diff --git a/src/st/st-scroll-view-fade.c b/src/st/st-scroll-view-fade.c
index 38d40ed65..3ca731337 100644
--- a/src/st/st-scroll-view-fade.c
+++ b/src/st/st-scroll-view-fade.c
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ st_scroll_view_fade_paint_target (ClutterOffscreenEffect *effect,
   gboolean h_scroll_visible, v_scroll_visible;
 
   ClutterActorBox allocation, content_box, paint_box;
+  ClutterMargin *content_padding;
 
   float fade_area_topleft[2];
   float fade_area_bottomright[2];
@@ -108,6 +109,13 @@ st_scroll_view_fade_paint_target (ClutterOffscreenEffect *effect,
   clutter_actor_get_allocation_box (self->actor, &allocation);
   st_theme_node_get_content_box (st_widget_get_theme_node (ST_WIDGET (self->actor)),
                                 (const ClutterActorBox *)&allocation, &content_box);
+  g_object_get (self->actor, "content-padding", &content_padding, NULL);
+
+  content_box.x1 += content_padding->left;
+  content_box.x2 -= content_padding->right;
+  content_box.y1 += content_padding->top;
+  content_box.y2 -= content_padding->bottom;
+  clutter_margin_free (content_padding);
 
   /*
    * The FBO is based on the paint_volume's size which can be larger then the actual
diff --git a/src/st/st-scroll-view.c b/src/st/st-scroll-view.c
index 3b9711ea2..606701565 100644
--- a/src/st/st-scroll-view.c
+++ b/src/st/st-scroll-view.c
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ struct _StScrollViewPrivate
   StAdjustment *vadjustment;
   ClutterActor *vscroll;
 
+  ClutterMargin content_padding;
+
   StPolicyType hscrollbar_policy;
   StPolicyType vscrollbar_policy;
 
@@ -116,6 +118,7 @@ enum {
   PROP_VSCROLLBAR_VISIBLE,
   PROP_MOUSE_SCROLL,
   PROP_OVERLAY_SCROLLBARS,
+  PROP_CONTENT_PADDING,
 
   N_PROPS
 };
@@ -156,6 +159,9 @@ st_scroll_view_get_property (GObject    *object,
     case PROP_OVERLAY_SCROLLBARS:
       g_value_set_boolean (value, priv->overlay_scrollbars);
       break;
+    case PROP_CONTENT_PADDING:
+      g_value_set_boxed (value, &priv->content_padding);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, property_id, pspec);
     }
@@ -233,6 +239,9 @@ st_scroll_view_set_property (GObject      *object,
                                  priv->hscrollbar_policy,
                                  g_value_get_enum (value));
       break;
+    case PROP_CONTENT_PADDING:
+      priv->content_padding = * (ClutterMargin *) g_value_get_boxed (value);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, property_id, pspec);
     }
@@ -545,6 +554,11 @@ st_scroll_view_allocate (ClutterActor          *actor,
 
   st_theme_node_get_content_box (theme_node, box, &content_box);
 
+  content_box.x1 += priv->content_padding.left;
+  content_box.x2 -= priv->content_padding.right;
+  content_box.y1 += priv->content_padding.top;
+  content_box.y2 += priv->content_padding.bottom;
+
   avail_width = content_box.x2 - content_box.x1;
   avail_height = content_box.y2 - content_box.y1;
 
@@ -933,6 +947,13 @@ st_scroll_view_class_init (StScrollViewClass *klass)
                           FALSE,
                           ST_PARAM_READWRITE);
 
+  props[PROP_CONTENT_PADDING] =
+    g_param_spec_boxed ("content-padding",
+                        "Content padding",
+                        "Content padding",
+                        CLUTTER_TYPE_MARGIN,
+                        ST_PARAM_READWRITE);
+
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, props);
 }