diff --git a/src/sysprof/style.css b/src/sysprof/style.css
index 86b7b79d..946ab248 100644
--- a/src/sysprof/style.css
+++ b/src/sysprof/style.css
@@ -83,3 +83,7 @@ timescrubber timecode {
 flamegraph {
   font-size: 11px;
 }
+
+timespanlayer {
+  font-size: 10px;
+}
diff --git a/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.c b/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.c
index 9ee2af91..57e52581 100644
--- a/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.c
+++ b/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.c
@@ -42,6 +42,25 @@ struct _SysprofMarksSection
 
 G_DEFINE_FINAL_TYPE (SysprofMarksSection, sysprof_marks_section, SYSPROF_TYPE_SECTION)
 
+static char *
+format_mark_label (gpointer             unused,
+                   SysprofDocumentMark *mark)
+{
+  const char *message;
+  const char *name;
+
+  if (mark == NULL)
+    return NULL;
+
+  name = sysprof_document_mark_get_name (mark);
+  message = sysprof_document_mark_get_message (mark);
+
+  if (name && *name && message && *message)
+    return g_strdup_printf ("%s – %s", name, message);
+  else
+    return g_strdup_printf ("%s", name);
+}
+
 static char *
 format_number (gpointer unused,
                guint    number)
@@ -74,6 +93,7 @@ sysprof_marks_section_class_init (SysprofMarksSectionClass *klass)
   gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, SysprofMarksSection, mark_table);
   gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, SysprofMarksSection, median_column);
   gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, SysprofMarksSection, summary_column_view);
+  gtk_widget_class_bind_template_callback (widget_class, format_mark_label);
   gtk_widget_class_bind_template_callback (widget_class, format_number);
 
   g_type_ensure (SYSPROF_TYPE_CHART);
diff --git a/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.ui b/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.ui
index 2dbe40b3..48a927e8 100644
--- a/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.ui
+++ b/src/sysprof/sysprof-marks-section.ui
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@
                   </object>
                 </property>
                 <property name="label-expression">
-                  <lookup name="message" type="SysprofDocumentMark">
+                  <closure type="gchararray" function="format_mark_label">
                     <lookup name="item" type="SysprofSessionModelItem"/>
-                  </lookup>
+                  </closure>
                 </property>
                 <property name="begin-time-expression">
                   <lookup name="time" type="SysprofDocumentMark">
diff --git a/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-series.c b/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-series.c
index 1b8b1c9b..3935bb90 100644
--- a/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-series.c
+++ b/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-series.c
@@ -330,7 +330,6 @@ sysprof_time_series_dup_label (SysprofTimeSeries *self,
   if (!(item = g_list_model_get_item (model, position)))
     return NULL;
 
-  g_value_init (&value, G_TYPE_STRING);
   gtk_expression_evaluate (self->label_expression, item, &value);
   return g_value_dup_string (&value);
 }
diff --git a/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-span-layer.c b/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-span-layer.c
index 7c0884c1..6ffd228b 100644
--- a/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-span-layer.c
+++ b/src/sysprof/sysprof-time-span-layer.c
@@ -216,12 +216,28 @@ sysprof_time_span_layer_snapshot (GtkWidget   *widget,
                   gtk_snapshot_append_color (snapshot, color, &rect);
                 }
 
-              if (rect.size.width > 20)
+              if (label != NULL)
                 {
+                  gboolean rect_fits_text;
+                  int right_empty_space;
+                  int label_width;
 
-                  if (label != NULL)
+                  pango_layout_set_text (layout, label, -1);
+                  pango_layout_set_alignment (layout, PANGO_ALIGN_LEFT);
+
+                  pango_layout_get_pixel_size (layout, &label_width, NULL);
+
+                  /* If it fits 75% of the text inside the rect, it's enough and
+                   * won't look too busy.
+                   */
+                  rect_fits_text = ((rect.size.width - 6) / (float) label_width) > 0.75;
+                  right_empty_space = width - (rect.origin.x + rect.size.width) - 6;
+
+                  /* Draw inside the rect if the label fits, or if there's not more
+                   * space outside the rect.
+                   */
+                  if (rect_fits_text || (rect.size.width - 6) > right_empty_space)
                     {
-                      pango_layout_set_text (layout, label, -1);
                       pango_layout_set_width (layout, (rect.size.width - 6) * PANGO_SCALE);
 
                       gtk_snapshot_save (snapshot);
@@ -229,6 +245,15 @@ sysprof_time_span_layer_snapshot (GtkWidget   *widget,
                       gtk_snapshot_append_layout (snapshot, layout, label_color);
                       gtk_snapshot_restore (snapshot);
                     }
+                  else if (n_values == 1 && right_empty_space > 20)
+                    {
+                      pango_layout_set_width (layout, right_empty_space * PANGO_SCALE);
+
+                      gtk_snapshot_save (snapshot);
+                      gtk_snapshot_translate (snapshot, &GRAPHENE_POINT_INIT (rect.origin.x + rect.size.width + 3, layout_y));
+                      gtk_snapshot_append_layout (snapshot, layout, label_color);
+                      gtk_snapshot_restore (snapshot);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -472,6 +497,8 @@ sysprof_time_span_layer_class_init (SysprofTimeSpanLayerClass *klass)
                          (G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_EXPLICIT_NOTIFY | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, properties);
+
+  gtk_widget_class_set_css_name (widget_class, "timespanlayer");
 }
 
 static void