diff --git a/python/core/qgscomposeritem.sip b/python/core/qgscomposeritem.sip
index ce4162825f0..189beecbe5d 100644
--- a/python/core/qgscomposeritem.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgscomposeritem.sip
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ class QgsComposerItem: QObject, QGraphicsRectItem
     /**Returns the font width in Millimeters (considers upscaling and downscaling with FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE*/
     double textWidthMillimeters( const QFont& font, const QString& text ) const;
 
+    /**Returns the font height of a character in millimeters
+      @note this method was added in version 1.7*/
+    double fontHeightCharacterMM( const QFont& font, const QChar& c ) const;
+
     /**Returns the font ascent in Millimeters (considers upscaling and downscaling with FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE*/
     double fontAscentMillimeters( const QFont& font ) const;
 
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.cpp b/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.cpp
index 5b3f7ffee8a..6b4ccb79d54 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.cpp
@@ -803,6 +803,13 @@ double QgsComposerItem::textWidthMillimeters( const QFont& font, const QString&
   return ( fontMetrics.width( text ) / FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE );
 }
 
+double QgsComposerItem::fontHeightCharacterMM( const QFont& font, const QChar& c ) const
+{
+  QFont metricsFont = scaledFontPixelSize( font );
+  QFontMetricsF fontMetrics( metricsFont );
+  return ( fontMetrics.boundingRect( c ).height() / FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE );
+}
+
 double QgsComposerItem::fontAscentMillimeters( const QFont& font ) const
 {
   QFont metricsFont = scaledFontPixelSize( font );
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.h b/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.h
index 81dda20f3ec..02365735a63 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.h
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposeritem.h
@@ -187,9 +187,13 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsComposerItem: public QObject, public QGraphicsRectItem
     /**Like the above, but with a rectangle for multiline text*/
     void drawText( QPainter* p, const QRectF& rect, const QString& text, const QFont& font, Qt::AlignmentFlag halignement = Qt::AlignLeft, Qt::AlignmentFlag valignement = Qt::AlignTop ) const;
 
-    /**Returns the font width in Millimeters (considers upscaling and downscaling with FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE*/
+    /**Returns the font width in millimeters (considers upscaling and downscaling with FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE*/
     double textWidthMillimeters( const QFont& font, const QString& text ) const;
 
+    /**Returns the font height of a character in millimeters
+      @note this method was added in version 1.7*/
+    double fontHeightCharacterMM( const QFont& font, const QChar& c ) const;
+
     /**Returns the font ascent in Millimeters (considers upscaling and downscaling with FONT_WORKAROUND_SCALE*/
     double fontAscentMillimeters( const QFont& font ) const;
 
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
index f58ace9b39c..3ec9bb25d75 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
@@ -947,7 +947,8 @@ void QgsComposerMap::drawCoordinateAnnotation( QPainter* p, const QPointF& pos,
 {
   Border frameBorder = borderForLineCoord( pos );
   double textWidth = textWidthMillimeters( mGridAnnotationFont, annotationString );
-  double textHeight = fontAscentMillimeters( mGridAnnotationFont );
+  //relevant for annotations is the height of digits
+  double textHeight = fontHeightCharacterMM( mGridAnnotationFont, QChar( '0' ) );
   double xpos = pos.x();
   double ypos = pos.y();
   int rotation = 0;