diff --git a/src/exec/context.rs b/src/exec/context.rs
index d33d62ef4..7dc517966 100644
--- a/src/exec/context.rs
+++ b/src/exec/context.rs
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ impl StackBuilder {
             children.extend(last.any());
             children.push(par);
         }
-        StackNode { dirs, children }
+        StackNode { dirs, aspect: None, children }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/layout/fixed.rs b/src/layout/fixed.rs
index 5905fa952..a42eab5ac 100644
--- a/src/layout/fixed.rs
+++ b/src/layout/fixed.rs
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ pub struct FixedNode {
     pub width: Option<Linear>,
     /// The fixed height, if any.
     pub height: Option<Linear>,
-    /// The fixed aspect ratio between width and height, if any.
-    ///
-    /// The resulting frame will satisfy `width = aspect * height`.
-    pub aspect: Option<f64>,
     /// The child node whose size to fix.
     pub child: AnyNode,
 }
@@ -18,21 +14,13 @@ pub struct FixedNode {
 impl Layout for FixedNode {
     fn layout(&self, ctx: &mut LayoutContext, areas: &Areas) -> Vec<Frame> {
         let Areas { current, full, .. } = areas;
-
-        let full = Size::new(
-            self.width.map(|w| w.resolve(full.width)).unwrap_or(current.width),
-            self.height.map(|h| h.resolve(full.height)).unwrap_or(current.height),
+        let size = Size::new(
+            self.width.map_or(current.width, |w| w.resolve(full.width)),
+            self.height.map_or(current.height, |h| h.resolve(full.height)),
         );
 
-        let mut size = full;
-        if let Some(aspect) = self.aspect {
-            // Shrink the size to ensure that the aspect ratio can be satisfied.
-            let width = size.width.min(aspect * size.height);
-            size = Size::new(width, width / aspect);
-        }
-
         let fixed = Spec::new(self.width.is_some(), self.height.is_some());
-        let areas = Areas::once(size, full, fixed).with_aspect(self.aspect);
+        let areas = Areas::once(size, size, fixed);
         self.child.layout(ctx, &areas)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/layout/mod.rs b/src/layout/mod.rs
index dad378f5c..cb138753d 100644
--- a/src/layout/mod.rs
+++ b/src/layout/mod.rs
@@ -155,10 +155,6 @@ pub struct Areas {
     ///
     /// If this is false, the frame will shrink to fit its content.
     pub fixed: Spec<bool>,
-    /// The aspect ratio the resulting frame should respect.
-    ///
-    /// This property is only handled by the stack layouter.
-    pub aspect: Option<f64>,
 }
 
 impl Areas {
@@ -170,7 +166,6 @@ impl Areas {
             backlog: vec![],
             last: None,
             fixed,
-            aspect: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -182,16 +177,9 @@ impl Areas {
             backlog: vec![],
             last: Some(size),
             fixed,
-            aspect: None,
         }
     }
 
-    /// Builder-style method for setting the aspect ratio.
-    pub fn with_aspect(mut self, aspect: Option<f64>) -> Self {
-        self.aspect = aspect;
-        self
-    }
-
     /// Map all areas.
     pub fn map<F>(&self, mut f: F) -> Self
     where
@@ -203,7 +191,6 @@ impl Areas {
             backlog: self.backlog.iter().copied().map(|s| f(s)).collect(),
             last: self.last.map(f),
             fixed: self.fixed,
-            aspect: self.aspect,
         }
     }
 
@@ -224,4 +211,10 @@ impl Areas {
                 self.current.is_nan() || size.is_nan() || self.current == size
             })
     }
+
+    /// Shrink `current` to ensure that the aspect ratio can be satisfied.
+    pub fn apply_aspect_ratio(&mut self, ratio: f64) {
+        let Size { width, height } = self.current;
+        self.current = Size::new(width.min(ratio * height), height.min(width / ratio));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/layout/stack.rs b/src/layout/stack.rs
index a73abeeb9..463f38a73 100644
--- a/src/layout/stack.rs
+++ b/src/layout/stack.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ pub struct StackNode {
     /// The children are stacked along the `main` direction. The `cross`
     /// direction is required for aligning the children.
     pub dirs: Gen<Dir>,
+    /// The fixed aspect ratio between width and height, if any.
+    ///
+    /// The resulting frames will satisfy `width = aspect * height`.
+    pub aspect: Option<f64>,
     /// The nodes to be stacked.
     pub children: Vec<StackChild>,
 }
@@ -23,7 +27,7 @@ pub enum StackChild {
 
 impl Layout for StackNode {
     fn layout(&self, ctx: &mut LayoutContext, areas: &Areas) -> Vec<Frame> {
-        let mut layouter = StackLayouter::new(self.dirs, areas.clone());
+        let mut layouter = StackLayouter::new(self.dirs, self.aspect, areas.clone());
         for child in &self.children {
             match *child {
                 StackChild::Spacing(amount) => layouter.push_spacing(amount),
@@ -52,6 +56,7 @@ impl From<StackNode> for AnyNode {
 
 struct StackLayouter {
     dirs: Gen<Dir>,
+    aspect: Option<f64>,
     main: SpecAxis,
     areas: Areas,
     finished: Vec<Frame>,
@@ -61,9 +66,14 @@ struct StackLayouter {
 }
 
 impl StackLayouter {
-    fn new(dirs: Gen<Dir>, areas: Areas) -> Self {
+    fn new(dirs: Gen<Dir>, aspect: Option<f64>, mut areas: Areas) -> Self {
+        if let Some(aspect) = aspect {
+            areas.apply_aspect_ratio(aspect);
+        }
+
         Self {
             dirs,
+            aspect,
             main: dirs.main.axis(),
             areas,
             finished: vec![],
@@ -112,7 +122,7 @@ impl StackLayouter {
                 if fixed.vertical { full.height } else { used.height },
             );
 
-            if let Some(aspect) = self.areas.aspect {
+            if let Some(aspect) = self.aspect {
                 let width = size
                     .width
                     .max(aspect * size.height)
@@ -162,6 +172,10 @@ impl StackLayouter {
         self.areas.next();
         self.ruler = Align::Start;
         self.size = Gen::ZERO;
+
+        if let Some(aspect) = self.aspect {
+            self.areas.apply_aspect_ratio(aspect);
+        }
     }
 
     fn finish(mut self) -> Vec<Frame> {
diff --git a/src/library/shapes.rs b/src/library/shapes.rs
index 6c6a2f0b3..c87a0ac3d 100644
--- a/src/library/shapes.rs
+++ b/src/library/shapes.rs
@@ -59,17 +59,19 @@ fn rect_impl(
     body: TemplateValue,
 ) -> Value {
     Value::template(name, move |ctx| {
-        let child = ctx.exec_group(&body).into();
-        let node = FixedNode { width, height, aspect, child };
+        let mut stack = ctx.exec_group(&body);
+        stack.aspect = aspect;
+
+        let fixed = FixedNode { width, height, child: stack.into() };
 
         if let Some(color) = fill {
             ctx.push(BackgroundNode {
                 shape: BackgroundShape::Rect,
                 fill: Fill::Color(color),
-                child: node.into(),
+                child: fixed.into(),
             });
         } else {
-            ctx.push(node);
+            ctx.push(fixed);
         }
     })
 }
@@ -133,14 +135,15 @@ fn ellipse_impl(
         // perfectly into the ellipse.
         const PAD: f64 = 0.5 - SQRT_2 / 4.0;
 
-        let child = ctx.exec_group(&body).into();
-        let node = FixedNode {
+        let mut stack = ctx.exec_group(&body);
+        stack.aspect = aspect;
+
+        let fixed = FixedNode {
             width,
             height,
-            aspect,
             child: PadNode {
                 padding: Sides::uniform(Relative::new(PAD).into()),
-                child,
+                child: stack.into(),
             }
             .into(),
         };
@@ -149,10 +152,10 @@ fn ellipse_impl(
             ctx.push(BackgroundNode {
                 shape: BackgroundShape::Ellipse,
                 fill: Fill::Color(color),
-                child: node.into(),
+                child: fixed.into(),
             });
         } else {
-            ctx.push(node);
+            ctx.push(fixed);
         }
     })
 }