diff --git a/resources/css/core/utilities.css b/resources/css/core/utilities.css
index a8b175638e0..7f7ceec9d78 100644
--- a/resources/css/core/utilities.css
+++ b/resources/css/core/utilities.css
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@
 @utility st-text-trim-ex-alphabetic {
     text-box: ex alphabetic;
 }
+@utility st-text-trim-optical-cap {
+    /* =Jay. Trim to x-height, then nudge the text down so it sits between x-height and cap height, a touch nearer cap height. Lowercase and Capitalised labels both look centred in small, tight boxes like badges */
+    @supports (text-box: ex alphabetic) {
+        text-box: ex alphabetic;
+        padding-top: calc((1cap - 1ex) * 3 / 4);
+    }
+}
 
 @utility placeholder-xs {
     /* =Jay. The default of 1em on field inputs feels a bit clumsy/big */
diff --git a/resources/js/components/assets/Editor/Editor.vue b/resources/js/components/assets/Editor/Editor.vue
index c3f84734429..dc2b6c51fb9 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/assets/Editor/Editor.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/assets/Editor/Editor.vue
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
                         <ui-badge pill icon="memory" :text="asset.size" />
                         <ui-badge pill icon="fingerprint">
                             <time
+                                class="st-text-trim-optical-cap"
                                 :datetime="asset.lastModified"
                                 v-tooltip="$date.format(asset.lastModified)"
                                 v-text="asset.lastModifiedRelative" />
diff --git a/resources/js/components/collections/Listing.vue b/resources/js/components/collections/Listing.vue
index dfa60ccbbe9..930fd8d435d 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/collections/Listing.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/collections/Listing.vue
@@ -122,15 +122,15 @@
 
                 <ui-panel-footer v-if="collection.available_in_selected_site" class="flex items-center gap-6 gap-y-1.5 text-sm text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-400">
                     <div class="flex items-center gap-1.5">
-                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.published_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&_span]:st-text-trim-cap" />
+                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.published_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&>span]:st-text-trim-cap [&>span]:pt-0" />
                         <span>{{ __('Published') }}</span>
                     </div>
                     <div class="flex items-center gap-1.5" v-if="collection.scheduled_entries_count > 0">
-                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.scheduled_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&_span]:st-text-trim-cap" />
+                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.scheduled_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&>span]:st-text-trim-cap [&>span]:pt-0" />
                         <span>{{ __('Scheduled') }}</span>
                     </div>
                     <div class="flex items-center gap-1.5" v-if="collection.draft_entries_count > 0">
-                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.draft_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&_span]:st-text-trim-cap" />
+                        <ui-badge :text="String(collection.draft_entries_count)" pill class="bg-white! dark:bg-gray-700! [&>span]:st-text-trim-cap [&>span]:pt-0" />
                         <span>{{ __('Drafts') }}</span>
                     </div>
                 </ui-panel-footer>
@@ -324,7 +324,9 @@ export default {
 
 <style scoped>
     @supports(text-box: cap alphabetic) {
+        /* =Jay. Counts are only ever digits, so they sit best centred on cap height rather than the usual badge trim */
         [data-ui-panel-footer] [data-ui-badge] {
+            min-height: auto;
             padding-block: calc(var(--spacing) * 1.5);
         }
     }
diff --git a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/ArrayFieldtype.vue b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/ArrayFieldtype.vue
index ec277ac1310..bc9563f741c 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/ArrayFieldtype.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/ArrayFieldtype.vue
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
                 >
                     <ui-button @click="addValue()" :disabled="atMax" v-if="!isReadOnly && !isSingle && !isKeyed" :text="addButton" size="sm" :class="compactFooterButtonClass" />
                     <ui-button v-if="isCompact" class="ms-auto" :class="compactFooterButtonClass" size="sm" @click="setCompactOpen(false)">
-                        <span class="st-text-trim-cap">{{ __('Close') }}</span>
+                        <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __('Close') }}</span>
                         <span class="ms-1.5 inline-flex h-4 min-w-4 items-center justify-center rounded bg-gray-200/50 px-1 font-semibold uppercase text-[0.625rem] text-gray-600 dark:bg-gray-900 dark:text-gray-400/85">
                             Esc
                         </span>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/bard/Set.vue b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/bard/Set.vue
index 7019a1dbf9e..9025dba54ce 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/bard/Set.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/bard/Set.vue
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@
                 <button type="button" class="show-focus-within_target flex flex-1 min-w-0 cursor-pointer items-center gap-4 overflow-x-auto p-2 pe-4 focus:outline-none st-mask-horizontal-overflow" @click="toggleCollapsedState">
                     <Badge size="lg" :pill="true" color="white" class="px-3">
                         <span v-if="isSetGroupVisible" class="flex items-center gap-2">
-                            {{ __(setGroup.display) }}
-                            <Icon name="chevron-right" class="relative top-px size-3" />
+                            <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __(setGroup.display) }}</span>
+                            <Icon name="chevron-right" class="size-3" />
                         </span>
-                        {{ __(config.display) || config.handle }}
+                        <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __(config.display) || config.handle }}</span>
                     </Badge>
                     <Icon
                         v-if="config.instructions && !collapsed"
diff --git a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/relationship/RelationshipIndexFieldtype.vue b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/relationship/RelationshipIndexFieldtype.vue
index 999f6dbeb00..f9471e0ac91 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/relationship/RelationshipIndexFieldtype.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/relationship/RelationshipIndexFieldtype.vue
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
                     :status="item.status"
                     class="h-1"
                 />
-                <span v-text="item.title" />
+                <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap" v-text="item.title" />
             </Badge>
             <Dropdown v-if="hasMore && !showingAll">
                 <template #trigger>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/replicator/Set.vue b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/replicator/Set.vue
index a98849d8b1b..b3f4e8bdab1 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/replicator/Set.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/fieldtypes/replicator/Set.vue
@@ -208,10 +208,10 @@ function onSetDropdownClosed() {
                 <button type="button" class="show-focus-within_target flex flex-1 min-w-0 cursor-pointer items-center gap-4 overflow-x-auto p-2 py-1.75 pe-4 focus:outline-none st-mask-horizontal-overflow" @click="toggleCollapsedState">
                     <Badge size="lg" pill color="white" class="px-3">
                         <span v-if="isSetGroupVisible" class="flex items-center gap-2">
-                            {{ __(setGroup.display) }}
-                            <Icon name="chevron-right" class="relative top-px size-3" />
+                            <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __(setGroup.display) }}</span>
+                            <Icon name="chevron-right" class="size-3" />
                         </span>
-                        {{ __(config.display) || config.handle }}
+                        <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __(config.display) || config.handle }}</span>
                     </Badge>
                     <Icon
                         v-if="config.instructions && !collapsed"
diff --git a/resources/js/components/global-header/Search.vue b/resources/js/components/global-header/Search.vue
index a1c7849dc5c..cbebfbe89ca 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/global-header/Search.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/global-header/Search.vue
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { Icon } from '@ui';
             hover:bg-black/45 hover:text-white/70
         ">
             <Icon name="magnifying-glass" class="size-5 flex-none text-white/50 group-hover:text-white/70" />
-            <span class="sr-only leading-none sm:not-sr-only st-text-trim-cap">{{ __('Search') }}</span>
+            <span class="max-sm:sr-only leading-none st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ __('Search') }}</span>
             <kbd class="ml-auto hidden self-center rounded-md bg-white/5 px-[0.3125rem] py-[0.0625rem] text-[0.625rem]/4 font-medium text-white/60 group-hover:text-white/70 ring-1 ring-white/7.5 [word-spacing:-0.15em] ring-inset md:block">
                 <kbd class="font-sans">⌘ </kbd><kbd class="font-sans">K</kbd>
             </kbd>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/ui/Badge.vue b/resources/js/components/ui/Badge.vue
index 554220066e3..3c9a9deaf6b 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/ui/Badge.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/ui/Badge.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup>
-import { computed, useAttrs, useSlots } from 'vue';
+import { Comment, Text, computed, useAttrs, useSlots } from 'vue';
 import { cva } from 'cva';
 import { twMerge } from 'tailwind-merge';
 import Icon from './Icon/Icon.vue';
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ const props = defineProps({
 const attrs = useAttrs();
 const slots = useSlots();
 const hasDefaultSlot = !!slots.default;
+
+// Plain text in the slot gets wrapped so it can be trimmed like the `text` prop
+const slotIsText = () => slots.default().every((node) => node.type === Text || node.type === Comment);
 const tag = computed(() => {
     if (props.href) {
         return props.target === '_blank' ? 'a' : Link;
@@ -44,12 +47,12 @@ const tag = computed(() => {
 
 const badgeClasses = computed(() => {
     const classes = cva({
-        base: 'relative inline-flex items-center justify-center gap-1 border dark:border-none dark:pb-0.25 font-normal antialiased whitespace-nowrap no-underline not-prose [button]:cursor-pointer group [&_svg]:opacity-60 [&_svg]:group-hover:opacity-80 dark:[&_svg]:group-hover:opacity-70',
+        base: 'relative inline-flex items-center justify-center gap-1 border dark:border-none dark:not-supports-[text-box:ex_alphabetic]:pb-0.25 font-normal antialiased whitespace-nowrap no-underline not-prose [button]:cursor-pointer group [&_svg]:opacity-60 [&_svg]:group-hover:opacity-80 dark:[&_svg]:group-hover:opacity-70',
         variants: {
             size: {
-                sm: 'text-2xs leading-normal px-1.25 rounded-[0.1875rem] [&_svg]:size-2.5',
-                default: 'text-xs leading-5.5 px-2.25 rounded-sm [&_svg]:size-3.5 gap-2',
-                lg: 'font-medium text-sm leading-7 px-2.5 rounded-lg [&_svg]:size-4 gap-2',
+                sm: 'text-2xs leading-normal min-h-[calc(1.5em+2px)] px-1.25 rounded-[0.1875rem] [&_svg]:size-2.5',
+                default: 'text-xs leading-5.5 min-h-[calc(1.375rem+2px)] px-2.25 rounded-sm [&_svg]:size-3.5 gap-2',
+                lg: 'font-medium text-sm leading-7 min-h-[calc(1.75rem+2px)] px-2.5 rounded-lg [&_svg]:size-4 gap-2',
             },
             color: {
                 amber: 'bg-amber-50 dark:bg-gray-800 border-amber-400 dark:border-amber-700 text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-300 [a]:hover:bg-amber-100 dark:[a]:hover:bg-gray-700 [button]:hover:bg-amber-100 dark:[button]:hover:bg-gray-700',
@@ -92,11 +95,12 @@ const restAttrs = computed(() => {
 
 <template>
     <component :is="tag" v-bind="restAttrs" :class="badgeClasses" :href="props.href" :target="target" data-ui-badge>
-        <span v-if="props.prepend" class="font-medium border-e border-inherit ps-0.5 pe-1.5">{{ prepend }}</span>
+        <span v-if="props.prepend" class="self-stretch flex items-center font-medium border-e border-inherit ps-0.5 pe-1.5"><span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ prepend }}</span></span>
         <Icon v-if="icon" :name="icon" />
-        <slot v-if="hasDefaultSlot" />
-        <template v-else><span :class="{ 'st-text-trim-cap': prepend || append }">{{ text }}</span></template>
+        <span v-if="hasDefaultSlot && slotIsText()" class="st-text-trim-optical-cap"><slot /></span>
+        <slot v-else-if="hasDefaultSlot" />
+        <span v-else class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ text }}</span>
         <Icon v-if="iconAppend" :name="iconAppend" />
-        <span v-if="props.append" class="font-medium border-s border-inherit ps-1.5 pe-0.5">{{ append }}</span>
+        <span v-if="props.append" class="self-stretch flex items-center font-medium border-s border-inherit ps-1.5 pe-0.5"><span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">{{ append }}</span></span>
     </component>
 </template>
diff --git a/resources/js/stories/docs/Badge.mdx b/resources/js/stories/docs/Badge.mdx
index 2e91fe1d3f1..e01332dae7c 100644
--- a/resources/js/stories/docs/Badge.mdx
+++ b/resources/js/stories/docs/Badge.mdx
@@ -31,5 +31,15 @@ Use the `pill` prop to round out the badge.
 Badges can be used as links by passing an `href` prop. They will use Inertia to navigate unless you add `target="_blank"` to open in a new tab.
 <Canvas of={BadgeStories.Link} sourceState={'shown'} />
 
+## Custom content
+Text from the `text` prop, or plain text in the default slot, is trimmed so it sits optically centred. If you pass your own elements in the slot, add the `st-text-trim-optical-cap` class to the element holding the text so it lines up with other badges.
+
+```html
+<Badge>
+    <StatusIndicator status="published" />
+    <span class="st-text-trim-optical-cap">About us</span>
+</Badge>
+```
+
 ## Arguments
 <ArgTypes of={BadgeStories} />
diff --git a/resources/js/tests/components/Badge.test.js b/resources/js/tests/components/Badge.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4543f3802b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/tests/components/Badge.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils';
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { h } from 'vue';
+import Badge from '@/components/ui/Badge.vue';
+
+const mountBadge = (options) => mount(Badge, { global: { stubs: { Icon: true } }, ...options });
+
+test('text from the text prop is wrapped so it can be trimmed', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountBadge({ props: { text: 'Published' } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('span.st-text-trim-optical-cap').text()).toBe('Published');
+});
+
+test('plain text in the slot is wrapped so it can be trimmed', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountBadge({ slots: { default: 'Draft' } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('span.st-text-trim-optical-cap').text()).toBe('Draft');
+});
+
+test('elements in the slot are rendered as they are', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountBadge({ slots: { default: () => h('time', 'Yesterday') } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('.st-text-trim-optical-cap').exists()).toBe(false);
+    expect(wrapper.find('[data-ui-badge] > time').text()).toBe('Yesterday');
+});
+
+test('a mix of text and elements in the slot is rendered as it is', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountBadge({ slots: { default: () => ['Edited ', h('time', 'yesterday')] } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('.st-text-trim-optical-cap').exists()).toBe(false);
+    expect(wrapper.find('[data-ui-badge]').text()).toBe('Edited yesterday');
+});
+
+test('prepended and appended text is wrapped so it can be trimmed', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountBadge({ props: { prepend: 'Records', text: '1,204', append: 'cached' } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.findAll('.st-text-trim-optical-cap').map((el) => el.text())).toEqual(['Records', '1,204', 'cached']);
+});