diff --git a/js/ui/animation.js b/js/ui/animation.js
index b8d5ad5c3..d047b75ed 100644
--- a/js/ui/animation.js
+++ b/js/ui/animation.js
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ class Animation extends St.Bin {
         this._animations = textureCache.load_sliced_image(file, width, height,
                                                           scaleFactor, resourceScale,
                                                           this._animationsLoaded.bind(this));
+        this._animations.set({
+            x_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.CENTER,
+            y_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.CENTER,
+        });
         this.set_child(this._animations);
 
         if (wasPlaying)
diff --git a/js/ui/search.js b/js/ui/search.js
index 2f3f47d93..6c0d05a79 100644
--- a/js/ui/search.js
+++ b/js/ui/search.js
@@ -452,7 +452,11 @@ var SearchResultsView = GObject.registerClass({
 
         this.add_child(this._scrollView);
 
-        this._statusText = new St.Label({ style_class: 'search-statustext' });
+        this._statusText = new St.Label({
+            style_class: 'search-statustext',
+            x_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.CENTER,
+            y_align: Clutter.ActorAlign.CENTER,
+        });
         this._statusBin = new St.Bin({ y_expand: true });
         this.add_child(this._statusBin);
         this._statusBin.add_actor(this._statusText);