diff --git a/media/js/jquery.dataTables.js b/media/js/jquery.dataTables.js
index 41a4fa32..0d7c4ce0 100644
--- a/media/js/jquery.dataTables.js
+++ b/media/js/jquery.dataTables.js
@@ -3780,7 +3780,7 @@
 		 * Get the widest node
 		 *  @param {object} oSettings dataTables settings object
 		 *  @param {int} iCol column of interest
-		 *  @returns {string} max string length for each column
+		 *  @returns {node} widest table node
 		 *  @memberof DataTable#oApi
 		 */
 		function _fnGetWidestNode( oSettings, iCol )
diff --git a/media/src/core/core.draw.js b/media/src/core/core.draw.js
index 66319ee5..d3579367 100644
--- a/media/src/core/core.draw.js
+++ b/media/src/core/core.draw.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /**
  * Create a new TR element (and it's TD children) for a row
  *  @param {object} oSettings dataTables settings object
@@ -691,10 +690,12 @@ function _fnAddOptionsHtml ( oSettings )
 function _fnDetectHeader ( aLayout, nThead )
 {
 	var nTrs = $(nThead).children('tr');
-	var nCell;
-	var i, j, k, l, iLen, jLen, iColShifted;
+	var nTr, nCell;
+	var i, k, l, iLen, jLen, iColShifted, iColumn, iColspan, iRowspan;
+	var bUnique;
 	var fnShiftCol = function ( a, i, j ) {
-		while ( a[i][j] ) {
+		var k = a[i];
+                while ( k[j] ) {
 			j++;
 		}
 		return j;
@@ -711,19 +712,18 @@ function _fnDetectHeader ( aLayout, nThead )
 	/* Calculate a layout array */
 	for ( i=0, iLen=nTrs.length ; i<iLen ; i++ )
 	{
-		var iColumn = 0;
+		nTr = nTrs[i];
+		iColumn = 0;
 		
 		/* For every cell in the row... */
-		for ( j=0, jLen=nTrs[i].childNodes.length ; j<jLen ; j++ )
-		{
-			nCell = nTrs[i].childNodes[j];
-
+		nCell = nTr.firstChild;
+		while ( nCell ) {
 			if ( nCell.nodeName.toUpperCase() == "TD" ||
 			     nCell.nodeName.toUpperCase() == "TH" )
 			{
 				/* Get the col and rowspan attributes from the DOM and sanitise them */
-				var iColspan = nCell.getAttribute('colspan') * 1;
-				var iRowspan = nCell.getAttribute('rowspan') * 1;
+				iColspan = nCell.getAttribute('colspan') * 1;
+				iRowspan = nCell.getAttribute('rowspan') * 1;
 				iColspan = (!iColspan || iColspan===0 || iColspan===1) ? 1 : iColspan;
 				iRowspan = (!iRowspan || iRowspan===0 || iRowspan===1) ? 1 : iRowspan;
 
@@ -732,6 +732,9 @@ function _fnDetectHeader ( aLayout, nThead )
 				 */
 				iColShifted = fnShiftCol( aLayout, i, iColumn );
 				
+				/* Cache calculation for unique columns */
+				bUnique = iColspan === 1 ? true : false;
+				
 				/* If there is col / rowspan, copy the information into the layout grid */
 				for ( l=0 ; l<iColspan ; l++ )
 				{
@@ -739,13 +742,14 @@ function _fnDetectHeader ( aLayout, nThead )
 					{
 						aLayout[i+k][iColShifted+l] = {
 							"cell": nCell,
-							"unique": iColspan == 1 ? true : false
+							"unique": bUnique
 						};
-						aLayout[i+k].nTr = nTrs[i];
+						aLayout[i+k].nTr = nTr;
 					}
 				}
 			}
-		}
+			nCell = nCell.nextSibling;
+               }
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/media/src/core/core.sizing.js b/media/src/core/core.sizing.js
index b502209d..ebc5c075 100644
--- a/media/src/core/core.sizing.js
+++ b/media/src/core/core.sizing.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 
-
 /**
  * Convert a CSS unit width to pixels (e.g. 2em)
  *  @param {string} sWidth width to be converted
@@ -284,7 +283,7 @@ function _fnScrollingWidthAdjust ( oSettings, n )
  * Get the widest node
  *  @param {object} oSettings dataTables settings object
  *  @param {int} iCol column of interest
- *  @returns {string} max string length for each column
+ *  @returns {node} widest table node
  *  @memberof DataTable#oApi
  */
 function _fnGetWidestNode( oSettings, iCol )