diff --git a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
index 57e35fd0e..96feec59d 100644
--- a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -488,6 +488,16 @@ describe "Editor", ->
             expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line').length).toBe 10
             expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line:first').text()).toBe buffer.lineForRow(1)
             expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line:last').html()).toBe ' ' # line 10 is blank
+            expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:first').text()).toBe '2'
+            expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe '11'
+
+            # here we don't scroll far enough to trigger additional rendering
+            editor.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 5.5) # first visible row will be 5, last will be 10
+            expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line').length).toBe 10
+            expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line:first').text()).toBe buffer.lineForRow(1)
+            expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line:last').html()).toBe ' ' # line 10 is blank
+            expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:first').text()).toBe '2'
+            expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe '11'
 
             editor.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 7.5) # first visible row is 7, last will be 12
             expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line').length).toBe 8
@@ -651,18 +661,17 @@ describe "Editor", ->
       editor.attachToDom(heightInLines: 5.5)
 
     it "creates a line number element for each visible line, plus overdraw", ->
-      expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number').length).toEqual(8)
+      expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number').length).toBe 8
       expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:first').text()).toBe "1"
       expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe "8"
 
-      editor.verticalScrollbar.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 1.5)
-      editor.verticalScrollbar.trigger 'scroll'
+      # here we don't scroll far enough to trigger additional rendering
+      editor.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 1.5)
       expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line').length).toBe 8
       expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:first').text()).toBe "1"
-      expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe "9"
+      expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe "8"
 
-      editor.verticalScrollbar.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 3.5)
-      editor.verticalScrollbar.trigger 'scroll'
+      editor.scrollTop(editor.lineHeight * 3.5)
       expect(editor.visibleLines.find('.line').length).toBe 10
       expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:first').text()).toBe "2"
       expect(editor.gutter.find('.line-number:last').text()).toBe "11"
diff --git a/src/app/editor.coffee b/src/app/editor.coffee
index 38de0eb4a..88f406771 100644
--- a/src/app/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/app/editor.coffee
@@ -306,15 +306,13 @@ class Editor extends View
     renderFrom = Math.max(0, firstVisibleScreenRow - @lineOverdraw)
     renderTo = Math.min(@getLastScreenRow(), lastVisibleScreenRow + @lineOverdraw)
 
-    @gutter.renderLineNumbers(renderFrom, renderTo)
-
     if firstVisibleScreenRow < @firstRenderedScreenRow
       @removeLineElements(Math.max(@firstRenderedScreenRow, renderTo + 1), @lastRenderedScreenRow)
       @lastRenderedScreenRow = renderTo
       newLines = @buildLineElements(renderFrom, Math.min(@firstRenderedScreenRow - 1, renderTo))
       @insertLineElements(renderFrom, newLines)
       @firstRenderedScreenRow = renderFrom
-      adjustPadding = true
+      renderedLines = true
 
     if lastVisibleScreenRow > @lastRenderedScreenRow
       if 0 <= @firstRenderedScreenRow < renderFrom
@@ -324,9 +322,10 @@ class Editor extends View
       newLines = @buildLineElements(startRowOfNewLines, renderTo)
       @insertLineElements(startRowOfNewLines, newLines)
       @lastRenderedScreenRow = renderTo
-      adjustPadding = true
+      renderedLines = true
 
-    if adjustPadding
+    if renderedLines
+      @gutter.renderLineNumbers(renderFrom, renderTo)
       paddingTop = @firstRenderedScreenRow * @lineHeight
       @visibleLines.css('padding-top', paddingTop)
       @gutter.lineNumbers.css('padding-top', paddingTop)