diff --git a/IPython/html/static/edit/js/main.js b/IPython/html/static/edit/js/main.js
index 4a2731082..b7f234ab6 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/edit/js/main.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/edit/js/main.js
@@ -79,16 +79,11 @@ require([
 
     // Make sure the codemirror editor is sized appropriatley.
     var _handle_resize = function() {
-        var header = $('#header');
+        var backdrop = $("#texteditor-backdrop");
 
-        // The header doesn't have a margin or padding above it.  Calculate
-        // the lower margin&padding by subtracting the innerHeight from the
-        // outerHeight.
-        var header_margin_bottom = header.outerHeight(true) - header.innerHeight();
-
-        // When scaling CodeMirror, subtract the header lower margin from the
-        // height twice.  Once for top padding and once for bottom padding.
-        $('div.CodeMirror').height(window.innerHeight - header.height() - 2*header_margin_bottom);
+        // account for padding on the backdrop wrapper
+        var padding = backdrop.outerHeight(true) - backdrop.height();
+        $('div.CodeMirror').height($("#site").height() - padding);
     };
     $(window).resize(_handle_resize);
 
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/edit/less/edit.less b/IPython/html/static/edit/less/edit.less
index 99d07884f..2413fdc7e 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/edit/less/edit.less
+++ b/IPython/html/static/edit/less/edit.less
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
     padding-bottom: @page-header-padding;
     
     @media not print{
-        min-height: @page-backdrop-height;
         background-color: @page-backdrop-color;
     }
 
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@
         @media not print{
             padding: 0px;
             background-color :  @page-color;
-            min-height: @page-min-height;
             .box-shadow(@global-shadow);
         }
     }
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/style/style.min.css b/IPython/html/static/style/style.min.css
index fccb613e1..0ffd1c9cf 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/style/style.min.css
+++ b/IPython/html/static/style/style.min.css
@@ -8878,7 +8878,6 @@ ul#new-menu {
 }
 @media not print {
   #texteditor-backdrop {
-    min-height: 100vh;
     background-color: #eeeeee;
   }
 }
@@ -8898,7 +8897,6 @@ ul#new-menu {
   #texteditor-backdrop #texteditor-container {
     padding: 0px;
     background-color: #ffffff;
-    min-height: 0;
     -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 12px 1px rgba(87, 87, 87, 0.2);
     box-shadow: 0px 0px 12px 1px rgba(87, 87, 87, 0.2);
   }