Use "session.titlebarLayout: IMLC" to define the layout for window titlebars.
Any combination or order can be used, although checks are made for sanity.
Meaning: I = iconify button, C = close, M = maximize, L = text label.
diff -ruN blackbox/src/BlackboxResource.cc bb.titlebar/src/BlackboxResource.cc
--- blackbox/src/BlackboxResource.cc	2004-02-13 09:36:18.000000000 +0200
+++ bb.titlebar/src/BlackboxResource.cc	2004-02-16 00:21:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@
   menu_file = bt::expandTilde(res.read("session.menuFile",
                                        "Session.MenuFile", DEFAULTMENU));
 
+  titlebar_layout = res.read("session.titlebarLayout",
+                                       "Session.TitlebarLayout", "ILMC");
+
   unsigned int maxcolors = res.read("session.maximumColors",
                                     "Session.MaximumColors",
                                     ~0u);
@@ -146,6 +149,8 @@
 
   res.write("session.menuFile", menuFilename());
 
+  res.write("session.titlebarLayout", titlebarLayout());
+
   res.write("session.styleFile", styleFilename());
 
   res.write("session.maximumColors",  bt::Image::maximumColors());
diff -ruN blackbox/src/BlackboxResource.hh bb.titlebar/src/BlackboxResource.hh
--- blackbox/src/BlackboxResource.hh	2004-02-13 09:36:18.000000000 +0200
+++ bb.titlebar/src/BlackboxResource.hh	2004-02-16 00:21:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
   };
   BCursor cursor;
 
-  std::string menu_file, style_file, rc_file;
+  std::string menu_file, style_file, rc_file, titlebar_layout;
   Time double_click_interval;
   bt::timeval auto_raise_delay;
 
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@
   { return menu_file.c_str(); }
   inline const char* styleFilename(void) const
   { return style_file.c_str(); }
+  inline const char* titlebarLayout(void) const
+  { return titlebar_layout.c_str(); }
 
   inline void saveStyleFilename(const std::string& name)
   { style_file = name; }
diff -ruN blackbox/src/Window.cc bb.titlebar/src/Window.cc
--- blackbox/src/Window.cc	2004-02-13 09:36:18.000000000 +0200
+++ bb.titlebar/src/Window.cc	2004-02-16 00:22:59.000000000 +0200
@@ -822,87 +822,171 @@
 
 
 void BlackboxWindow::positionButtons(bool redecorate_label) {
-  // we need to use signed ints here to detect windows that are too small
-  const int
-    bw = frame.style->button_width + frame.style->bevel_width + 1,
-    by = frame.style->bevel_width + 1;
-  int lx = by, lw = frame.inside_w - by;
+  char *format = (char *) blackbox->resource().titlebarLayout();
+  int bc = 0, x = 0, lw = 0;
+  int tx = frame.style->bevel_width;
+  int ty = frame.style->bevel_width;
+  char layout[5] = "";
+
+  // parse the user provided titlebar format
+  // and add things to our own layout, with sanity checks
+  for (x=0, bc=0; &format[x] != "" && x <= 3; x++) {
+    switch (*(format + x)) {
+      case 'I':
+      {
+        if (!strrchr(layout, 'I') && (client.decorations & WindowDecorationIconify)) {
+          strcat(layout, "I");
+          bc++;
+        }
+        break;
+      }
+      case 'M':
+      {
+        if (!strrchr(layout, 'M') && (client.decorations & WindowDecorationMaximize)) {
+          strcat(layout, "M");
+          bc++;
+        }
+      }
+      case 'C':
+      {
+        if (!strrchr(layout, 'C') && (client.decorations & WindowDecorationClose)) {
+          strcat(layout, "C");
+          bc++;
+        }
+        break;
+      } 
+      case 'L':
+      {
+        if (!strrchr(layout, 'L')) {
+          strcat(layout, "L");
+        }
+        break;
+      }   
+    }
+  }
+  
+  // if there's no label
+  if (!strrchr(layout,'L')) {
+    // add it; gotta have the label :)
+    strcat(layout, "L");
+  }
+
+  // calculate the label width: it's the frame for the width,
+  // minus the width of all the buttons, minus a bevel for each
+  // button, for the label, and for the end side of the bar
+  lw = frame.inside_w - bc * frame.style->button_width - (bc + 2) * frame.style->bevel_width;
+
+  // sanity check; if the label falls under 1 we'll crash later
+  frame.label_w = (lw > 0) ? lw : 1;
+
+  // parse our own sane layout and render elements
+  for (x=0; x < strlen(layout); x++) {
+    switch (layout[x]) {
+      case 'I':
+      {
+        tx += BlackboxWindow::positionIconifyButton(tx,ty);
+        break;
+      }
+      case 'L':
+      {
+        tx += BlackboxWindow::positionLabel(tx,ty);
+        break;
+      }   
+      case 'M':
+      {
+        tx += BlackboxWindow::positionMaximizeButton(tx,ty);
+        break;
+      }
+      case 'C':
+      {
+        tx += BlackboxWindow::positionCloseButton(tx,ty);
+        break;
+      } 
+    }
+  }
+
+  // if a label refresh was requested
+  if (redecorate_label) {
+    // try to find it in the cache first
+    frame.flabel =
+      bt::PixmapCache::find(screen->screenNumber(),
+                            frame.style->l_focus,
+                            frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height,
+                            frame.flabel);
+    frame.ulabel =
+      bt::PixmapCache::find(screen->screenNumber(),
+                            frame.style->l_unfocus,
+                            frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height,
+                            frame.ulabel);
+  }
+
+  // if the text is bigger than the label, show "..." instead
+  const std::string ellided =
+    bt::ellideText(client.title, frame.label_w, "...",
+                   screen->screenNumber(), frame.style->font);
+
+  // use the shortened text, if needed
+  if (ellided != client.visible_title) {
+    client.visible_title = ellided;
+    blackbox->netwm().setWMVisibleName(client.window, client.visible_title);
+  }
+
+  // actually draw stuff
+  redrawLabel();
+  redrawAllButtons();
+}
+
 
+int BlackboxWindow::positionIconifyButton(int tx, int ty) {
   if (client.decorations & WindowDecorationIconify) {
     if (frame.iconify_button == None) createIconifyButton();
-
-    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.iconify_button, by, by,
+    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.iconify_button, tx, ty,
                       frame.style->button_width, frame.style->button_width);
     XMapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.iconify_button);
-
-    lx += bw;
-    lw -= bw;
+    return frame.style->button_width + frame.style->bevel_width;
   } else if (frame.iconify_button) {
     destroyIconifyButton();
+    return 0;
   }
+  return 0;
+}
 
-  int bx = frame.inside_w - bw;
 
+int BlackboxWindow::positionCloseButton(int tx, int ty) {
   if (client.decorations & WindowDecorationClose) {
     if (frame.close_button == None) createCloseButton();
-
-    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.close_button, bx, by,
+    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.close_button, tx, ty,
                       frame.style->button_width, frame.style->button_width);
     XMapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.close_button);
-
-    bx -= bw;
-    lw -= bw;
+    return frame.style->button_width + frame.style->bevel_width;
   } else if (frame.close_button) {
     destroyCloseButton();
+    return 0;
   }
+  return 0;
+}
 
+
+int BlackboxWindow::positionMaximizeButton(int tx, int ty) {
   if (client.decorations & WindowDecorationMaximize) {
     if (frame.maximize_button == None) createMaximizeButton();
-
-    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.maximize_button, bx, by,
+    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.maximize_button, tx, ty,
                       frame.style->button_width, frame.style->button_width);
     XMapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.maximize_button);
-
-    bx -= bw;
-    lw -= bw;
+    return frame.style->button_width + frame.style->bevel_width;
   } else if (frame.maximize_button) {
     destroyMaximizeButton();
+    return 0;
   }
+  return 0;
+}
 
-  if (lw > by) {
-    frame.label_w = lw - by;
-    XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.label, lx,
-                      frame.style->bevel_width,
-                      frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height);
-    XMapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.label);
-
-    if (redecorate_label) {
-      frame.flabel =
-        bt::PixmapCache::find(screen->screenNumber(),
-                              frame.style->l_focus,
-                              frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height,
-                              frame.flabel);
-      frame.ulabel =
-        bt::PixmapCache::find(screen->screenNumber(),
-                              frame.style->l_unfocus,
-                              frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height,
-                              frame.ulabel);
-    }
-
-    const std::string ellided =
-      bt::ellideText(client.title, frame.label_w, "...",
-                     screen->screenNumber(), frame.style->font);
-
-    if (ellided != client.visible_title) {
-      client.visible_title = ellided;
-      blackbox->netwm().setWMVisibleName(client.window, client.visible_title);
-    }
-  } else {
-    XUnmapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.label);
-  }
 
-  redrawLabel();
-  redrawAllButtons();
+int BlackboxWindow::positionLabel(int tx, int ty) {
+  XMoveResizeWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.label, tx, ty,
+                  frame.label_w, frame.style->label_height);
+  XMapWindow(blackbox->XDisplay(), frame.label);
+  return frame.label_w + frame.style->bevel_width;
 }
 
 
diff -ruN blackbox/src/Window.hh bb.titlebar/src/Window.hh
--- blackbox/src/Window.hh	2004-02-13 09:36:18.000000000 +0200
+++ bb.titlebar/src/Window.hh	2004-02-16 00:21:10.000000000 +0200
@@ -244,6 +244,11 @@
   void positionButtons(bool redecorate_label = false);
   void positionWindows(void);
 
+  int positionCloseButton(int tx, int ty);
+  int positionMaximizeButton(int tx, int ty);
+  int positionIconifyButton(int tx, int ty);
+  int positionLabel(int tx, int ty);
+
   void createTitlebar(void);
   void destroyTitlebar(void);
   void createHandle(void);