diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/activity.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/activity.rs
index 5a2e6095..87a1163f 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/activity.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/activity.rs
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ fn row(ui: &mut egui::Ui, t: &Tokens, task: &TaskInfo, width: f32) -> bool {
             let cross = task.cancellable && !task.cancelling;
             let label_w = if cross { width - CROSS - 6.0 } else { width };
             ui.allocate_ui_with_layout(vec2(label_w, 18.0), Layout::left_to_right(Align::Center), |ui| {
-                ui.set_max_width(label_w);
+                // the whole width, so the cross lands at the right edge however short the name
+                ui.set_width(label_w);
                 ui.add(egui::Label::new(RichText::new(tr(&task.label)).font(t.font(12.5)).color(t.text)).truncate());
             });
             if cross {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_activity.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_activity.rs
index 9cdcd8d4..39074161 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_activity.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_activity.rs
@@ -131,6 +131,16 @@ fn long_detail_stays_inside_the_stack() {
     assert!(row.width() <= WIDTH + 1.0, "{row:?}");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn cross_sits_at_the_right_edge_of_its_row() {
+    let mut h = demo();
+    let g = h.app.session.activity.start("export", "Exporting", Cancel::Yes);
+    wait_visible(&mut h);
+    let row = rect(&h, &format!("activity:row:{}", g.id()));
+    let cross = rect(&h, &format!("activity:cancel:{}", g.id()));
+    assert!(cross.right() >= row.right() - 2.0, "the cross is at the right, not after the label: {cross:?} in {row:?}");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn quit_with_a_running_task_asks_and_quit_anyway_cancels() {
     let mut h = demo();
@@ -184,7 +194,6 @@ fn start_export(h: &mut Headless, n: usize) {
     }
     let r = h.request("ui.dialog.confirm", json!({}), T);
     assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
-    assert!(h.app.export.is_some(), "running in the background");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -192,6 +201,7 @@ fn export_shows_a_row_and_stops_on_activity_cancel() {
     let mut h = demo();
     h.app.services.write_shared = Some(slow_writer(200));
     start_export(&mut h, 5);
+    assert!(h.app.export.is_some(), "running in the background");
     let tasks = h.request("ui.inspect", json!({}), T)["result"]["activity"].clone();
     assert_eq!(tasks[0]["kind"], "export", "{tasks}");
     assert_eq!(tasks[0]["total"], 5, "{tasks}");