diff --git a/spec/text-editor-component-spec.js b/spec/text-editor-component-spec.js
index d00400dc0..398ad7155 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-component-spec.js
+++ b/spec/text-editor-component-spec.js
@@ -254,6 +254,39 @@ describe('TextEditorComponent', () => {
       expect(cursorNodes.length).toBe(0)
     })
 
+    it('hides cursors with non-empty selections when showCursorOnSelection is false', async () => {
+      const {component, element, editor} = buildComponent()
+      editor.setSelectedScreenRanges([
+        [[0, 0], [0, 3]],
+        [[1, 0], [1, 0]]
+      ])
+      await component.getNextUpdatePromise()
+      {
+        const cursorNodes = Array.from(element.querySelectorAll('.cursor'))
+        expect(cursorNodes.length).toBe(2)
+        verifyCursorPosition(component, cursorNodes[0], 0, 3)
+        verifyCursorPosition(component, cursorNodes[1], 1, 0)
+      }
+
+      editor.update({showCursorOnSelection: false})
+      await component.getNextUpdatePromise()
+      {
+        const cursorNodes = Array.from(element.querySelectorAll('.cursor'))
+        expect(cursorNodes.length).toBe(1)
+        verifyCursorPosition(component, cursorNodes[0], 1, 0)
+      }
+
+      editor.setSelectedScreenRanges([
+        [[0, 0], [0, 3]],
+        [[1, 0], [1, 4]]
+      ])
+      await component.getNextUpdatePromise()
+      {
+        const cursorNodes = Array.from(element.querySelectorAll('.cursor'))
+        expect(cursorNodes.length).toBe(0)
+      }
+    })
+
     it('blinks cursors when the editor is focused and the cursors are not moving', async () => {
       assertDocumentFocused()
       const {component, element, editor} = buildComponent()
diff --git a/src/cursor.coffee b/src/cursor.coffee
index 47e8c0594..184e6ad43 100644
--- a/src/cursor.coffee
+++ b/src/cursor.coffee
@@ -12,20 +12,14 @@ EmptyLineRegExp = /(\r\n[\t ]*\r\n)|(\n[\t ]*\n)/g
 # of a {DisplayMarker}.
 module.exports =
 class Cursor extends Model
-  showCursorOnSelection: null
   screenPosition: null
   bufferPosition: null
   goalColumn: null
-  visible: true
 
   # Instantiated by a {TextEditor}
-  constructor: ({@editor, @marker, @showCursorOnSelection, id}) ->
+  constructor: ({@editor, @marker, id}) ->
     @emitter = new Emitter
-
-    @showCursorOnSelection ?= true
-
     @assignId(id)
-    @updateVisibility()
 
   destroy: ->
     @marker.destroy()
@@ -57,15 +51,6 @@ class Cursor extends Model
   onDidDestroy: (callback) ->
     @emitter.on 'did-destroy', callback
 
-  # Public: Calls your `callback` when the cursor's visibility has changed
-  #
-  # * `callback` {Function}
-  #   * `visibility` {Boolean}
-  #
-  # Returns a {Disposable} on which `.dispose()` can be called to unsubscribe.
-  onDidChangeVisibility: (callback) ->
-    @emitter.on 'did-change-visibility', callback
-
   ###
   Section: Managing Cursor Position
   ###
@@ -568,21 +553,6 @@ class Cursor extends Model
   Section: Visibility
   ###
 
-  # Public: Sets whether the cursor is visible.
-  setVisible: (visible) ->
-    if @visible isnt visible
-      @visible = visible
-      @emitter.emit 'did-change-visibility', @visible
-
-  # Public: Returns the visibility of the cursor.
-  isVisible: -> @visible
-
-  updateVisibility: ->
-    if @showCursorOnSelection
-      @setVisible(true)
-    else
-      @setVisible(@marker.getBufferRange().isEmpty())
-
   ###
   Section: Comparing to another cursor
   ###
@@ -599,9 +569,6 @@ class Cursor extends Model
   Section: Utilities
   ###
 
-  # Public: Prevents this cursor from causing scrolling.
-  clearAutoscroll: ->
-
   # Public: Deselects the current selection.
   clearSelection: (options) ->
     @selection?.clear(options)
@@ -651,11 +618,6 @@ class Cursor extends Model
   Section: Private
   ###
 
-  setShowCursorOnSelection: (value) ->
-    if value isnt @showCursorOnSelection
-      @showCursorOnSelection = value
-      @updateVisibility()
-
   getNonWordCharacters: ->
     @editor.getNonWordCharacters(@getScopeDescriptor().getScopesArray())
 
diff --git a/src/selection.coffee b/src/selection.coffee
index 8aa86157e..935a15b13 100644
--- a/src/selection.coffee
+++ b/src/selection.coffee
@@ -769,8 +769,6 @@ class Selection extends Model
     {oldHeadScreenPosition, oldTailScreenPosition, newHeadScreenPosition} = e
     {textChanged} = e
 
-    @cursor.updateVisibility()
-
     unless oldHeadScreenPosition.isEqual(newHeadScreenPosition)
       @cursor.goalColumn = null
       cursorMovedEvent = {
diff --git a/src/text-editor-component.js b/src/text-editor-component.js
index 7ba75573f..c87958f98 100644
--- a/src/text-editor-component.js
+++ b/src/text-editor-component.js
@@ -920,6 +920,7 @@ class TextEditorComponent {
 
   addCursorDecorationToMeasure (marker, screenRange, reversed) {
     const {model} = this.props
+    if (!model.getShowCursorOnSelection() && !screenRange.isEmpty()) return
     const isLastCursor = model.getLastCursor().getMarker() === marker
     const screenPosition = reversed ? screenRange.start : screenRange.end
     const {row, column} = screenPosition
diff --git a/src/text-editor.coffee b/src/text-editor.coffee
index f2c0ab92f..bf3979a36 100644
--- a/src/text-editor.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor.coffee
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
         when 'showCursorOnSelection'
           if value isnt @showCursorOnSelection
             @showCursorOnSelection = value
-            cursor.setShowCursorOnSelection(value) for cursor in @getCursors()
+            @component?.scheduleUpdate()
 
         else
           if param isnt 'ref' and param isnt 'key'