diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/pages/things.py b/r2/r2/lib/pages/things.py
index 70effa99a..c64fc464a 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/pages/things.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/pages/things.py
@@ -222,17 +222,12 @@ def default_thing_wrapper(**params):
 # TODO: move this into lib somewhere?
 def wrap_links(links, wrapper = default_thing_wrapper(),
                listing_cls = LinkListing, 
-               num = None, show_nums = False, nextprev = False,
-               num_margin = None, mid_margin = None, **kw):
+               num = None, show_nums = False, nextprev = False, **kw):
     links = tup(links)
     if not all(isinstance(x, basestring) for x in links):
         links = [x._fullname for x in links]
     b = IDBuilder(links, num = num, wrap = wrapper, **kw)
     l = listing_cls(b, nextprev = nextprev, show_nums = show_nums)
-    if num_margin is not None:
-        l.num_margin = num_margin
-    if mid_margin is not None:
-        l.mid_margin = mid_margin
     return l.listing()
 
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/template_helpers.py b/r2/r2/lib/template_helpers.py
index f6fb47ac2..e99420c68 100755
--- a/r2/r2/lib/template_helpers.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/template_helpers.py
@@ -263,31 +263,8 @@ def replace_render(listing, item, render_func):
             replacements['childlisting'] = ''
 
         #only LinkListing has a show_nums attribute
-        if listing:
-            if hasattr(listing, "show_nums"):
-                if listing.show_nums:
-                    num_str = str(item.num)
-                    if hasattr(listing, "num_margin"):
-                        num_margin = str(listing.num_margin)
-                    else:
-                        num_margin = "%.2fex" % (len(str(listing.max_num))*1.1)
-                else:
-                    num_str = ''
-                    num_margin = "0px;display:none"
-
-                replacements["numcolmargin"] = num_margin
-                replacements["num"] = num_str
-
-            if hasattr(listing, "max_score"):
-                mid_margin = len(str(listing.max_score))
-                if hasattr(listing, "mid_margin"):
-                    mid_margin = str(listing.mid_margin)
-                elif mid_margin == 1:
-                    mid_margin = "15px"
-                else:
-                    mid_margin = "%dex" % (mid_margin+1)
-
-                replacements["midcolmargin"] = mid_margin
+        if listing and hasattr(listing, "show_nums"):
+            replacements["num"] = str(item.num) if listing.show_nums else ""
 
         if hasattr(item, "num_comments"):
             com_label, com_cls = comment_label(item.num_comments)
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/link.py b/r2/r2/models/link.py
index c50aab84f..2c9cc3c1a 100755
--- a/r2/r2/models/link.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/link.py
@@ -577,9 +577,7 @@ class Link(Thing, Printable):
             # bits that we will render stubs (to make the cached
             # version more flexible)
             item.num = CachedVariable("num")
-            item.numcolmargin = CachedVariable("numcolmargin")
             item.commentcls = CachedVariable("commentcls")
-            item.midcolmargin = CachedVariable("midcolmargin")
             item.comment_label = CachedVariable("numcomments")
             item.lastedited = CachedVariable("lastedited")
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
index 415541b58..12fb0ea87 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
@@ -142,13 +142,6 @@ r.spotlight._advance = function(dir) {
         $nextprev.removeClass('working')
         listing.removeClass('loading')
 
-        // size the rank element so that spotlight box
-        // items line up with the main page listing
-        $next
-            .find('.rank')
-            .width($('#siteTable .rank').width())
-            .end()
-
         // match the listing background to that of the displayed thing
         listing.css('background-color', $next.css('background-color'))
 
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/link.html b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
index be1c7bc81..104face21 100755
--- a/r2/r2/templates/link.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
  
 <%def name="numcol()">
   <% num = thing.num %>
-  <span class="rank" style="width:${thing.numcolmargin};">
+  <span class="rank">
     %if thing.num > 0:
       ${thing.num}
     %endif
@@ -175,11 +175,7 @@ ${parent.thing_data_attributes(what)} data-ups="${what.upvotes}" data-downs="${w
 </%def>
 
 <%def name="midcol(display=True, cls = '')">
-  %if thing.pref_compress:
     <div class="midcol ${cls}"
-  %else:
-    <div class="midcol ${cls}" style="width:${thing.midcolmargin};" 
-  %endif
        ${not display and "style='display:none'" or ''}>
     ${self.arrow(thing, 1, thing.likes)}
     %if thing.pref_compress:
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/linklisting.html b/r2/r2/templates/linklisting.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..43a6fdae5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/linklisting.html
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+## The contents of this file are subject to the Common Public Attribution
+## License Version 1.0. (the "License"); you may not use this file except in
+## compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
+## http://code.reddit.com/LICENSE. The License is based on the Mozilla Public
+## License Version 1.1, but Sections 14 and 15 have been added to cover use of
+## software over a computer network and provide for limited attribution for the
+## Original Developer. In addition, Exhibit A has been modified to be
+## consistent with Exhibit B.
+##
+## Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
+## WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for
+## the specific language governing rights and limitations under the License.
+##
+## The Original Code is reddit.
+##
+## The Original Developer is the Initial Developer.  The Initial Developer of
+## the Original Code is reddit Inc.
+##
+## All portions of the code written by reddit are Copyright (c) 2006-2013
+## reddit Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+###############################################################################
+
+## a kooky hack to make ranks and voting arrows in the spotlight box line up
+## without late rendering or blasting style attributes everywhere
+<style>
+  body > .content .rank {
+    width: ${len(str(thing.max_num)) * 1.1}ex
+  }
+  body > .content .midcol {
+    width: ${max(len(str(thing.max_score)), 2) + 1.1}ex
+  }
+</style>
+<%include file="listing.html"/>