diff --git a/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/NestedTableColumnHeader.java b/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/NestedTableColumnHeader.java
--- a/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/NestedTableColumnHeader.java
+++ b/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/NestedTableColumnHeader.java
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@
 import javafx.collections.ListChangeListener;
 import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
 import javafx.event.EventHandler;
+import javafx.geometry.Pos;
 import javafx.scene.Cursor;
 import javafx.scene.Node;
+import javafx.scene.control.Label;
+import javafx.scene.control.Labeled;
 import javafx.scene.control.TableColumn;
 import javafx.scene.control.TableView;
 import javafx.scene.input.MouseEvent;
@@ -87,7 +90,11 @@
     
     private final InvalidationListener columnTextListener = new InvalidationListener() {
         @Override public void invalidated(Observable property) {
-            label.setVisible(getTableColumn().getText() != null && ! getTableColumn().getText().isEmpty());
+            String text = getTableColumn().getText();
+            boolean show = text != null && ! text.isEmpty();
+            label.setText(text);
+            label.setVisible(show);
+            label.setManaged(show);
         }
     };
     
@@ -113,7 +120,7 @@
     @Override public void setTableHeaderRow(TableHeaderRow header) {
         super.setTableHeaderRow(header);
 
-        label.setTableHeaderRow(header);
+//        label.setTableHeaderRow(header);
 
         // tell all children columns what TableHeader they belong to
         for (TableColumnHeader c : getColumnHeaders()) {
@@ -123,7 +130,7 @@
 
     @Override public void setParentHeader(NestedTableColumnHeader parentHeader) {
         super.setParentHeader(parentHeader);
-        label.setParentHeader(parentHeader);
+//        label.setParentHeader(parentHeader);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -196,7 +203,7 @@
     @Override void dispose() {
         super.dispose();
         
-        if (label != null) label.dispose();
+//        if (label != null) label.dispose();
         
         getColumns().removeListener(weakColumnsListener);
         
@@ -213,7 +220,8 @@
         getChildren().clear();
     }
 
-    private TableColumnHeader label;
+//    private TableColumnHeader label;
+    private Label label;
 
     private ObservableList<TableColumnHeader> columnHeaders;
     public ObservableList<TableColumnHeader> getColumnHeaders() { 
@@ -222,13 +230,16 @@
     }
 
     private void initUI() {
-        label = new TableColumnHeader(getTableView(), getTableColumn());
-        label.setTableHeaderRow(getTableHeaderRow());
-        label.setParentHeader(getParentHeader());
-        label.setNestedColumnHeader(this);
-
+        label = new Label();
+        label.getStyleClass().addAll("column-header");
+        label.setAlignment(Pos.CENTER);
+        
         if (getTableColumn() != null) {
+            label.setText(getTableColumn().getText());
             getTableColumn().textProperty().addListener(weakColumnTextListener);
+        } else {
+            label.setVisible(false);
+            label.setManaged(false);
         }
         
         getTableView().columnResizePolicyProperty().addListener(weakResizePolicyListener);
@@ -403,7 +414,7 @@
         double w = getWidth() - getInsets().getLeft() - getInsets().getRight();
         double h = getHeight() - getInsets().getTop() - getInsets().getBottom();
         
-        int labelHeight = (int) label.prefHeight(-1);
+        int labelHeight = (int) (label.isVisible() ? label.prefHeight(-1) : 0);
 
         if (label.isVisible()) {
             // label gets to span whole width and sits at top
diff --git a/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/TableColumnHeader.java b/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/TableColumnHeader.java
--- a/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/TableColumnHeader.java
+++ b/javafx-ui-controls/src/com/sun/javafx/scene/control/skin/TableColumnHeader.java
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@
      *                                                                         *
      **************************************************************************/
 
+    public static int count = 0;
+    
     public TableColumnHeader(final TableView table, final TableColumn tc) {
+        System.out.println("count: " + ++count);
         this.column = tc;
         this.table = table;