side_margins, 0.1f, 0.0f);
   //  set_usage_hint(Geom::UH_client);