diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/matrix/Layouter.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/matrix/Layouter.java
index f943e07f60cb3ca4c40956ba00beefce315c91d7..da01cd06c307a045ea9b9fe96e109922d05fbaee 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/matrix/Layouter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/matrix/Layouter.java
@@ -87,8 +87,11 @@ public abstract class Layouter<T> {
             z.add(nonTrivialAxes.get(0));
             break;
         case 2:
-            x.add(nonTrivialAxes.get(0));
-            y.add(nonTrivialAxes.get(1));
+            // use the longer axis in Y
+            Axis a = nonTrivialAxes.get(0);
+            Axis b = nonTrivialAxes.get(1);
+            x.add(a.size() > b.size() ? b : a);
+            y.add(a.size() > b.size() ? a : b);
             break;
         default:
             // for size > 3, use x and y, and try to pack y more