diff --git a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
index 87fbce548..36c438ad5 100644
--- a/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@ describe "Editor", ->
         expect(editor.lines.find('.line:eq(5)').text()).toBe "    while(items.length > 0) {"
         expect(editor.bufferPositionForScreenPosition(editor.getCursorScreenPosition())).toEqual [3, 60]
 
+      it "wraps the lines of any newly assigned buffers", ->
+        otherBuffer = new Buffer
+        otherBuffer.setText([1..100].join(''))
+        editor.setBuffer(otherBuffer)
+        expect(editor.lines.find('.line').length).toBeGreaterThan(1)
+
       it "unwraps lines and cancels window resize listener when softwrap is disabled", ->
         editor.toggleSoftWrap()
         expect(editor.lines.find('.line:eq(3)').text()).toBe '    var pivot = items.shift(), current, left = [], right = [];'
diff --git a/src/app/editor.coffee b/src/app/editor.coffee
index fa82450f5..8ba0df5d1 100644
--- a/src/app/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/app/editor.coffee
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class Editor extends View
     @trigger 'buffer-path-change'
     @buffer.on "path-change.editor#{@id}", => @trigger 'buffer-path-change'
 
-    @renderer = new Renderer(@buffer)
+    @renderer = new Renderer(@buffer, { maxLineLength: @calcMaxLineLength() })
     @renderLines()
     @gutter.renderLineNumbers()
 
@@ -277,13 +277,14 @@ class Editor extends View
   toggleSoftWrap: ->
     @setSoftWrap(not @softWrap)
 
-  setMaxLineLength: (maxLineLength) ->
-    maxLineLength ?=
-      if @softWrap
-        Math.floor(@scroller.width() / @charWidth)
-      else
-        Infinity
+  calcMaxLineLength: ->
+    if @softWrap
+      Math.floor(@scroller.width() / @charWidth)
+    else
+      Infinity
 
+  setMaxLineLength: (maxLineLength) ->
+    maxLineLength ?= @calcMaxLineLength()
     @renderer.setMaxLineLength(maxLineLength) if maxLineLength
 
   createFold: (range) ->
@@ -406,7 +407,6 @@ class Editor extends View
 
   foldSelection: -> @getSelection().fold()
 
-
   undo: ->
     @buffer.undo()
 
diff --git a/src/app/renderer.coffee b/src/app/renderer.coffee
index 14e677062..7cd77770a 100644
--- a/src/app/renderer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/renderer.coffee
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ class Renderer
   lastHighlighterChangeEvent: null
   foldPlaceholderLength: 3
 
-  constructor: (@buffer) ->
+  constructor: (@buffer, options={}) ->
     @id = @constructor.idCounter++
     @highlighter = new Highlighter(@buffer)
-    @maxLineLength = Infinity
+    @maxLineLength = options.maxLineLength ? Infinity
     @activeFolds = {}
     @foldsById = {}
     @buildLineMap()