diff --git a/spec/app/config-spec.coffee b/spec/app/config-spec.coffee
index 7bfe22e2f..f09fa913b 100644
--- a/spec/app/config-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/config-spec.coffee
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ describe "Config", ->
       expect(config.save).toHaveBeenCalled()
       expect(observeHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith 42
 
+  describe ".getPositiveInt(keyPath, defaultValue)", ->
+    it "returns the proper current or default value", ->
+      config.set('editor.preferredLineLength', 0)
+      expect(config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)).toBe 80
+      config.set('editor.preferredLineLength', -1234)
+      expect(config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)).toBe 80
+      config.set('editor.preferredLineLength', 'abcd')
+      expect(config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)).toBe 80
+      config.set('editor.preferredLineLength', null)
+      expect(config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)).toBe 80
+
   describe ".save()", ->
     beforeEach ->
       spyOn(fsUtils, 'write')
diff --git a/src/app/config.coffee b/src/app/config.coffee
index 067f3d0cb..8209307cf 100644
--- a/src/app/config.coffee
+++ b/src/app/config.coffee
@@ -100,6 +100,24 @@ class Config
     _.valueForKeyPath(@settings, keyPath) ?
       _.valueForKeyPath(@defaultSettings, keyPath)
 
+  # Public: Retrieves the setting for the given key as an integer number.
+  #
+  # keyPath - The {String} name of the key to retrieve
+  # Returns the value from Atom's default settings, the user's configuration file,
+  # or `NaN` if the key doesn't exist in either.
+  getInt: (keyPath, defaultValueWhenFalsy) ->
+    parseInt(@get(keyPath))
+
+  # Public: Retrieves the setting for the given key as a positive integer number.
+  #
+  # keyPath - The {String} name of the key to retrieve
+  # defaultValue - The integer {Number} to fall back to if the value isn't
+  #                positive
+  # Returns the value from Atom's default settings, the user's configuration file,
+  # or `defaultValue` if the key value isn't greater than zero.
+  getPositiveInt: (keyPath, defaultValue) ->
+    Math.max(@getInt(keyPath), 0) or defaultValue
+
   # Public: Sets the value for a configuration setting.
   #
   # This value is stored in Atom's internal configuration file.
diff --git a/src/packages/autoflow/autoflow.coffee b/src/packages/autoflow/autoflow.coffee
index 058b9c3b5..83bf56d02 100644
--- a/src/packages/autoflow/autoflow.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/autoflow/autoflow.coffee
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module.exports =
       editor.getBuffer().change(range, @reflow(editor.getTextInRange(range)))
 
   reflow: (text) ->
-    wrapColumn = config.get('editor.preferredLineLength') ? 80
+    wrapColumn = config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)
     lines = []
 
     currentLine = []
diff --git a/src/packages/wrap-guide/lib/wrap-guide-view.coffee b/src/packages/wrap-guide/lib/wrap-guide-view.coffee
index dcce9c44e..dbfbc6333 100644
--- a/src/packages/wrap-guide/lib/wrap-guide-view.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/wrap-guide/lib/wrap-guide-view.coffee
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class WrapGuideView extends View
     @subscribe $(window), 'resize', => @updateGuide()
 
   getDefaultColumn: ->
-    config.get('editor.preferredLineLength') ? 80
+    config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', 80)
 
   getGuideColumn: (path) ->
     customColumns = config.get('wrapGuide.columns')