diff --git a/src/display-buffer.coffee b/src/display-buffer.coffee
index 60430692b..0b15bb7c5 100644
--- a/src/display-buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/display-buffer.coffee
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ class DisplayBuffer extends Model
 
   getSoftWrapColumn: ->
     if atom.config.get('editor.softWrapAtPreferredLineLength')
-      Math.min(@getEditorWidthInChars(), atom.config.getPositiveInt('editor.preferredLineLength', @getEditorWidthInChars()))
+      Math.min(@getEditorWidthInChars(), atom.config.get('editor.preferredLineLength'))
     else
       @getEditorWidthInChars()
 
diff --git a/src/tokenized-buffer.coffee b/src/tokenized-buffer.coffee
index 8872b6e01..07cd8fc36 100644
--- a/src/tokenized-buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/tokenized-buffer.coffee
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class TokenizedBuffer extends Model
   constructor: ({@buffer, @tabLength, @invisibles}) ->
     @emitter = new Emitter
 
-    @tabLength ?= atom.config.getPositiveInt('editor.tabLength', 2)
+    @tabLength ?= atom.config.get('editor.tabLength')
 
     @subscribe atom.syntax.onDidAddGrammar(@grammarAddedOrUpdated)
     @subscribe atom.syntax.onDidUpdateGrammar(@grammarAddedOrUpdated)
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ class TokenizedBuffer extends Model
 
     @subscribe @$tabLength.changes, (tabLength) => @retokenizeLines()
 
-    @subscribe atom.config.observe 'editor.tabLength', callNow: false, =>
-      @setTabLength(atom.config.getPositiveInt('editor.tabLength', 2))
+    @subscribe atom.config.onDidChange 'editor.tabLength', (value) => @setTabLength(value)
 
     @reloadGrammar()