diff --git a/docs/configuration/tooltip.md b/docs/configuration/tooltip.md
index 936f9202c57..2c68ed9d773 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/tooltip.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/tooltip.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Namespace: `options.plugins.tooltip`, the global options for the chart tooltips
 | `displayColors` | `boolean` | `true` | If true, color boxes are shown in the tooltip.
 | `boxWidth` | `number` | `bodyFont.size` | Width of the color box if displayColors is true.
 | `boxHeight` | `number` | `bodyFont.size` | Height of the color box if displayColors is true.
+| `boxPadding` | `number` | `1` | Padding between the color box and the text.
 | `usePointStyle` | `boolean` | `false` | Use the corresponding point style (from dataset options) instead of color boxes, ex: star, triangle etc. (size is based on the minimum value between boxWidth and boxHeight).
 | `borderColor` | [`Color`](../general/colors.md) | `'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)'` | Color of the border.
 | `borderWidth` | `number` | `0` | Size of the border.
diff --git a/src/plugins/plugin.tooltip.js b/src/plugins/plugin.tooltip.js
index 231506b7363..f932cb15fbf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/plugin.tooltip.js
+++ b/src/plugins/plugin.tooltip.js
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ function getTooltipSize(tooltip, options) {
   each(tooltip.beforeBody.concat(tooltip.afterBody), maxLineWidth);
 
   // Body lines may include some extra width due to the color box
-  widthPadding = options.displayColors ? (boxWidth + 2) : 0;
+  widthPadding = options.displayColors ? (boxWidth + 2 + options.boxPadding) : 0;
   each(body, (bodyItem) => {
     each(bodyItem.before, maxLineWidth);
     each(bodyItem.lines, maxLineWidth);
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ export class Tooltip extends Element {
     const me = this;
     const labelColors = me.labelColors[i];
     const labelPointStyle = me.labelPointStyles[i];
-    const {boxHeight, boxWidth} = options;
+    const {boxHeight, boxWidth, boxPadding} = options;
     const bodyFont = toFont(options.bodyFont);
     const colorX = getAlignedX(me, 'left', options);
     const rtlColorX = rtlHelper.x(colorX);
@@ -717,8 +717,8 @@ export class Tooltip extends Element {
       ctx.lineDashOffset = labelColors.borderDashOffset || 0;
 
       // Fill a white rect so that colours merge nicely if the opacity is < 1
-      const outerX = rtlHelper.leftForLtr(rtlColorX, boxWidth);
-      const innerX = rtlHelper.leftForLtr(rtlHelper.xPlus(rtlColorX, 1), boxWidth - 2);
+      const outerX = rtlHelper.leftForLtr(rtlColorX, boxWidth - boxPadding);
+      const innerX = rtlHelper.leftForLtr(rtlHelper.xPlus(rtlColorX, 1), boxWidth - boxPadding - 2);
       const borderRadius = toTRBLCorners(labelColors.borderRadius);
 
       if (Object.values(borderRadius).some(v => v !== 0)) {
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ export class Tooltip extends Element {
   drawBody(pt, ctx, options) {
     const me = this;
     const {body} = me;
-    const {bodySpacing, bodyAlign, displayColors, boxHeight, boxWidth} = options;
+    const {bodySpacing, bodyAlign, displayColors, boxHeight, boxWidth, boxPadding} = options;
     const bodyFont = toFont(options.bodyFont);
     let bodyLineHeight = bodyFont.lineHeight;
     let xLinePadding = 0;
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ export class Tooltip extends Element {
     each(me.beforeBody, fillLineOfText);
 
     xLinePadding = displayColors && bodyAlignForCalculation !== 'right'
-      ? bodyAlign === 'center' ? (boxWidth / 2 + 1) : (boxWidth + 2)
+      ? bodyAlign === 'center' ? (boxWidth / 2 + boxPadding) : (boxWidth + 2 + boxPadding)
       : 0;
 
     // Draw body lines now
@@ -1166,6 +1166,7 @@ export default {
     boxWidth: (ctx, opts) => opts.bodyFont.size,
     multiKeyBackground: '#fff',
     displayColors: true,
+    boxPadding: 0,
     borderColor: 'rgba(0,0,0,0)',
     borderWidth: 0,
     animation: {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.js b/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..434620eddda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+const data = [];
+for (let x = 0; x < 3; x++) {
+  for (let y = 0; y < 3; y++) {
+    data.push({x, y});
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  config: {
+    type: 'scatter',
+    data: {
+      datasets: [{
+        data,
+        backgroundColor: 'red',
+        radius: 1,
+        hoverRadius: 0
+      }],
+    },
+    options: {
+      scales: {
+        x: {display: false},
+        y: {display: false}
+      },
+      plugins: {
+        legend: false,
+        title: false,
+        filler: false,
+        tooltip: {
+          mode: 'point',
+          intersect: true,
+          // spriteText: use white background to hide any gaps between fonts
+          backgroundColor: 'white',
+          borderColor: 'black',
+          borderWidth: 1,
+          callbacks: {
+            label: () => 'label',
+          },
+          boxPadding: 30
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    plugins: [{
+      afterDraw: function(chart) {
+        const canvas = chart.canvas;
+        const rect = canvas.getBoundingClientRect();
+        const meta = chart.getDatasetMeta(0);
+        let point, event;
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+          point = meta.data[i];
+          event = {
+            type: 'mousemove',
+            target: canvas,
+            clientX: rect.left + point.x,
+            clientY: rect.top + point.y
+          };
+          chart._handleEvent(event);
+          chart.tooltip.handleEvent(event);
+          chart.tooltip.draw(chart.ctx);
+        }
+      }
+    }]
+  },
+  options: {
+    spriteText: true,
+    canvas: {
+      height: 400,
+      width: 500
+    }
+  }
+};
diff --git a/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.png b/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d3cd19e202e
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/fixtures/plugin.tooltip/box-padding.png differ
diff --git a/types/index.esm.d.ts b/types/index.esm.d.ts
index 1e3485e5364..5ea417ea318 100644
--- a/types/index.esm.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.esm.d.ts
@@ -2216,6 +2216,11 @@ export interface LegendOptions<TType extends ChartType> {
      * @default fontSize
      */
     boxHeight: number;
+    /**
+     * Padding between the color box and the text
+     * @default 1
+     */
+    boxPadding: number;
     /**
      * Color of label
      * @see Defaults.color