diff --git a/src/wuttaweb/grids/base.py b/src/wuttaweb/grids/base.py
index 313dd67..82965ef 100644
--- a/src/wuttaweb/grids/base.py
+++ b/src/wuttaweb/grids/base.py
@@ -2604,9 +2604,10 @@ class GridAction:  # pylint: disable=too-many-instance-attributes
         """
         html = [
             self.render_icon(),
+            HTML.literal(" "),
             self.render_label(),
         ]
-        return HTML.literal(" ").join(html)
+        return HTML.tag("span", c=html, style="white-space: nowrap;")
 
     def render_icon(self):
         """
diff --git a/tests/grids/test_base.py b/tests/grids/test_base.py
index 4d9872d..b8334a6 100644
--- a/tests/grids/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/grids/test_base.py
@@ -2051,7 +2051,9 @@ class TestGridAction(TestCase):
             action, render_icon=lambda: "ICON", render_label=lambda: "LABEL"
         ):
             html = action.render_icon_and_label()
-            self.assertEqual("ICON LABEL", html)
+            self.assertTrue(html.startswith("<span "))
+            self.assertIn("ICON", html)
+            self.assertIn("LABEL", html)
 
     def test_get_url(self):
         obj = {"foo": "bar"}