diff --git a/src/desktop.c b/src/desktop.c
index b622e8d4..6b130f28 100644
--- a/src/desktop.c
+++ b/src/desktop.c
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ desktop_t *make_desktop(const char *name, uint32_t id)
 	d->user_layout = LAYOUT_TILED;
 	d->layout = single_monocle ? LAYOUT_MONOCLE : LAYOUT_TILED;
 	d->padding = (padding_t) PADDING;
+	d->monocle_padding = (padding_t) MONOCLE_PADDING;
 	d->window_gap = window_gap;
 	d->border_width = border_width;
 	return d;
diff --git a/src/messages.c b/src/messages.c
index c3a42014..955da104 100644
--- a/src/messages.c
+++ b/src/messages.c
@@ -1558,24 +1558,35 @@ void set_setting(coordinates_t loc, char *name, char *value, FILE *rsp)
 			fail(rsp, "config: %s: Invalid value: '%s'.\n", name, value);
 			return;
 		}
-		SET_DEF_MON_DESK(padding.left, lp)
-#undef SET_DEF_MON_DESK
 	} else if (streq("top_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &monocle_padding.top) != 1) {
+		int tp;
+		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &tp) != 1) {
 			fail(rsp, "config: %s: Invalid value: '%s'.\n", name, value);
+			return;
 		}
+		SET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.top, tp)
 	} else if (streq("right_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &monocle_padding.right) != 1) {
+		int rp;
+		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &rp) != 1) {
 			fail(rsp, "config: %s: Invalid value: '%s'.\n", name, value);
+			return;
 		}
+		SET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.right, rp)
 	} else if (streq("bottom_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &monocle_padding.bottom) != 1) {
+		int bp;
+		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &bp) != 1) {
 			fail(rsp, "config: %s: Invalid value: '%s'.\n", name, value);
+			return;
 		}
+		SET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.bottom, bp)
 	} else if (streq("left_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &monocle_padding.left) != 1) {
+		int lp;
+		if (sscanf(value, "%i", &lp) != 1) {
 			fail(rsp, "config: %s: Invalid value: '%s'.\n", name, value);
+			return;
 		}
+		SET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.left, lp)
+#undef SET_DEF_MON_DESK
 #define SET_STR(s) \
 	} else if (streq(#s, name)) { \
 		if (snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "%s", value) < 0) { \
@@ -1813,15 +1824,15 @@ void get_setting(coordinates_t loc, char *name, FILE* rsp)
 		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(padding.bottom)
 	} else if (streq("left_padding", name)) {
 		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(padding.left)
-#undef GET_DEF_MON_DESK
 	} else if (streq("top_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		fprintf(rsp, "%i", monocle_padding.top);
+		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.top)
 	} else if (streq("right_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		fprintf(rsp, "%i", monocle_padding.right);
+		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.right)
 	} else if (streq("bottom_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		fprintf(rsp, "%i", monocle_padding.bottom);
+		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.bottom)
 	} else if (streq("left_monocle_padding", name)) {
-		fprintf(rsp, "%i", monocle_padding.left);
+		GET_DEF_MON_DESK(monocle_padding.left)
+#undef GET_DEF_MON_DESK
 	} else if (streq("external_rules_command", name)) {
 		fprintf(rsp, "%s", external_rules_command);
 	} else if (streq("status_prefix", name)) {
diff --git a/src/monitor.c b/src/monitor.c
index 4b248bc2..96112915 100644
--- a/src/monitor.c
+++ b/src/monitor.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ monitor_t *make_monitor(const char *name, xcb_rectangle_t *rect, uint32_t id)
 	m->randr_id = XCB_NONE;
 	snprintf(m->name, sizeof(m->name), "%s", name == NULL ? DEFAULT_MON_NAME : name);
 	m->padding = padding;
+	m->monocle_padding = monocle_padding;
 	m->border_width = border_width;
 	m->window_gap = window_gap;
 	m->root = XCB_NONE;
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index db8208d8..04f00e8b 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ void arrange(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d)
 	rect.height -= m->padding.top + d->padding.top + d->padding.bottom + m->padding.bottom;
 
 	if (d->layout == LAYOUT_MONOCLE) {
-		rect.x += monocle_padding.left;
-		rect.y += monocle_padding.top;
-		rect.width -= monocle_padding.left + monocle_padding.right;
-		rect.height -= monocle_padding.top + monocle_padding.bottom;
+		rect.x += m->monocle_padding.left + d->monocle_padding.left;
+		rect.y += m->monocle_padding.top + d->monocle_padding.top;
+		rect.width -= m->monocle_padding.left + d->monocle_padding.left + d->monocle_padding.right + m->monocle_padding.right;
+		rect.height -= m->monocle_padding.top + d->monocle_padding.top + d->monocle_padding.bottom + m->monocle_padding.bottom;
 	}
 
 	if (!gapless_monocle || d->layout != LAYOUT_MONOCLE) {
diff --git a/src/types.h b/src/types.h
index c11b591c..f26a94a6 100644
--- a/src/types.h
+++ b/src/types.h
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ struct desktop_t {
 	desktop_t *prev;
 	desktop_t *next;
 	padding_t padding;
+	padding_t monocle_padding;
 	int window_gap;
 	unsigned int border_width;
 };
@@ -293,6 +294,7 @@ struct monitor_t {
 	xcb_window_t root;
 	bool wired;
 	padding_t padding;
+	padding_t monocle_padding;
 	unsigned int sticky_count;
 	int window_gap;
 	unsigned int border_width;