diff --git a/fonts/gootville/metadata.json b/fonts/gootville/metadata.json
index 38d1adca2d68e..c7d3a3c1e2215 100644
--- a/fonts/gootville/metadata.json
+++ b/fonts/gootville/metadata.json
@@ -6587,7 +6587,7 @@
                 -0.168
             ], 
             "stemUpSE": [
-                1.18, 
+                1.26, 
                 0.168
             ]
         }, 
@@ -7091,7 +7091,7 @@
                 -0.168
             ], 
             "stemUpSE": [
-                1.18, 
+                1.26, 
                 0.168
             ]
         }, 
@@ -8472,4 +8472,4 @@
             ]
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/fonts/mscore/metadata.json b/fonts/mscore/metadata.json
index 90e632d2ae689..28e399f9a7ad8 100644
--- a/fonts/mscore/metadata.json
+++ b/fonts/mscore/metadata.json
@@ -978,7 +978,7 @@
                 -0.2347675
             ],
             "stemUpSE": [
-                1.6452225,
+                1.3152225,
                 0.2347675
             ]
         },
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@
                 -0.196
             ],
             "stemUpSE": [
-                1.364,
+                1.387,
                 0.192
             ]
         },
diff --git a/libmscore/stem.cpp b/libmscore/stem.cpp
index d3177b9d7ba47..cab4cc807a7ea 100644
--- a/libmscore/stem.cpp
+++ b/libmscore/stem.cpp
@@ -80,11 +80,10 @@ qreal Stem::stemLen() const
 
 void Stem::layout()
       {
-      qreal l    = _len + _userLen;
-      qreal _up  = up() ? -1.0 : 1.0;
-      l         *= _up;
-
-      qreal y1 = 0.0;                           // vertical displacement to match note attach point
+      qreal _up        = up() ? -1.0 : 1.0;
+      qreal l          = (_len + _userLen) * _up;
+      qreal x          = 0.0;                           // horizontal displacement to match note attach point
+      qreal y1         = 0.0;                           // vertical displacement to match note attach point
       const Staff* stf = staff();
       if (chord()) {
             setMag(chord()->mag());
@@ -106,18 +105,66 @@ void Stem::layout()
                   }
             else {                              // non-TAB
                   // move stem start to note attach point
-                  Note* n  = up() ? chord()->downNote() : chord()->upNote();
-                  if ((up() && !n->mirror()) || (!up() && n->mirror()))
-                        y1 += n->stemUpSE().y();
-                  else
-                        y1 += n->stemDownNW().y();
+                  bool u = up();
+                  Note* n  = u ? chord()->downNote() : chord()->upNote();
+                  bool m = n->mirror();
+                  qreal lw = lineWidthMag();
+                  SymId symId = n->noteHead();
+                  if ((u && !m) || (!u && m)) {
+                        // default offsets for all fonts, fits for most
+                        x  = n->stemUpSE().x() - 0.5 * lw;
+                        y1 = n->stemUpSE().y();
+                        if (symId == SymId::noteheadDoubleWhole) {
+                              x  += n->headWidth();
+                              y1 -= 0.5 * spatium();
+                              }
+                        // some fonts' qlyphs need special treatment, suitable offsets found after lots of trial and error
+                        QString muscicalFont = score()->styleSt(Sid::musicalSymbolFont);
+                        if (muscicalFont == "AloisenGrooveU") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadHalf || symId == SymId::noteheadBlack)
+                                    x += n->headWidth() - 0.075 * lw; // sticks out of the notehead a bit, but does so for downstem too
+                              }
+                        else if (muscicalFont == "AloisenU" || muscicalFont == "Bravura") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadHalf || symId == SymId::noteheadBlack)
+                                    x += 1.1 * lw; // apparently these glyphs` stemUpSE cater for stemwidth, but need an extra 0.1 to prevent a slight 'hump'
+                              }
+#if 0 // fixing the metadata instead
+                        else if (muscicalFont == "Emmentaler") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadHalf)
+                                    x += 0.2 * lw; // to prevent a slight 'hump', we should be able to fix this in the metadata
+                              else if (symId == SymId::noteheadBlack)
+                                    x -= 2.5 * lw; // pure madness, but we should be able to fix this in the metadata
+                              }
+                        else if (muscicalFont == "Gonville") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadHalf || symId == SymId::noteheadBlack)
+                                    x += 0.7 * lw; // we should be able to fix this in the metadata
+                              }
+#endif
+                        else if (muscicalFont == "Legato") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadDoubleWhole) // so far the only font with correct metadata for this notehead
+                                    x -= n->headWidth();
+                              }
+                        else if (muscicalFont == "Petaluma") {
+                              if (symId == SymId::noteheadDoubleWhole)
+                                    x -= 0.25 * lw;
+                              else if (symId == SymId::noteheadHalf)
+                                    x += 0.25 * lw;
+                              }
+                        }
+                  else { // here all fonts seem to agree;
+                        x  = n->stemDownNW().x() + 0.5 * lw;
+                        y1 = n->stemDownNW().y();
+                        if (symId == SymId::noteheadDoubleWhole)
+                              y1 += 0.5 * spatium();
+                        }
+                  rxpos() = n->rxpos();
                   rypos() = n->rypos();
                   }
             }
 
       qreal lw5 = 0.5 * lineWidthMag();
 
-      line.setLine(0.0, y1, 0.0, l);
+      line.setLine(x, y1, x, l);
 
       // compute bounding rectangle
       QRectF r(line.p1(), line.p2());
diff --git a/mtest/musicxml/io/testSystemDistance_ref.xml b/mtest/musicxml/io/testSystemDistance_ref.xml
index 3cbc4d5a6f6f2..947793ac1cd44 100644
--- a/mtest/musicxml/io/testSystemDistance_ref.xml
+++ b/mtest/musicxml/io/testSystemDistance_ref.xml
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
         <bar-style>light-light</bar-style>
         </barline>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="20" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="20" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="21" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="21" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="22" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="22" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="23" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="23" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="24" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="24" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="25" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="25" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="26" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="26" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@
         <stem>up</stem>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="27" width="87.55">
+    <measure number="27" width="87.56">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@
         <voice>1</voice>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="31" width="85.46">
+    <measure number="31" width="85.47">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@
         <voice>1</voice>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="34" width="85.46">
+    <measure number="34" width="85.47">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@
         <voice>1</voice>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="37" width="85.46">
+    <measure number="37" width="85.47">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@
         <voice>1</voice>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="40" width="85.46">
+    <measure number="40" width="85.47">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@
         <voice>1</voice>
         </note>
       </measure>
-    <measure number="43" width="85.46">
+    <measure number="43" width="85.47">
       <note default-x="13.00" default-y="-25.00">
         <pitch>
           <step>A</step>
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@
         <system-layout>
           <system-margins>
             <left-margin>0.00</left-margin>
-            <right-margin>-0.00</right-margin>
+            <right-margin>0.00</right-margin>
             </system-margins>
           <system-distance>150.00</system-distance>
           </system-layout>