diff --git a/src/item_action.cpp b/src/item_action.cpp
index 9f467f9e04a7a..35b715077e286 100644
--- a/src/item_action.cpp
+++ b/src/item_action.cpp
@@ -339,27 +339,20 @@ void game::item_action_menu( item_location loc )
     auto iter = menu_items.begin();
     std::advance( iter, iactions.size() );
     sort_menu( iter, menu_items.end() );
-    // Determine max lengths, to print the menu nicely.
-    std::pair<int, int> max_len;
-    for( const auto &elem : menu_items ) {
-        max_len.first = std::max( max_len.first, utf8_width( std::get<1>( elem ), true ) );
-        max_len.second = std::max( max_len.second, utf8_width( std::get<2>( elem ), true ) );
-    }
     // Fill the menu.
     for( const auto &elem : menu_items ) {
         std::string ss;
         ss += std::get<1>( elem );
-        ss += std::string( max_len.first - utf8_width( std::get<1>( elem ), true ), ' ' );
-        ss += std::string( 4, ' ' );
 
-        ss += std::get<2>( elem );
-        ss += std::string( max_len.second - utf8_width( std::get<2>( elem ), true ), ' ' );
+        std::string ss_ctxt;
+        ss_ctxt += std::get<2>( elem );
 
         const std::optional<input_event> bind = key_bound_to( ctxt, std::get<0>( elem ) );
         const bool enabled = assigned_action( std::get<0>( elem ) );
         const std::string desc =  std::get<3>( elem ) ;
 
         kmenu.addentry_desc( num, enabled, bind, ss, desc );
+        kmenu.entries[num].ctxt = ss_ctxt;
         num++;
     }