diff --git a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
index 2c2f8ed16..d81d114d7 100644
--- a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ describe "EditorComponent", ->
       verticalScrollbarNode = componentNode.querySelector('.vertical-scrollbar')
       horizontalScrollbarNode = componentNode.querySelector('.horizontal-scrollbar')
 
-      wrapperNode.style.height = editor.getLineCount() * lineHeightInPixels + 'px'
-      wrapperNode.style.width = '1000px'
       component.measureScrollView()
       runSetImmediateCallbacks()
 
@@ -1920,7 +1918,7 @@ describe "EditorComponent", ->
 
     it "updates the wrap location when the editor is resized", ->
       newHeight = 4 * editor.getLineHeightInPixels() + "px"
-      expect(newHeight).toBeLessThan wrapperNode.style.height
+      expect(parseInt(newHeight)).toBeLessThan wrapperNode.offsetHeight
       wrapperNode.style.height = newHeight
 
       advanceClock(component.scrollViewMeasurementInterval)
@@ -1991,6 +1989,18 @@ describe "EditorComponent", ->
       runSetImmediateCallbacks()
       expect(lineNumberHasClass(4, 'cursor-line-no-selection')).toBe false
 
+  describe "height", ->
+    describe "when the wrapper view has an explicit height", ->
+      it "does not assign a height on the component node", ->
+        wrapperNode.style.height = '200px'
+        component.measureScrollView()
+        expect(componentNode.style.height).toBe ''
+
+    describe "when the wrapper view does not have an explicit height", ->
+      it "assigns a height on the component node based on the editor's content", ->
+        expect(wrapperNode.style.height).toBe ''
+        expect(componentNode.style.height).toBe editor.getScreenLineCount() * lineHeightInPixels + 'px'
+
   describe "when the 'mini' property is true", ->
     beforeEach ->
       component.setProps(mini: true)
diff --git a/src/editor-component.coffee b/src/editor-component.coffee
index 59d969c3a..1a15e553a 100644
--- a/src/editor-component.coffee
+++ b/src/editor-component.coffee
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
   scrollViewMeasurementInterval: 100
   scopedCharacterWidthsChangeCount: null
   scrollViewMeasurementPaused: false
+  autoHeight: false
 
   render: ->
     {focused, fontSize, lineHeight, fontFamily, showIndentGuide, showInvisibles, showLineNumbers, visible} = @state
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     maxLineNumberDigits = editor.getLineCount().toString().length
     invisibles = if showInvisibles then @state.invisibles else {}
     hasSelection = editor.getSelection()? and !editor.getSelection().isEmpty()
+    style = {fontSize, lineHeight, fontFamily}
 
     if @isMounted()
       renderedRowRange = @getRenderedRowRange()
@@ -80,12 +82,13 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
       hiddenInputStyle.WebkitTransform = 'translateZ(0)' if @useHardwareAcceleration
       if @mouseWheelScreenRow? and not (renderedStartRow <= @mouseWheelScreenRow < renderedEndRow)
         mouseWheelScreenRow = @mouseWheelScreenRow
+      style.height = scrollViewHeight if @autoHeight
 
     className = 'editor-contents editor-colors'
     className += ' is-focused' if focused
     className += ' has-selection' if hasSelection
 
-    div className: className, style: {fontSize, lineHeight, fontFamily}, tabIndex: -1,
+    div {className, style, tabIndex: -1},
       if not mini and showLineNumbers
         GutterComponent {
           ref: 'gutter', onMouseDown: @onGutterMouseDown, onWidthChanged: @onGutterWidthChanged,
@@ -766,10 +769,15 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     {height} = parentNode.style
 
     if position is 'absolute' or height
+      if @autoHeight
+        @autoHeight = false
+        @forceUpdate()
+
       clientHeight =  scrollViewNode.clientHeight
       editor.setHeight(clientHeight) if clientHeight > 0
     else
       editor.setHeight(null)
+      @autoHeight = true
 
     clientWidth = scrollViewNode.clientWidth
     paddingLeft = parseInt(getComputedStyle(scrollViewNode).paddingLeft)