diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index e2b180771..46012cd0e 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ Bugs
    Heusler).
  + Fixed bug #1210 so that widths are taken from localized strings instead of
    hardcoded.
+ + Fixed bug #1218 so that description columns minimum width is calculated
+   correctly.
  + Improved hyphenation by splitting on commas (even if no whitespace after).
    Leads to better output of, for example, 'task show', where comma-separated
    lists are common.
diff --git a/src/ViewTask.cpp b/src/ViewTask.cpp
index 61340141f..53cffb00d 100644
--- a/src/ViewTask.cpp
+++ b/src/ViewTask.cpp
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@
 
 #define L10N                                           // Localization complete.
 
+#include <numeric>
 #include <ViewTask.h>
 #include <Context.h>
 #include <Timer.h>
 #include <text.h>
 #include <utf8.h>
+#include <i18n.h>
 #include <main.h>
 
 extern Context context;
@@ -153,41 +155,56 @@ std::string ViewTask::render (std::vector <Task>& data, std::vector <int>& seque
       ideal.push_back (global_ideal);
     }
 
-    if (!print_empty_columns && global_min != 0)
+    if (! print_empty_columns && global_min != 0)
     {
-      nonempty_columns.push_back(*i);
+      nonempty_columns.push_back (*i);
     }
   }
 
-  if (!print_empty_columns)
+  if (! print_empty_columns)
     _columns = nonempty_columns;
 
-  // Sum the minimal widths.
-  int sum_minimal = 0;
-  std::vector <int>::iterator c;
-  for (c = minimal.begin (); c != minimal.end (); ++c)
-    sum_minimal += *c;
+  int all_extra = _left_margin
+                + (2 * _extra_padding)
+                + ((_columns.size () - 1) * _intra_padding);
+
+  // Sum the widths.
+  int sum_minimal = std::accumulate (minimal.begin (), minimal.end (), 0);
+  int sum_ideal   = std::accumulate (ideal.begin (),   ideal.end (),   0);
 
-  // Sum the ideal widths.
-  int sum_ideal = 0;
-  for (c = ideal.begin (); c != ideal.end (); ++c)
-    sum_ideal += *c;
 
   // Calculate final column widths.
-  int overage = _width
-              - _left_margin
-              - (2 * _extra_padding)
-              - ((_columns.size () - 1) * _intra_padding);
+  int overage = _width - sum_minimal - all_extra;
+  context.debug (format ("ViewTask::render min={1} ideal={2} overage={3}", 
+                         sum_minimal + all_extra,
+                         sum_ideal + all_extra,
+                         overage));
 
   std::vector <int> widths;
-  if (_width == 0 || sum_ideal <= overage)
+
+  // Ideal case.  Everything fits.
+  if (_width == 0 || sum_ideal + all_extra <= _width)
+  {
     widths = ideal;
-  else if (sum_minimal > overage || overage < 0)
+  }
+
+  // Not enough for minimum.
+  else if (overage < 0)
+  {
+    context.error (format (STRING_VIEW_TOO_SMALL, sum_minimal + all_extra, _width));
     widths = minimal;
+  }
+
+  // Perfect minimal width.
+  else if (overage == 0)
+  {
+    widths = minimal;
+  }
+
+  // Extra space to share.
   else if (overage > 0)
   {
     widths = minimal;
-    overage -= sum_minimal;
 
     // Spread 'overage' among columns where width[i] < ideal[i]
     bool needed = true;
diff --git a/src/columns/ColDescription.cpp b/src/columns/ColDescription.cpp
index 33771d6c4..0c33bf180 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColDescription.cpp
+++ b/src/columns/ColDescription.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ ColumnDescription::ColumnDescription ()
   _styles.push_back ("truncated");
   _styles.push_back ("count");
 
-  std::string t  = Date ().toString (context.config.get ("dateformat"));
+  _dateformat = context.config.get ("dateformat.annotation");
+  if (_dateformat == "")
+    _dateformat = context.config.get ("dateformat");
+
+  std::string t  = Date ().toString (_dateformat);
   std::string d  = STRING_COLUMN_EXAMPLES_DESC;
   std::string a1 = STRING_COLUMN_EXAMPLES_ANNO1;
   std::string a2 = STRING_COLUMN_EXAMPLES_ANNO2;
@@ -74,6 +78,8 @@ ColumnDescription::ColumnDescription ()
   _examples.push_back (d + " [4]");
 
   _hyphenate = context.config.getBoolean ("hyphenate");
+
+  _indent = context.config.getInteger ("indent.annotation");
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -99,24 +105,24 @@ void ColumnDescription::measure (Task& task, unsigned int& minimum, unsigned int
   if (_style == "default" ||
       _style == "combined")
   {
-    int indent = context.config.getInteger ("indent.annotation");
-    std::string format = context.config.get ("dateformat.annotation");
-    if (format == "")
-      format = context.config.get ("dateformat");
-
-    int min_desc = longestWord (description);
-    int min_anno = indent + Date::length (format);
-    minimum = std::max (min_desc, min_anno);
+    minimum = longestWord (description);
     maximum = utf8_width (description);
 
-    std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
-    task.getAnnotations (annos);
-    std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
-    for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
+    if (task.annotation_count)
     {
-      unsigned int len = min_anno + 1 + utf8_width (i->second);
-      if (len > maximum)
-        maximum = len;
+      int min_anno = _indent + Date::length (_dateformat);
+      if (min_anno > minimum)
+        minimum = min_anno;
+
+      std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
+      task.getAnnotations (annos);
+      std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
+      for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
+      {
+        unsigned int len = min_anno + 1 + utf8_width (i->second);
+        if (len > maximum)
+          maximum = len;
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -130,20 +136,18 @@ void ColumnDescription::measure (Task& task, unsigned int& minimum, unsigned int
   // The text <date> <anno> ...
   else if (_style == "oneline")
   {
-    std::string format = context.config.get ("dateformat.annotation");
-    if (format == "")
-      format = context.config.get ("dateformat");
-
-    int min_desc = longestWord (description);
-    int min_anno = Date::length (format);
-    minimum = std::max (min_desc, min_anno);
+    minimum = longestWord (description);
     maximum = utf8_width (description);
 
-    std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
-    task.getAnnotations (annos);
-    std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
-    for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
-      maximum += utf8_width (i->second) + minimum + 1;
+    if (task.annotation_count)
+    {
+      int min_anno = Date::length (_dateformat);
+      std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
+      task.getAnnotations (annos);
+      std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
+      for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
+        maximum += min_anno + 1 + utf8_width (i->second);
+    }
   }
 
   // The te...
@@ -156,11 +160,8 @@ void ColumnDescription::measure (Task& task, unsigned int& minimum, unsigned int
   // The text [2]
   else if (_style == "count")
   {
-    std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
-    task.getAnnotations (annos);
-
     // <description> + ' ' + '[' + <count> + ']'
-    maximum = utf8_width (description) + 3 + utf8_width (format ((int)annos.size ()));
+    maximum = utf8_width (description) + 1 + 1 + format (task.annotation_count).length () + 1;
     minimum = longestWord (description);
   }
 
@@ -183,21 +184,15 @@ void ColumnDescription::render (
   if (_style == "default" ||
       _style == "combined")
   {
-    int indent = context.config.getInteger ("indent.annotation");
-
     std::map <std::string, std::string> annos;
     task.getAnnotations (annos);
     if (annos.size ())
     {
-      std::string format = context.config.get ("dateformat.annotation");
-      if (format == "")
-        format = context.config.get ("dateformat");
-
       std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
       for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
       {
         Date dt (strtol (i->first.substr (11).c_str (), NULL, 10));
-        description += "\n" + std::string (indent, ' ') + dt.toString (format) + " " + i->second;
+        description += "\n" + std::string (_indent, ' ') + dt.toString (_dateformat) + " " + i->second;
       }
     }
 
@@ -227,15 +222,11 @@ void ColumnDescription::render (
     task.getAnnotations (annos);
     if (annos.size ())
     {
-      std::string format = context.config.get ("dateformat.annotation");
-      if (format == "")
-        format = context.config.get ("dateformat");
-
       std::map <std::string, std::string>::iterator i;
       for (i = annos.begin (); i != annos.end (); i++)
       {
         Date dt (atoi (i->first.substr (11).c_str ()));
-        description += " " + dt.toString (format) + " " + i->second;
+        description += " " + dt.toString (_dateformat) + " " + i->second;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/columns/ColDescription.h b/src/columns/ColDescription.h
index 922402aa5..e6f4ea239 100644
--- a/src/columns/ColDescription.h
+++ b/src/columns/ColDescription.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ public:
 
 private:
   bool _hyphenate;
+  std::string _dateformat;
+  int _indent;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/en-US.h b/src/en-US.h
index b0fdde8a5..73bbae47c 100644
--- a/src/en-US.h
+++ b/src/en-US.h
@@ -858,6 +858,9 @@
 #define STRING_UTF8_INVALID_CP_REP   "Invalid codepoint representation."
 #define STRING_UTF8_INVALID_CP       "Invalid Unicode codepoint."
 
+// View
+#define STRING_VIEW_TOO_SMALL        "The report has a minimum width of {1} and does not fit in the available width of {2}."
+
 // Usage text.  This is an exception, and contains \n characters and formatting.
 #define STRING_CMD_HELP_TEXT \
   "Documentation for Taskwarrior can be found using 'man task', 'man taskrc', 'man " \
diff --git a/src/es-ES.h b/src/es-ES.h
index 3ace0b590..56f64f433 100644
--- a/src/es-ES.h
+++ b/src/es-ES.h
@@ -875,6 +875,9 @@
 #define STRING_UTF8_INVALID_CP_REP   "Representación de codepoint no válida."
 #define STRING_UTF8_INVALID_CP       "Codepoint Unicode no válido."
 
+// View
+#define STRING_VIEW_TOO_SMALL        "The report has a minimum width of {1} and does not fit in the available width of {2}."
+
 // ****************************************************************************************************
 // Usage text.  This is an exception, and contains \n characters and formatting.
 /* FIXME más abajo