diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/graphics/Device.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/graphics/Device.java
index ef30e780765..593e19a3ef7 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/graphics/Device.java	
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/graphics/Device.java	
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
  */
 public abstract class Device implements Drawable {
 
+	public static final boolean SMALL_FONTS = System.getProperty("org.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts") != null;
+
 	/* Debugging */
 	public static boolean DEBUG;
 	boolean debug = DEBUG;
@@ -609,8 +611,7 @@ protected void init () {
 	tabs.release();
 
 	/* Initialize the system font slot */
-	boolean smallFonts = System.getProperty("org.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts") != null;
-	double systemFontSize = smallFonts ? NSFont.smallSystemFontSize() : NSFont.systemFontSize();
+	double systemFontSize = SMALL_FONTS ? NSFont.smallSystemFontSize() : NSFont.systemFontSize();
 	Point dpi = this.dpi = getDPI(), screenDPI = getScreenDPI();
 	NSFont font = NSFont.systemFontOfSize(systemFontSize * dpi.y / screenDPI.y);
 	font.retain();
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Display.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Display.java
index 1f35bef00a8..b1695cd5be6 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Display.java	
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Display.java	
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ enum APPEARANCE {
 	NSFont textViewFont, tableViewFont, outlineViewFont, datePickerFont;
 	NSFont boxFont, tabViewFont, progressIndicatorFont;
 
+	boolean enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+
 	Shell [] modalShells;
 	Dialog modalDialog;
 	NSPanel modalPanel;
@@ -2404,6 +2406,8 @@ protected void init () {
 	initFonts ();
 	setDeviceZoom ();
 
+	enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = initDefaultEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum();
+
 	/*
 	 * Create an application delegate for app-level notifications.  The AWT may have already set a delegate;
 	 * if so, hold on to it so messages can be forwarded to it.
@@ -2502,6 +2506,26 @@ public void run() {
 	isPainting = isPainting.initWithCapacity(12);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Checks if the native item height should be enforced as a minimum.
+ * 
+ * Newer version of macOS may use a default item height in Table, Tree and List
+ * controls that is larger than what is traditionally expected.
+ * 
+ * Enforcing the default height as a minimum may break existing assumptions and
+ * render UI elements with a padding that may be considered too large.
+ * 
+ * This is implicitly enabled unless {@code org.eclipse.swt.internal.carbon.smallFonts} is set.
+ */
+private boolean initDefaultEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum() {
+	boolean enforce = !Device.SMALL_FONTS;
+	String v = System.getProperty("org.eclipse.swt.internal.cocoa.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum");
+	if (v != null) {
+		enforce = "true".equals(v);
+	}
+	return enforce;
+}
+
 private static NSString getAwtRunLoopMode() {
 	// Special run loop mode mode used by AWT enters when it only wants related messages processed.
 	// The name of this mode is a defacto contract established by the JavaNativeFoundation (JNF) libary.
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/List.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/List.java
index 9370f9788dd..14cabe8efd0 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/List.java	
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/List.java	
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ public class List extends Scrollable {
 	int itemCount;
 	boolean ignoreSelect, didSelect, rowsChanged, mouseIsDown;
 
+	final int nativeItemHeight;
+	private boolean enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+
 	static int NEXT_ID;
 
 	static final int CELL_GAP = 1;
@@ -81,6 +84,9 @@ public class List extends Scrollable {
  */
 public List (Composite parent, int style) {
 	super (parent, checkStyle (style));
+
+	this.nativeItemHeight = (int)((NSTableView)view).rowHeight();
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = display.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
 }
 
 @Override
@@ -1179,7 +1185,11 @@ void setFont (NSFont font) {
 	super.setFont (font);
 	double ascent = font.ascender ();
 	double descent = -font.descender () + font.leading ();
-	((NSTableView)view).setRowHeight ((int)Math.ceil (ascent + descent) + 1);
+	int height = (int)Math.ceil (ascent + descent) + 1;
+	if (enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum) {
+		height = Math.max (height, nativeItemHeight);
+	}
+	((NSTableView)view).setRowHeight (height);
 	setScrollWidth();
 }
 
@@ -1544,4 +1554,13 @@ void updateRowCount() {
 	}
 }
 
+public boolean isEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum() {
+	return enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+}
+
+public void setEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum(boolean enforce) {
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = enforce;
+	setFont(getFont()); // update height
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Table.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Table.java
index c49f1354fee..2dc9cbd7081 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Table.java	
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Table.java	
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ public class Table extends Composite {
 	boolean shouldScroll = true;
 	boolean keyDown;
 
+	final int nativeItemHeight;
+	private boolean enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+
 	static int NEXT_ID;
 
 	static final int FIRST_COLUMN_MINIMUM_WIDTH = 5;
@@ -129,6 +132,9 @@ public class Table extends Composite {
  */
 public Table (Composite parent, int style) {
 	super (parent, checkStyle (style));
+
+	this.nativeItemHeight = (int)((NSTableView)view).rowHeight();
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = display.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
 }
 
 @Override
@@ -2823,6 +2829,9 @@ void setItemHeight (Image image, NSFont font, boolean set) {
 	double ascent = font.ascender ();
 	double descent = -font.descender () + font.leading ();
 	int height = (int)Math.ceil (ascent + descent) + 1;
+	if (enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum) {
+		height = Math.max (height, nativeItemHeight);
+	}
 	Rectangle bounds = image != null ? image.getBounds () : imageBounds;
 	if (bounds != null) {
 		imageBounds = bounds;
@@ -3730,4 +3739,13 @@ void updateRowCount() {
 	setRedraw(true);
 }
 
+public boolean isEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum() {
+	return enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+}
+
+public void setEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum(boolean enforce) {
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = enforce;
+	setItemHeight(null, null, true); // update height
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Tree.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Tree.java
index 1c2de57fa6e..cc74e512e3d 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Tree.java	
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.swt/Eclipse SWT/cocoa/org/eclipse/swt/widgets/Tree.java	
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ public class Tree extends Composite {
 	/* Used to control drop feedback when DND.FEEDBACK_EXPAND and DND.FEEDBACK_SCROLL is set/not set */
 	boolean shouldExpand = true, shouldScroll = true;
 
+	final int nativeItemHeight;
+	private boolean enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+
 	static int NEXT_ID;
 
 	/*
@@ -144,6 +147,9 @@ public class Tree extends Composite {
  */
 public Tree (Composite parent, int style) {
 	super (parent, checkStyle (style));
+
+	this.nativeItemHeight = (int)((NSTableView)view).rowHeight();
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = display.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
 }
 
 @Override
@@ -3171,6 +3177,9 @@ void setItemHeight (Image image, NSFont font, boolean set) {
 	double ascent = font.ascender ();
 	double descent = -font.descender () + font.leading ();
 	int height = (int)Math.ceil (ascent + descent) + 1;
+	if (enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum) {
+		height = Math.max (height, nativeItemHeight);
+	}
 	Rectangle bounds = image != null ? image.getBounds () : imageBounds;
 	if (bounds != null) {
 		imageBounds = bounds;
@@ -3575,5 +3584,14 @@ void updateCursorRects (boolean enabled) {
 	updateCursorRects (enabled, headerView);
 }
 
+public boolean isEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum() {
+	return enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum;
+}
+
+public void setEnforceNativeItemHeightMinimum(boolean enforce) {
+	this.enforceNativeItemHeightMinimum = enforce;
+	setItemHeight(null, null, true); // update height
+}
+
 }