diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
index 36c457b5699fbe6e82bbbdb1e899f4a49bd53c98..e9a95e439bcbbdea99784f7cc4264c007c916726 100644
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/config/main.xml
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@
       <label>Whether to indicate applications that are playing audio including an option to mute them.</label>
       <default>true</default>
     </entry>
+    <entry name="fill" type="Bool">
+      <label>Whether task manager should occupy all available space.</label>
+      <default>true</default>
+    </entry>
     <entry name="taskHoverEffect" type="Bool">
       <label>Whether task buttons should change in appearance when the mouse pointer is above them.</label>
       <default>true</default>
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigAppearance.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigAppearance.qml
index 1f65bcce2a2c3cf88d60609182e3782574781b9d..41b0d38ed8db85079d4bf8672e2043df1e2fc3e7 100644
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigAppearance.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/ConfigAppearance.qml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Kirigami.FormLayout {
     property alias cfg_showToolTips: showToolTips.checked
     property alias cfg_highlightWindows: highlightWindows.checked
     property bool cfg_indicateAudioStreams
+    property alias cfg_fill: fill.checked
     property alias cfg_maxStripes: maxStripes.value
     property alias cfg_forceStripes: forceStripes.checked
     property int cfg_iconSpacing: 0
@@ -52,6 +53,11 @@ Kirigami.FormLayout {
         enabled: plasmaPaAvailable
     }
 
+    CheckBox {
+        id: fill
+        text: i18nc("@option:check", "Fill free space on Panel")
+    }
+
     Item {
         Kirigami.FormData.isSection: true
     }
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
index 7f6056f96a335eaad831bafadf04d4c886a52325..0540d25b7b510615f9dd79ae46f0c43954366086 100644
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ MouseArea {
         }
     }
 
-    Layout.fillWidth: true
-    Layout.fillHeight: true
+    Layout.fillWidth: tasks.vertical ? true : plasmoid.configuration.fill
+    Layout.fillHeight: !tasks.vertical ? true : plasmoid.configuration.fill
     Layout.minimumWidth: tasks.vertical ? 0 : LayoutManager.preferredMinWidth()
     Layout.minimumHeight: !tasks.vertical ? 0 : LayoutManager.preferredMinHeight()