diff --git a/lib/widget.js b/lib/widget.js
index 85fcdfd..303bc01 100644
--- a/lib/widget.js
+++ b/lib/widget.js
@@ -728,8 +728,8 @@ Screen.prototype.cleanSides = function(el) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  var yi = pos.yi + (el.border ? 1 : 0) + el.padding
-    , yl = pos.yl - (el.border ? 1 : 0) - el.padding
+  var yi = pos.yi + el.itop
+    , yl = pos.yl - el.ibottom
     , first
     , ch
     , x
@@ -1437,7 +1437,22 @@ function Element(options) {
   this.align = options.align || 'left';
   this.valign = options.valign || 'top';
   this.shrink = options.shrink;
-  this.padding = options.padding || 0;
+
+  if (typeof options.padding === 'number' || !options.padding) {
+    options.padding = {
+      left: options.padding,
+      top: options.padding,
+      right: options.padding,
+      bottom: options.padding
+    };
+  }
+
+  this.padding = {
+    left: options.padding.left || 0,
+    top: options.padding.top || 0,
+    right: options.padding.right || 0,
+    bottom: options.padding.bottom || 0
+  };
 
   this.border = options.border;
   if (this.border) {
@@ -1614,7 +1629,7 @@ Element.prototype.setContent = function(content, noClear) {
 Element.prototype.parseContent = function() {
   if (this.detached) return false;
 
-  var width = this.width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+  var width = this.width - this.iwidth;
   if (this._clines == null
       || this._clines.width !== width
       || this._clines.content !== this.content) {
@@ -2174,27 +2189,32 @@ Element.prototype.__defineSetter__('rbottom', function(val) {
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('ileft', function() {
-  return this.left + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding;
+  return (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding.left;
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('itop', function() {
-  return this.top + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding;
+  return (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding.top;
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('iright', function() {
-  return this.right - (this.border ? 1 : 0) - this.padding;
+  return (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding.right;
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('ibottom', function() {
-  return this.bottom - (this.border ? 1 : 0) - this.padding;
+  return (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding.bottom;
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('iwidth', function() {
-  return this.width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+  return (this.border ? 2 : 0) + this.padding.left + this.padding.right;
 });
 
 Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('iheight', function() {
-  return this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+  return (this.border ? 2 : 0) + this.padding.top + this.padding.bottom;
+});
+
+Element.prototype.__defineGetter__('tpadding', function() {
+  return this.padding.left + this.padding.top
+    + this.padding.right + this.padding.bottom;
 });
 
 /**
@@ -2250,10 +2270,10 @@ Box.prototype._getShrinkBox = function(xi, xl, yi, yl) {
       || this.options.right == null)) {
     if (this.options.left == null && this.options.right != null) {
       xi = xl - (mxl - mxi);
-      xi -= this.padding * 2;
+      xi -= this.padding.left + this.padding.right;
     } else {
       xl = mxl;
-      xl += this.padding * 2;
+      xl += this.padding.left + this.padding.right;
     }
   }
 
@@ -2263,10 +2283,10 @@ Box.prototype._getShrinkBox = function(xi, xl, yi, yl) {
       && this.childBase == null) {
     if (this.options.top == null && this.options.bottom != null) {
       yi = yl - (myl - myi);
-      yi -= this.padding * 2;
+      yi -= this.padding.top + this.padding.bottom;
     } else {
       yl = myl;
-      yl += this.padding * 2;
+      yl += this.padding.top + this.padding.bottom;
     }
   }
 
@@ -2282,9 +2302,9 @@ Box.prototype._getShrinkContent = function(xi, xl, yi, yl) {
       && (this.options.left == null
       || this.options.right == null)) {
     if (this.options.left == null && this.options.right != null) {
-      xi = xl - w - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+      xi = xl - w - this.iwidth;
     } else {
-      xl = xi + w + (this.border ? 2 : 0) + this.padding * 2;
+      xl = xi + w + this.iwidth;
     }
   }
 
@@ -2293,9 +2313,9 @@ Box.prototype._getShrinkContent = function(xi, xl, yi, yl) {
       || this.options.bottom == null)
       && this.childBase == null) {
     if (this.options.top == null && this.options.bottom != null) {
-      yi = yl - h - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+      yi = yl - h - this.iheight;
     } else {
-      yl = yi + h + (this.border ? 2 : 0) + this.padding * 2;
+      yl = yi + h + this.iheight;
     }
   }
 
@@ -2359,15 +2379,9 @@ Box.prototype._getCoords = function(get) {
   if (this.parent.childBase != null
       && (!this.parent.items
       || ~this.parent.items.indexOf(this))) {
-    ryi = yi - this.parent._getTop(get)
-      - (this.parent.border ? 1 : 0)
-      - this.parent.padding;
-    ryl = yl - this.parent._getTop(get)
-      - (this.parent.border ? 1 : 0)
-      - this.parent.padding;
-    visible = this.parent._getHeight(get)
-      - (this.parent.border ? 2 : 0)
-      - this.parent.padding * 2;
+    ryi = yi - this.parent._getTop(get) - this.parent.itop;
+    ryl = yl - this.parent._getTop(get) - this.parent.ibottom;
+    visible = this.parent._getHeight(get) - this.parent.iheight;
 
     if (ryi < this.parent.childBase) {
       if (ryl > this.parent.childBase) {
@@ -2454,13 +2468,13 @@ Box.prototype.render = function() {
   // content-drawing loop will skip a few cells/lines.
   // To deal with this, we can just fill the whole thing
   // ahead of time. This could be optimized.
-  if (this.padding || (this.valign && this.valign !== 'top')) {
+  if (this.tpadding || (this.valign && this.valign !== 'top')) {
     this.screen.fillRegion(dattr, ' ', xi, xl, yi, yl);
   }
 
-  if (this.padding) {
-    xi += this.padding, xl -= this.padding;
-    yi += this.padding, yl -= this.padding;
+  if (this.tpadding) {
+    xi += this.padding.left, xl -= this.padding.right;
+    yi += this.padding.top, yl -= this.padding.bottom;
   }
 
   // Determine where to place the text if it's vertically aligned.
@@ -2563,9 +2577,9 @@ Box.prototype.render = function() {
 
   if (this.border) xi--, xl++, yi--, yl++;
 
-  if (this.padding) {
-    xi -= this.padding, xl += this.padding;
-    yi -= this.padding, yl += this.padding;
+  if (this.tpadding) {
+    xi -= this.padding.left, xl += this.padding.right;
+    yi -= this.padding.top, yl += this.padding.bottom;
   }
 
   // Draw the border.
@@ -2665,15 +2679,15 @@ Box.prototype.insertLine = function(i, line) {
   i = Math.max(i, 0);
   //i = Math.min(i, this._clines.length);
 
-  var height = pos.yl - pos.yi - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2
+  var height = pos.yl - pos.yi - this.iheight
     , base = this.childBase || 0
     , visible = i >= base && i - base < height;
 
   if (pos && visible && this.screen.cleanSides(this)) {
     this.screen.insertLine(line.length,
-      pos.yi + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + i - base,
+      pos.yi + this.itop + i - base,
       pos.yi,
-      pos.yl - (this.border ? 1 : 0) - this.padding - 1);
+      pos.yl - this.ibottom - 1);
   }
 
   line.forEach(function(line, j) {
@@ -2692,15 +2706,15 @@ Box.prototype.deleteLine = function(i, n) {
   i = Math.max(i, 0);
   i = Math.min(i, this._clines.length - 1);
 
-  var height = pos.yl - pos.yi - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2
+  var height = pos.yl - pos.yi - this.iheight
     , base = this.childBase || 0
     , visible = i >= base && i - base < height;
 
   if (pos && visible && this.screen.cleanSides(this)) {
     this.screen.deleteLine(n,
-      pos.yi + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + i - base,
+      pos.yi + this.itop + i - base,
       pos.yi,
-      pos.yl - (this.border ? 1 : 0) - this.padding - 1);
+      pos.yl - this.ibottom - 1);
     reset = false;
   }
 
@@ -2717,7 +2731,7 @@ Box.prototype.insertTop = function(line) {
 
 Box.prototype.insertBottom = function(line) {
   return this.insertLine((this.childBase || 0)
-    + this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2, line);
+    + this.height - this.iheight, line);
 };
 
 Box.prototype.deleteTop = function() {
@@ -2726,7 +2740,7 @@ Box.prototype.deleteTop = function() {
 
 Box.prototype.deleteBottom = function() {
   return this.deleteLine((this.childBase || 0)
-    + this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2);
+    + this.height - this.iheight);
 };
 
 Box.prototype.setLine = function(i, line) {
@@ -2882,7 +2896,7 @@ ScrollableBox.prototype.scrollTo = function(offset) {
 };
 
 ScrollableBox.prototype.scroll = function(offset) {
-  var visible = this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2
+  var visible = this.height - this.iheight
     , base = this.childBase
     , d
     , p
@@ -2928,11 +2942,11 @@ ScrollableBox.prototype.scroll = function(offset) {
   // Optimize scrolling with CSR + IL/DL.
   p = this.lpos;
   if (this.childBase !== base && this.screen.cleanSides(this)) {
-    t = p.yi + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding;
-    b = p.yl - (this.border ? 1 : 0) - this.padding - 1;
+    t = p.yi + this.itop;
+    b = p.yl - this.ibottom - 1;
     d = this.childBase - base;
 
-    // var i = p.xi + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding;
+    // var i = p.xi + this.ileft;
     // var attr = this.screen.olines[t][i][0];
     // this.screen.program.write(this.screen.codeAttr(attr, this.screen));
 
@@ -3123,7 +3137,7 @@ function List(options) {
   }
 
   this.on('resize', function() {
-    var visible = self.height - (self.border ? 2 : 0) - self.padding * 2;
+    var visible = self.height - self.iheight;
     if (visible >= self.selected + 1) {
     //if (self.selected < visible - 1) {
       self.childBase = 0;
@@ -3147,9 +3161,9 @@ List.prototype.add = function(item) {
     screen: this.screen,
     content: item,
     align: this.align || 'left',
-    top: this.items.length + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding,
-    left: (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + 1,
-    right: (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + 1,
+    top: this.itop + this.items.length,
+    left: this.ileft + 1,
+    right: this.iright + 1,
     tags: this.parseTags,
     height: 1,
     hoverEffects: this.mouse ? this.style.item.hover : null,
@@ -3363,8 +3377,7 @@ ScrollableText.prototype.scroll = function(offset) {
   if (this.content != null) {
     this.parseContent();
 
-    max = this._clines.length
-      - (this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2);
+    max = this._clines.length - (this.height - this.iheight);
     if (max < 0) max = 0;
 
     if (cb > max) {
@@ -3395,8 +3408,7 @@ ScrollableText.prototype.scroll = function(offset) {
 ScrollableText.prototype._recalculateIndex = function() {
   if (this.detached) return;
 
-  var max = this._clines.length
-    - (this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2);
+  var max = this._clines.length - (this.height - this.iheight);
   if (max < 0) max = 0;
 
   if (this.childBase > max) {
@@ -3697,8 +3709,8 @@ Textbox.prototype.setInput = function(callback) {
   // Could possibly save and restore cursor.
 
   this.screen.program.cup(
-    this.top + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding,
-    this.left + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding
+    this.top + this.itop,
+    this.left + this.ileft
     + this.value.length);
   this.screen.program.showCursor();
   this.screen.program.sgr('normal');
@@ -3734,7 +3746,7 @@ Textbox.prototype.setInput = function(callback) {
 Textbox.prototype._listener = function(ch, key) {
   var callback = this._callback
     , value = this.value
-    , width = this.width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+    , width = this.width - this.iwidth;
 
   if (key.name === 'escape' || key.name === 'enter') {
     delete this._callback;
@@ -3764,7 +3776,7 @@ Textbox.prototype._listener = function(ch, key) {
   // Maybe just use this instead of render hook:
   // Problem - user can't set .value willy nilly.
   // if (this.value !== value) {
-  //   var i = -(this.width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2 - 1);
+  //   var i = -(this.width - this.iwidth - 1);
   //   this.setContent(this.value.slice(i));
   // }
 
@@ -3797,7 +3809,7 @@ Textbox.prototype.render = function() {
     this.setContent(Array(this.value.length + 1).join('*'));
     return this._render();
   }
-  var visible = -(this.width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2 - 1);
+  var visible = -(this.width - this.iwidth - 1);
   this.setContent(this.value.slice(visible));
   return this._render();
 };
@@ -3861,10 +3873,10 @@ Textarea.prototype.updateCursor = function() {
 
   line = Math.min(
     this._clines.length - 1 - this.childBase,
-    this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2 - 1);
+    this.height - this.iheight - 1);
 
-  cy = this.top + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + line;
-  cx = this.left + (this.border ? 1 : 0) + this.padding + last.length;
+  cy = this.top + this.itop + line;
+  cx = this.left + this.ileft + last.length;
 
   if (cy === program.y && cx === program.x) {
     return;
@@ -3971,7 +3983,7 @@ Textarea.prototype._listener = function(ch, key) {
 
 Textarea.prototype._typeScroll = function() {
   // XXX Workaround
-  var width = this.height - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+  var width = this.height - this.iheight;
   if (this._clines.length - this.childBase > width) {
     //this.setContent(this.value + '\n');
     this.scroll(this._clines.length);
@@ -4104,11 +4116,11 @@ function ProgressBar(options) {
       var x, y, m, p;
       if (self.orientation === 'horizontal') {
         x = data.x - self.left;
-        m = self.width - (self.border ? 2 : 0) - self.padding * 2;
+        m = self.width - self.iwidth;
         p = x / m * 100 | 0;
       } else if (self.orientation === 'vertical') {
         y = data.y - self.top;
-        m = self.height - (self.border ? 2 : 0) - self.padding * 2;
+        m = self.height - self.iheight;
         p = y / m * 100 | 0;
       }
       self.setProgress(p);
@@ -4992,7 +5004,7 @@ Listbar.prototype.select = function(offset) {
     , visible = 0
     , el;
 
-  width = width - (this.border ? 2 : 0) - this.padding * 2;
+  width = width - this.iwidth;
 
   if (offset < 0) offset = 0;
   else if (offset >= this.items.length) offset = this.items.length - 1;
diff --git a/test/widget-form.js b/test/widget-form.js
index 0b9b01a..1ea7725 100644
--- a/test/widget-form.js
+++ b/test/widget-form.js
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ var submit = blessed.button({
   mouse: true,
   keys: true,
   shrink: true,
-  padding: 1,
+  padding: {
+    left: 1,
+    right: 1
+  },
   left: 30,
   top: 2,
   shrink: true,