diff --git a/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.cpp b/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.cpp
index aa5c331..8c42b22 100644
--- a/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.cpp
+++ b/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.cpp
@@ -246,6 +246,15 @@ bool ElasticProgressInfo::setTabstops(bool stepless) {
 
 
 void ColumnsPlusPlusData::analyzeTabstops(DocumentData& dd) {
+    dd.elasticAnalysisRequired   = false;
+    dd.deleteWithoutLayoutChange = false;
+    dd.width24b = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "                        ");
+    dd.width24d = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "123456789012345678901234");
+    dd.width24w = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW");
+    dd.assumeMonospace = dd.settings.monospace == ElasticTabsProfile::MonospaceBest ? guessMonospaced()
+                       : dd.settings.monospace == ElasticTabsProfile::MonospaceAlways;
+    int ccsym = settings.monospaceNoMnemonics && dd.assumeMonospace ? '!' : 0;
+    if (sci.ControlCharSymbol() != ccsym) sci.SetControlCharSymbol(ccsym);
     ElasticProgressInfo epi(*this, dd);
     epi.isAnalyze   = true;
     epi.firstNeeded = 0;
@@ -272,8 +281,6 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::analyzeTabstops(DocumentData& dd) {
 
 bool ElasticProgressInfo::analyzeTabstops() {
     auto& sci = data.sci;
-    dd.elasticAnalysisRequired   = false;
-    dd.deleteWithoutLayoutChange = false;
     const Scintilla::Line firstToProcess = step * stepSize;
     const Scintilla::Line lastToProcess  = std::min(lastNeeded, firstToProcess + stepSize - 1);
     if (!step) dd.tabLayouts.clear();
@@ -414,7 +421,7 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::scnModified(const Scintilla::NotificationData* scnp) {
         int width;
         if (findTabLayoutBlock(ctd, scnp->position, scnp->length, tlb, width)) {
             width += sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, std::string(ctd.settings.minimumSpaceBetweenColumns, ' ').data());
-            if (!tlb || width < tlb->width) {
+            if (!tlb || width < tlb->width - 1) /* a one-pixel error is possible with DirectWrite and monospace font optimization */ {
                 ctd.deleteWithoutLayoutChange         = true;
                 ctd.deleteWithoutLayoutChangePosition = scnp->position;
                 ctd.deleteWithoutLayoutChangeLength   = scnp->length;
@@ -441,11 +448,7 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::scnUpdateUI(const Scintilla::NotificationData* scnp) {
     if (Scintilla::FlagSet(scnp->updated, Scintilla::Update::Selection)) syncFindButton();
     if (!ddp->settings.elasticEnabled) return;
     ddp->deleteWithoutLayoutChange = false;
-    if (fontSpacingChange(*ddp)) {
-        setSpacing(*ddp);
-        analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
-    }
-    else if (ddp->elasticAnalysisRequired) analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
+    if (ddp->elasticAnalysisRequired || fontSpacingChange(*ddp)) analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
     if (Scintilla::FlagSet(scnp->updated, Scintilla::Update::Selection)) reselectRectangularSelectionAndControlCharSymbol(*ddp, false);
     setTabstops(*ddp);
 }
@@ -455,7 +458,6 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::scnZoom(const Scintilla::NotificationData* scnp) {
     DocumentData* ddp = getDocument(scnp);
     if (!ddp || !ddp->settings.elasticEnabled) return;
     ddp->deleteWithoutLayoutChange = false;
-    setSpacing(*ddp);
     analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
     setTabstops(*ddp);
 }
@@ -496,7 +498,6 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::bufferActivated() {
     }
     if (settings.overrideTabSize) sci.SetTabWidth(settings.minimumOrLeadingTabSize);
     if (isNewDocument) {
-        setSpacing(dd);
         analyzeTabstops(dd);
         setTabstops(dd);
     }
@@ -526,17 +527,11 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::modifyAll(const NMHDR* nmhdr) {
     position &= 0x3FFFFFFF;
     intptr_t index = SendMessage(nppData._nppHandle, NPPM_GETCURRENTDOCINDEX, 0, secondary);
     if (index < 0) return;
-    if (position == index) /* buffer is visible (notification happens, or at least can happen, after scnUpdateUI due to changes) */ {
-        activeScintilla  = secondary ? nppData._scintillaSecondHandle : nppData._scintillaMainHandle;
-        pointerScintilla = SendMessage(activeScintilla, static_cast<UINT>(Scintilla::Message::GetDirectPointer), 0, 0);
-        sci.SetFnPtr(directStatusScintilla, pointerScintilla);
-        sci.SetStatus(Scintilla::Status::Ok);
-        void* docptr = sci.DocPointer();
-        if (!documents.contains(docptr)) return;
-        DocumentData& dd = documents[docptr];
-        if (fontSpacingChange(dd)) setSpacing(dd);
-        analyzeTabstops(dd);
-        setTabstops(dd);
+    if (position == index) /* buffer is visible */ {
+        DocumentData* ddp = getDocument(secondary ? nppData._scintillaSecondHandle : nppData._scintillaMainHandle);
+        if (!ddp) return;
+        analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
+        setTabstops(*ddp);
         return;
     }
     for (auto i = documents.begin(); i != documents.end(); ++i) if (i->second.buffer == bufferID) {
@@ -557,7 +552,6 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::toggleElasticEnabled() {
             sci.SetTabWidth(settings.minimumOrLeadingTabSize);
         }
         sci.SetTabIndents(0);
-        setSpacing(*ddp);
         analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
         setTabstops(*ddp);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.h b/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.h
index ed2433f..d6a5cc4 100644
--- a/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.h
+++ b/src/ColumnsPlusPlus.h
@@ -303,7 +303,9 @@ class DocumentData {
     DocumentDataSettings settings;
     std::vector<TabLayoutBlock> tabLayouts;
     UINT_PTR buffer;                              // identifier used by Notepad++ messages and notifications
-    int      blankWidth = 0;                      // the blank width at which tabLayouts were calculated; if this changes, full analysis is required
+    int      width24b = 0;                        // the widths of 24 blanks, 24 digits and 24 capital W letters
+    int      width24d = 0;                        //     at which tabLayouts were calculated;
+    int      width24w = 0;                        //     if these values change, full analysis is required
     int      tabOriginal;                         // set when buffer activated, used for restore when elasticTabsEnabled or overrideTabSize turned off
     bool     elasticAnalysisRequired = false;
     bool     deleteWithoutLayoutChange = false;
@@ -398,8 +400,8 @@ class ColumnsPlusPlusData {
         return &dd;
     }
 
-    DocumentData* getDocument(const Scintilla::NotificationData* scnp) {
-        activeScintilla = reinterpret_cast<HWND>(scnp->nmhdr.hwndFrom);
+    DocumentData* getDocument(HWND scintillaHandle) {
+        activeScintilla  = scintillaHandle;
         pointerScintilla = SendMessage(activeScintilla, static_cast<UINT>(Scintilla::Message::GetDirectPointer), 0, 0);
         sci.SetFnPtr(directStatusScintilla, pointerScintilla);
         sci.SetStatus(Scintilla::Status::Ok);  // C-interface code can ignore an error status, which would cause the C++ interface to raise an exception 
@@ -408,33 +410,30 @@ class ColumnsPlusPlusData {
         return &documents[docptr];
     }
 
+    DocumentData* getDocument(const Scintilla::NotificationData* scnp) { return getDocument(reinterpret_cast<HWND>(scnp->nmhdr.hwndFrom)); }
+
     RectangularSelection getRectangularSelection();
 
     bool fontSpacingChange(DocumentData& dd) {
-        int width = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, " ");
-        if (width != dd.blankWidth) return true;
-        if (dd.settings.monospace != ElasticTabsProfile::MonospaceBest) return false;
-        return dd.assumeMonospace != guessMonospaced(width);
+        if (dd.width24b != sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "                        ")) return true;
+        if (dd.width24d != sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "123456789012345678901234")) return true;
+        if (dd.width24w != sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW")) return true;
+        return false;
     }
 
-    bool guessMonospaced(int width = 0) {
-        if (!width) width = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, " ");
-        if (sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "W") != width) return false;
+    bool guessMonospaced() {
+        int width24b = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "                        ");
+        int width24w = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW");
+        if (width24b != width24w) return false;
         for (int style = 0; style < STYLE_DEFAULT; ++style)
-            if (sci.TextWidth(style, "W") != width || sci.TextWidth(style, " ") != width) return false;
+            if ( sci.TextWidth(style, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW") != width24b
+              || sci.TextWidth(style, "                        ") != width24b) return false;
         for (int style = STYLE_LASTPREDEFINED + 1; style < 256; ++style)
-            if (sci.TextWidth(style, "W") != width || sci.TextWidth(style, " ") != width) return false;
+            if ( sci.TextWidth(style, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW") != width24b
+              || sci.TextWidth(style, "                        ") != width24b) return false;
         return true;
     }
 
-    void setSpacing(DocumentData& dd) {
-        dd.blankWidth      = sci.TextWidth(STYLE_DEFAULT, " ");
-        dd.assumeMonospace = dd.settings.monospace == ElasticTabsProfile::MonospaceBest ? guessMonospaced(dd.blankWidth)
-                           : dd.settings.monospace == ElasticTabsProfile::MonospaceAlways;
-        int ccsym = settings.monospaceNoMnemonics && dd.assumeMonospace ? '!' : 0;
-        if (sci.ControlCharSymbol() != ccsym) sci.SetControlCharSymbol(ccsym);
-    }
-
     void reselectRectangularSelectionAndControlCharSymbol(DocumentData& dd, bool setControlCharSymbol) {
         if (!dd.settings.elasticEnabled) return;
         Scintilla::SelectionMode selectionMode = sci.SelectionMode();
diff --git a/src/Profiles.cpp b/src/Profiles.cpp
index 2ae5356..97100d6 100644
--- a/src/Profiles.cpp
+++ b/src/Profiles.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ void ColumnsPlusPlusData::showElasticProfile() {
         ddp->settings = settings;
         if (settings.elasticEnabled) {
             sci.SetTabWidth(settings.overrideTabSize ? settings.minimumOrLeadingTabSize : ddp->tabOriginal);
-            setSpacing(*ddp);
             analyzeTabstops(*ddp);
             setTabstops(*ddp);
         }