diff --git a/grade/report/grader/lib.php b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
index f4fa905fa46..260a733ad3e 100644
--- a/grade/report/grader/lib.php
+++ b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
@@ -975,7 +975,7 @@ class grade_report_grader extends grade_report {
             for ($i = 0; $i < $levels; $i++) {
                 $studentshtml .= '
                         <tr class="heading name_row">
-                            <td '.$colspan.' class="fixedcolumn cell c0 topleft"> </td>
+                            <td '.$colspan.' class="fixedcolumn cell c0 topleft">&nbsp;</td>
                         </tr>
                         ';
             }
diff --git a/grade/report/grader/styles.php b/grade/report/grader/styles.php
index a04984aaca7..559447de257 100644
--- a/grade/report/grader/styles.php
+++ b/grade/report/grader/styles.php
@@ -139,12 +139,15 @@ border-style:solid;
 border-width:0 1px;
 }
 
+/* we don't want 25px height - at all
+ * This causes the columns to fall out of line if Static Students Column is enabled
 .grade-report-grader table#user-grades th.category,
 .grade-report-grader table#user-grades th.item,
 .grade-report-grader table#user-grades th.categoryitem,
 .grade-report-grader table#user-grades th.courseitem {
 height: 25px;
 }
+*/
 
 .grade-report-grader td,.grade-report-grader th {
 border-color:#CECECE;