diff --git a/src/core/core.helpers.js b/src/core/core.helpers.js
index 07a4488c7..7d677fd27 100644
--- a/src/core/core.helpers.js
+++ b/src/core/core.helpers.js
@@ -756,13 +756,37 @@
 	helpers.fontString = function(pixelSize, fontStyle, fontFamily) {
 		return fontStyle + " " + pixelSize + "px " + fontFamily;
 	};
-	helpers.longestText = function(ctx, font, arrayOfStrings) {
+	helpers.longestText = function(ctx, font, arrayOfStrings, cache) {
+		cache = cache || {};
+		cache.data = cache.data || {};
+		cache.garbageCollect = cache.garbageCollect || [];
+
+		if (cache.font !== font) {
+			cache.data = {};
+			cache.garbageCollect = [];
+			cache.font = font;
+		}
+
 		ctx.font = font;
 		var longest = 0;
 		helpers.each(arrayOfStrings, function(string) {
-			var textWidth = ctx.measureText(string).width;
-			longest = (textWidth > longest) ? textWidth : longest;
+			var textWidth = cache.data[string];
+			if (!textWidth) {
+				textWidth = cache.data[string] = ctx.measureText(string).width;
+				cache.garbageCollect.push(string);
+			}
+			if (textWidth > longest)
+				longest = textWidth;
 		});
+
+		var gcLen = cache.garbageCollect.length / 2;
+		if (gcLen > arrayOfStrings.length) {
+			for (var i = 0; i < gcLen; i++) {
+				var key = cache.garbageCollect.shift();
+				delete cache.data[key];
+			}
+		}
+
 		return longest;
 	};
 	helpers.drawRoundedRectangle = function(ctx, x, y, width, height, radius) {
diff --git a/src/core/core.scale.js b/src/core/core.scale.js
index f614cd822..e02e5157b 100644
--- a/src/core/core.scale.js
+++ b/src/core/core.scale.js
@@ -204,7 +204,10 @@
 					this.paddingRight = lastWidth / 2 + 3;
 					this.paddingLeft = firstWidth / 2 + 3;
 
-					var originalLabelWidth = helpers.longestText(this.ctx, labelFont, this.ticks);
+					if (!this.longestTextCache) {
+						this.longestTextCache = {};
+					}
+					var originalLabelWidth = helpers.longestText(this.ctx, labelFont, this.ticks, this.longestTextCache);
 					var labelWidth = originalLabelWidth;
 					var cosRotation;
 					var sinRotation;
@@ -289,9 +292,15 @@
 				var labelFont = helpers.fontString(this.options.ticks.fontSize,
 					this.options.ticks.fontStyle, this.options.ticks.fontFamily);
 
+				if (!this.longestTextCache) {
+					this.longestTextCache = {};
+				}
+
+				var largestTextWidth = helpers.longestText(this.ctx, labelFont, this.ticks, this.longestTextCache);
+
 				if (this.isHorizontal()) {
 					// A horizontal axis is more constrained by the height.
-					this.longestLabelWidth = helpers.longestText(this.ctx, labelFont, this.ticks);
+					this.longestLabelWidth = largestTextWidth;
 
 					// TODO - improve this calculation
 					var labelHeight = (Math.sin(helpers.toRadians(this.labelRotation)) * this.longestLabelWidth) + 1.5 * this.options.ticks.fontSize;
@@ -313,7 +322,6 @@
 				} else {
 					// A vertical axis is more constrained by the width. Labels are the dominant factor here, so get that length first
 					var maxLabelWidth = this.maxWidth - this.minSize.width;
-					var largestTextWidth = helpers.longestText(this.ctx, labelFont, this.ticks);
 
 					// Account for padding
 					if (!this.options.ticks.mirror) {