diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 502577b..05b12eb 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ render(zathura_t* zathura, zathura_page_t* page)
   /* create cairo surface */
   unsigned int page_width  = 0;
   unsigned int page_height = 0;
-  page_calc_height_width(page, &page_height, &page_width, false);
+  const double real_scale = page_calc_height_width(page, &page_height, &page_width, false);
 
   cairo_surface_t* surface = cairo_image_surface_create(CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24, page_width, page_height);
 
@@ -174,9 +174,8 @@ render(zathura_t* zathura, zathura_page_t* page)
   cairo_restore(cairo);
   cairo_save(cairo);
 
-  double scale = zathura_document_get_scale(zathura->document);
-  if (fabs(scale - 1.0f) > FLT_EPSILON) {
-    cairo_scale(cairo, scale, scale);
+  if (fabs(real_scale - 1.0f) > FLT_EPSILON) {
+    cairo_scale(cairo, real_scale, real_scale);
   }
 
   render_lock(zathura->sync.render_thread);
diff --git a/utils.c b/utils.c
index b775778..52a5b26 100644
--- a/utils.c
+++ b/utils.c
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ set_adjustment(GtkAdjustment* adjustment, gdouble value)
                            MIN(gtk_adjustment_get_upper(adjustment) - gtk_adjustment_get_page_size(adjustment), value)));
 }
 
-void
+double
 page_calc_height_width(zathura_page_t* page, unsigned int* page_height, unsigned int* page_width, bool rotate)
 {
   g_return_if_fail(page != NULL && page_height != NULL && page_width != NULL);
@@ -268,14 +268,19 @@ page_calc_height_width(zathura_page_t* page, unsigned int* page_height, unsigned
   double height = zathura_page_get_height(page);
   double width  = zathura_page_get_width(page);
   double scale  = zathura_document_get_scale(document);
+  double real_scale;
 
   if (rotate && zathura_document_get_rotation(document) % 180) {
     *page_width  = ceil(height * scale);
     *page_height = ceil(width  * scale);
+    real_scale = MAX(*page_width / height, *page_height / width);
   } else {
     *page_width  = ceil(width  * scale);
     *page_height = ceil(height * scale);
+    real_scale = MAX(*page_width / width, *page_height / height);
   }
+
+  return real_scale;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/utils.h b/utils.h
index d5d8b48..b480ab8 100644
--- a/utils.h
+++ b/utils.h
@@ -100,8 +100,9 @@ void set_adjustment(GtkAdjustment* adjust, gdouble value);
  * @param page_height the resulting page height
  * @param page_width the resultung page width
  * @param rotate honor page's rotation
+ * @return real scale after rounding
  */
-void
+double
 page_calc_height_width(zathura_page_t* page, unsigned int* page_height, unsigned int* page_width, bool rotate);
 
 /**