diff --git a/include/nana/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp b/include/nana/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
index 34046a6f..ca4bb8ed 100644
--- a/include/nana/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
+++ b/include/nana/gui/widgets/listbox.hpp
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ namespace nana
 				}
 
 				/// Appends one item at the end of this category with the specifies text in the column fields
-				void append(std::initializer_list<nana::string>);
+                void append(std::initializer_list<nana::string>);
 
 				size_type columns() const;
 
@@ -559,15 +559,17 @@ By \a clicking on one header the list get \a reordered, first up, and then down
 		listbox(window, bool visible);
 		listbox(window, const rectangle& = {}, bool visible = true);
 
-		void auto_draw(bool);                                ///<Set state: Redraw automatically after an operation?
+		void auto_draw(bool);                                ///< Set state: Redraw automatically after an operation?
 
-		listbox& header_width(size_type pos, unsigned pixels);
-		unsigned header_width(size_type pos) const;
         /// Appends a new column with a header text and the specified width at the end, and return it position
         size_type append_header(nana::string header_text, unsigned width = 120);		
+        listbox& header_width(size_type position, unsigned pixels);
+		unsigned header_width(size_type position) const;
+        unsigned auto_width(size_type position, unsigned max=3000);
 
-		cat_proxy append(nana::string);          ///<Appends a new category at the end
-		void append(std::initializer_list<nana::string>); ///<Appends categories at the end
+
+		cat_proxy append(nana::string);          ///< Appends a new category at the end
+		void append(std::initializer_list<nana::string>); ///< Appends categories at the end
 		cat_proxy insert(cat_proxy, nana::string);
 		cat_proxy at(size_type pos) const;
 
diff --git a/source/gui/widgets/listbox.cpp b/source/gui/widgets/listbox.cpp
index 8a979678..3588576f 100644
--- a/source/gui/widgets/listbox.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/widgets/listbox.cpp
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ namespace nana
 					    {
 							m.pixels = width;
                             return;
-					}
+					    }
 				}
 
 				unsigned item_width(size_type pos) const
@@ -4008,6 +4008,24 @@ namespace nana
 			ess.update();
 			return *this;
 		}
+		unsigned listbox::auto_width(size_type pos, unsigned max)
+		{
+			unsigned max_w{0};
+            auto & ess = _m_ess();
+            for (const auto &cat : ess.lister.cat_container())
+                for (const auto &it : cat.items )
+                {
+                    if (pos >= it.cells.size()) continue;
+                    // precalcule text geometry
+					unsigned ts = static_cast<unsigned> ( ess.graph->text_extent_size(it.cells[pos].text).width);        
+                    if (max_w < ts)
+                        max_w = ts;
+                }
+            if (!max_w) return 0;
+			header_width(pos, max_w < max ? max_w : max);
+			ess.update();
+			return max_w;
+		}
 
 		unsigned listbox::header_width(size_type pos) const
 		{