diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index 3eea2ffe7..3929f1e9b 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 %
 
 \NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}[1995/12/01]
-\ProvidesPackage{sphinx}[2017/01/16 v1.6 LaTeX package (Sphinx markup)]
+\ProvidesPackage{sphinx}[2017/02/01 v1.6 LaTeX package (Sphinx markup)]
 
 % we delay handling of options to after having loaded packages, because
 % of the need to use \definecolor.
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 ******** ERROR !! PLEASE UPDATE titlesec.sty !!********^^J%
 ******** THIS VERSION SWALLOWS SECTION NUMBERS.********}}}}{}
 \RequirePackage{tabulary}
+% use of \X to minimize possibility of conflict with one-character column types
+\newcolumntype{\X}[2]{p{\dimexpr
+      (\linewidth-\arrayrulewidth)*#1/#2-\tw@\tabcolsep-\arrayrulewidth\relax}}
 \RequirePackage{makeidx}
 % For framing code-blocks and warning type notices, and shadowing topics
 \RequirePackage{framed}
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 519e655ce..e806dad54 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -1206,14 +1206,12 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             self.body.append(self.table.colspec)
         elif self.table.colwidths:
             total = sum(self.table.colwidths)
-            colspec = ['p{\\dimexpr(\\linewidth-\\arrayrulewidth)*%d/%d'
-                       '-2\\tabcolsep-\\arrayrulewidth\\relax}' % (width, total)
+            colspec = ['\\X{%d}{%d}' % (width, total)
                        for width in self.table.colwidths]
             self.body.append('{|%s|}\n' % '|'.join(colspec))
         else:
             if self.table.has_problematic:
-                colspec = ('*{%d}{p{\\dimexpr(\\linewidth-\\arrayrulewidth)/%d'
-                           '-2\\tabcolsep-\\arrayrulewidth\\relax}|}' %
+                colspec = ('*{%d}{\\X{1}{%d}|}' %
                            (self.table.colcount, self.table.colcount))
                 self.body.append('{|' + colspec + '}\n')
             elif self.table.longtable: