diff --git a/src/static/js/scroll.js b/src/static/js/scroll.js
index 136eb4f27..82e58cec1 100644
--- a/src/static/js/scroll.js
+++ b/src/static/js/scroll.js
@@ -434,7 +434,9 @@ Scroll.prototype.getCountOfVisibleCharsInViewport = (line, viewport) => {
     // each character
     let i = 0;
     console.log(node);
+    if (!node || !node.childNodes) return;
     node = node.childNodes[0];
+    if (!node) return; // temp patch to be removed.
     if (node.childNodes && node.childNodes[1].length === 0) return;
     console.log(node);
     console.log(node.wholeText.length);
diff --git a/tests/frontend/specs/pageupdown.js b/tests/frontend/specs/pageupdown.js
index 77f74d2fa..e96ab176e 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/specs/pageupdown.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/specs/pageupdown.js
@@ -11,27 +11,26 @@ describe('Page Up & Page Down', function () {
           '\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n' +
           '\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n' +
           '\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n' +
-          '\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n');
+          '\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nhello');
         cb();
       },
     });
   });
 
-  // scrolls up 3 times
+  // scrolls up 2 times
   it('scrolls up on key stroke', async function () {
-    let currentLineNumber = helper.caretLineNumber();
+    await helper.edit('Line 80', 80);
+    await helper.waitForPromise(() => 81 === helper.caretLineNumber());
+    // for some reason the page isn't inline with the edit
+    helper.padOuter$('#outerdocbody').parent().scrollTop(1000);
+    let intitialLineNumber = helper.caretLineNumber();
     helper.pageUp();
-    await helper.waitForPromise(() => currentLineNumber > helper.caretLineNumber());
-
-    currentLineNumber = helper.caretLineNumber();
+    await helper.waitForPromise(() => intitialLineNumber > helper.caretLineNumber());
+    intitialLineNumber = helper.caretLineNumber();
     helper.pageUp();
-    await helper.waitForPromise(() => currentLineNumber > helper.caretLineNumber());
-
-    currentLineNumber = helper.caretLineNumber();
-    helper.pageUp();
-    await helper.waitForPromise(() => currentLineNumber > helper.caretLineNumber());
+    await helper.waitForPromise(() => intitialLineNumber > helper.caretLineNumber());
+    await helper.waitForPromise(() => helper.padOuter$('#outerdocbody').parent().scrollTop() < 1000);
   });
-
   // scrolls down 3 times
   it('scrolls down on key stroke', async function () {
     // this places the caret in the first line