diff --git a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
index 664fc2699..3909bc474 100644
--- a/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/root-view-spec.coffee
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ describe "RootView", ->
       expect(editor4.buffer.path).toBe require.resolve('fixtures/sample.txt')
       expect(editor4.getCursorScreenPosition()).toEqual [0, 2]
 
+      # ensure adjustSplitPanes is called
+      expect(editor1.width()).toBeGreaterThan 0
+      expect(editor2.width()).toBeGreaterThan 0
+      expect(editor3.width()).toBeGreaterThan 0
+      expect(editor4.width()).toBeGreaterThan 0
+
+
   describe "split editor panes", ->
     editor1 = null
 
diff --git a/src/app/root-view.coffee b/src/app/root-view.coffee
index 3c0204b89..59cfc8ba1 100644
--- a/src/app/root-view.coffee
+++ b/src/app/root-view.coffee
@@ -90,9 +90,11 @@ class RootView extends View
         @getWindowState($(elt))
 
   setWindowState: (windowState, parent) ->
+    adjustSplitPanes = false
     unless parent
       @panes.empty()
       @editors = []
+      adjustSplitPanes = true
       parent = @panes
 
     switch windowState.shift()
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ class RootView extends View
         for child in windowState
           @setWindowState(child, column)
 
+    @adjustSplitPanes() if adjustSplitPanes
+
   addPane: (view, sibling, axis, side) ->
     unless sibling.parent().hasClass(axis)
       container = $$ -> @div class: axis