diff --git a/gtk/gtkconstraintlayout.c b/gtk/gtkconstraintlayout.c
index a111dbe591..54056bf73c 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkconstraintlayout.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkconstraintlayout.c
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ gtk_constraint_layout_measure (GtkLayoutManager *manager,
 
       child_info = GTK_CONSTRAINT_LAYOUT_CHILD (gtk_layout_manager_get_layout_child (manager, child));
 
-      gtk_widget_measure (child, orientation, for_size,
+      gtk_widget_measure (child, orientation, -1,
                           &min_size, &nat_size,
                           NULL, NULL);
 
@@ -769,15 +769,15 @@ gtk_constraint_layout_measure (GtkLayoutManager *manager,
    * natural state of the system. Once we get the value out, we can
    * remove these constraints
    */
-  gtk_constraint_solver_add_edit_variable (solver, size, GTK_CONSTRAINT_WEIGHT_WEAK + 1);
-  gtk_constraint_solver_add_edit_variable (solver, opposite_size, GTK_CONSTRAINT_WEIGHT_WEAK + 2);
-
-  gtk_constraint_solver_begin_edit (solver);
-
-  gtk_constraint_solver_suggest_value (solver, size, 0.0);
-  gtk_constraint_solver_suggest_value (solver, opposite_size, for_size >= 0 ? for_size : 0.0);
-
-  gtk_constraint_solver_resolve (solver);
+  if (for_size > 0)
+    {
+      gtk_constraint_solver_add_edit_variable (solver, opposite_size, GTK_CONSTRAINT_WEIGHT_MEDIUM * 2.0);
+      gtk_constraint_solver_begin_edit (solver);
+      gtk_constraint_solver_suggest_value (solver, opposite_size, for_size);
+      gtk_constraint_solver_resolve (solver);
+      gtk_constraint_solver_remove_edit_variable (solver, opposite_size);
+      gtk_constraint_solver_end_edit (solver);
+    }
 
   GTK_NOTE (LAYOUT,
             g_print ("layout %p preferred %s size: %.3f (for opposite size: %d)\n",
@@ -788,11 +788,6 @@ gtk_constraint_layout_measure (GtkLayoutManager *manager,
 
   value = gtk_constraint_variable_get_value (size);
 
-  gtk_constraint_solver_remove_edit_variable (solver, size);
-  gtk_constraint_solver_remove_edit_variable (solver, opposite_size);
-
-  gtk_constraint_solver_end_edit (solver);
-
   for (guint i = 0; i < size_constraints->len; i++)
     {
       GtkConstraintRef *ref = g_ptr_array_index (size_constraints, i);