diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/view.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/view.js
index 9683bf4a9..70c09d188 100755
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/view.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-client/src/js/ui/view.js
@@ -1758,11 +1758,18 @@ RED.view = (function() {
         return calculateTextDimensions(str,className,offset,0)[0];
     }
 
+    var textDimensionPlaceholder = {};
     function calculateTextDimensions(str,className,offsetW,offsetH) {
-        var sp = $('<span>',{class: className,style: "position: absolute; top: -1000px"}).text(str||"").appendTo("#red-ui-editor");
-        var w = sp.width();
-        var h = sp.height();
-        sp.remove();
+        if (!textDimensionPlaceholder[className]) {
+            textDimensionPlaceholder[className] = document.createElement("span");
+            textDimensionPlaceholder[className].className = className;
+            textDimensionPlaceholder[className].style.position = "absolute";
+            textDimensionPlaceholder[className].style.top = "-1000px";
+            document.getElementById("red-ui-editor").appendChild(textDimensionPlaceholder[className]);
+        }
+        textDimensionPlaceholder[className].textContent = (str||"");
+        var w = textDimensionPlaceholder[className].offsetWidth;
+        var h = textDimensionPlaceholder[className].offsetHeight;
         return [offsetW+w,offsetH+h];
     }
 
@@ -2564,10 +2571,12 @@ RED.view = (function() {
                     var hideLabel = d.hasOwnProperty('l')?!d.l : isLink;
                     node.attr("id",d.id);
                     var l = RED.utils.getNodeLabel(d);
-                    if (hideLabel) {
-                        d.w = node_height;
-                    } else {
-                        d.w = Math.max(node_width,20*(Math.ceil((calculateTextWidth(l, "red-ui-flow-node-label", 50)+(d._def.inputs>0?7:0))/20)) );
+                    if (d.w === undefined) {
+                        if (hideLabel) {
+                            d.w = node_height;
+                        } else {
+                            d.w = Math.max(node_width,20*(Math.ceil((calculateTextWidth(l, "red-ui-flow-node-label", 50)+(d._def.inputs>0?7:0))/20)) );
+                        }
                     }
                     d.h = Math.max(node_height,(d.outputs||0) * 15);