diff --git a/admin.mss b/admin.mss
index ca3c975089..d586f74b9c 100644
--- a/admin.mss
+++ b/admin.mss
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
   text-halo-radius: 1.0;
   text-halo-fill: rgba(255,255,255,0.6);
   text-placement: line;
+  text-clip: true;
+  text-vertical-alignment: middle;
   text-dy: -10;
 }
 
@@ -133,6 +135,8 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
   text-halo-radius: 1.0;
   text-halo-fill: rgba(255,255,255,0.6);
   text-placement: line;
+  text-clip: true;
+  text-vertical-alignment: middle;
   text-dy: -10;
 }
 
diff --git a/landcover.mss b/landcover.mss
index c3d4be7a06..7ed1c9138c 100644
--- a/landcover.mss
+++ b/landcover.mss
@@ -664,6 +664,7 @@
     text-face-name: @book-fonts;
     text-placement: line;
     text-dy: 8;
+    text-vertical-alignment: middle;
     text-spacing: 400;
   }
 }
diff --git a/roads.mss b/roads.mss
index 7a85d845df..5007adfc65 100644
--- a/roads.mss
+++ b/roads.mss
@@ -2429,6 +2429,7 @@ residential is rendered from z10 and is not included in osm_planet_roads. */
       text-clip: false;
       text-placement: line;
       text-face-name: @book-fonts;
+      text-vertical-alignment: middle;
       text-dy: 5;
     }
     [zoom >= 16] {
@@ -2456,6 +2457,7 @@ residential is rendered from z10 and is not included in osm_planet_roads. */
       text-clip: false;
       text-placement: line;
       text-face-name: @book-fonts;
+      text-vertical-alignment: middle;
       text-dy: 7;
     }
     [zoom >= 17] {
diff --git a/water.mss b/water.mss
index 6ee9df2870..f96f5f1386 100644
--- a/water.mss
+++ b/water.mss
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@
       text-halo-fill: rgba(255,255,255,0.6);
       text-spacing: 600;
       text-placement: line;
+      text-vertical-alignment: middle;
       text-dy: 8;
     }