diff --git a/src/TextMetrics.cpp b/src/TextMetrics.cpp
index 09712faf6c..ea9efe776d 100644
--- a/src/TextMetrics.cpp
+++ b/src/TextMetrics.cpp
@@ -163,14 +163,25 @@ void TextMetrics::setRowChanged(pit_type pit, pos_type pos)
 }
 
 
-ParagraphMetrics & TextMetrics::parMetrics(pit_type pit, bool redo)
+Dimension const & TextMetrics::dim(pit_type pit) const
 {
-	ParMetricsCache::iterator pmc_it = par_metrics_.find(pit);
+	auto pmc_it = par_metrics_.find(pit);
+	if (pmc_it == par_metrics_.end()) {
+		static Dimension empty_dim;
+		return empty_dim;
+	} else
+		return pmc_it->second.dim();
+}
+
+
+ParagraphMetrics & TextMetrics::parMetrics(pit_type pit)
+{
+	auto pmc_it = par_metrics_.find(pit);
 	if (pmc_it == par_metrics_.end()) {
 		pmc_it = par_metrics_.insert(
 			make_pair(pit, ParagraphMetrics(text_->getPar(pit)))).first;
 	}
-	if (pmc_it->second.rows().empty() && redo)
+	if (pmc_it->second.rows().empty())
 		redoParagraph(pit);
 	return pmc_it->second;
 }
@@ -178,13 +189,7 @@ ParagraphMetrics & TextMetrics::parMetrics(pit_type pit, bool redo)
 
 ParagraphMetrics const & TextMetrics::parMetrics(pit_type pit) const
 {
-	return const_cast<TextMetrics *>(this)->parMetrics(pit, true);
-}
-
-
-ParagraphMetrics & TextMetrics::parMetrics(pit_type pit)
-{
-	return parMetrics(pit, true);
+	return const_cast<TextMetrics *>(this)->parMetrics(pit);
 }
 
 
@@ -484,9 +489,8 @@ bool TextMetrics::isRTLBoundary(pit_type pit, pos_type pos,
 bool TextMetrics::redoParagraph(pit_type const pit, bool const align_rows)
 {
 	Paragraph & par = text_->getPar(pit);
-	// IMPORTANT NOTE: We pass 'false' explicitly in order to not call
-	// redoParagraph() recursively inside parMetrics.
-	Dimension old_dim = parMetrics(pit, false).dim();
+	// This gets the dimension if it exists and an empty one otherwise.
+	Dimension old_dim = dim(pit);
 	ParagraphMetrics & pm = par_metrics_[pit];
 	pm.reset(par);
 
diff --git a/src/TextMetrics.h b/src/TextMetrics.h
index 4f49f0fa7d..216b7014be 100644
--- a/src/TextMetrics.h
+++ b/src/TextMetrics.h
@@ -58,15 +58,20 @@ public:
 	///
 	void setRowChanged(pit_type pit, pos_type pos);
 
-	///
+	/// Dimension of the entire text.
 	Dimension const & dim() const { return dim_; }
+	/// Dimension of paragraph \c pit if it exists, empty dimension
+	/// otherwise.
+	Dimension const & dim(pit_type pit) const;
 	///
 	Point const & origin() const { return origin_; }
 
-	///
-	ParagraphMetrics const & parMetrics(pit_type) const;
-	///
-	ParagraphMetrics & parMetrics(pit_type);
+	/// Metrics of paragraph \c pit. If no metrics exist or if they
+	/// are empty, recompute metrics for this paragraph.
+	ParagraphMetrics & parMetrics(pit_type pit);
+	/// Identical to the non-const version
+	/// FIXME: a const method should not modify the object!
+	ParagraphMetrics const & parMetrics(pit_type pit) const;
 
 	///
 	void newParMetricsDown();
@@ -156,8 +161,6 @@ public:
 	void drawParagraph(PainterInfo & pi, pit_type pit, int x, int y) const;
 
 private:
-	///
-	ParagraphMetrics & parMetrics(pit_type, bool redo_paragraph);
 
 	/// the minimum space a manual label needs on the screen in pixels
 	int labelFill(Row const & row) const;