diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
index e7a77761afd4..77f6c574b4d0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/_backend_tk.py
@@ -840,8 +840,14 @@ def _rescale(self):
     def add_toolitem(
             self, name, group, position, image_file, description, toggle):
         frame = self._get_groupframe(group)
-        button = NavigationToolbar2Tk._Button(self, name, image_file, toggle,
+        buttons = frame.pack_slaves()
+        if position >= len(buttons) or position < 0:
+            before = None
+        else:
+            before = buttons[position]
+        button = NavigationToolbar2Tk._Button(frame, name, image_file, toggle,
                                               lambda: self._button_click(name))
+        button.pack_configure(before=before)
         if description is not None:
             ToolTip.createToolTip(button, description)
         self._toolitems.setdefault(name, [])
@@ -853,6 +859,7 @@ def _get_groupframe(self, group):
                 self._add_separator()
             frame = tk.Frame(master=self, borderwidth=0)
             frame.pack(side=tk.LEFT, fill=tk.Y)
+            frame._label_font = self._label_font
             self._groups[group] = frame
         return self._groups[group]