diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfPage.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfPage.coffee
index b481b66701..7a38176bf3 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfPage.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfPage.coffee
@@ -29,32 +29,16 @@ define [
 					canvasElement.width(w)
 					scope.page.sized = true
 
-				isVisible = (containerSize) ->
-					elemTop = element.offset().top - containerSize[2]
-					elemBottom = elemTop + element.innerHeight()
-					visible = (elemTop < containerSize[1] and elemBottom > 0)
-					scope.page.visible = visible
-					scope.page.elemTop = elemTop
-					scope.page.elemBottom = elemBottom
-					return visible
-
-				renderPage = () ->
-					scope.document.renderPage {
-						canvas: canvasElement,
-						text: textElement
-						annotations: annotationsElement
-						highlights: highlightsElement
-					}, scope.page.pageNum
-
-				pausePage = () ->
-					scope.document.pause {
-						canvas: canvasElement,
-						text: textElement
-					}, scope.page.pageNum
-
 				# keep track of our page element, so we can access it in the
-				# parent with scope.pages[i].element
+				# parent with scope.pages[i].element, and the contained
+				# elements for each part
 				scope.page.element = element
+				scope.page.elementChildren = {
+					canvas: canvasElement,
+					text: textElement
+					annotations: annotationsElement
+					highlights: highlightsElement
+				}
 
 				if !scope.page.sized
 					if scope.defaultPageSize?
@@ -69,23 +53,10 @@ define [
 
 				if scope.page.current
 						# console.log 'we must scroll to this page', scope.page.pageNum, 'at position', scope.page.position
-						renderPage()
 						# this is the current page, we want to scroll it into view
+						# FIXME: do we need to ensure render fires before moving to this position???
 						ctrl.setPdfPosition(scope.page, scope.page.position)
 
-				watchHandle = scope.$watch 'containerSize', (containerSize, oldVal) ->
-					return unless containerSize?
-					return unless scope.page.sized
-					oldVisible = scope.page.visible
-					newVisible = isVisible containerSize
-					scope.page.visible = newVisible
-					if newVisible && !oldVisible
-						renderPage()
-						# TODO deregister this listener after the page is rendered
-						#watchHandle()
-					else if !newVisible && oldVisible
-						pausePage()
-
 				element.on 'dblclick', (e) ->
 					offset = $(element).find('.pdf-canvas').offset()
 					dx = e.pageX - offset.left
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfRenderer.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfRenderer.coffee
index e7d2b061cb..d8979bb69a 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfRenderer.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfRenderer.coffee
@@ -107,6 +107,15 @@ define [
 				@jobs = @jobs - 1
 				@triggerRenderQueue(0)
 
+			renderPages: (pages) ->
+				return if @shuttingDown
+				@renderQueue = for page in pages
+					{
+						'element': page.elementChildren
+						'pagenum': page.pageNum
+					}
+				@triggerRenderQueue()
+
 			renderPage: (element, pagenum) ->
 				return if @shuttingDown
 				current = {
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfViewer.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfViewer.coffee
index ad1c2eef6c..505e1d8020 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfViewer.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/ide/pdfng/directives/pdfViewer.coffee
@@ -245,6 +245,33 @@ define [
 						element.offset().top
 					]
 
+				getVisiblePages = () ->
+					top = element.offset().top
+					bottom = top + element.innerHeight();
+					isVisible = (pageElement) ->
+						pageTop = pageElement.offset().top
+						pageBottom = pageTop + pageElement.innerHeight()
+						return pageTop < bottom and pageBottom > top
+					return (page for page in scope.pages when isVisible(page.element))
+
+				getExtraPages = (visiblePages) ->
+					extra = []
+					firstVisiblePage = visiblePages[0].pageNum
+					firstVisiblePageIdx = firstVisiblePage - 1
+					len = visiblePages.length
+					lastVisiblePage = visiblePages[len-1].pageNum
+					lastVisiblePageIdx = lastVisiblePage - 1
+					# first page after
+					if lastVisiblePageIdx + 1 < len
+						extra.push scope.pages[lastVisiblePageIdx + 1]
+					# page before
+					if firstVisiblePageIdx > 0
+						extra.push scope.pages[firstVisiblePageIdx - 1]
+					# second page after
+					if lastVisiblePageIdx + 2 < len
+						extra.push scope.pages[lastVisiblePageIdx + 2]
+					return visiblePages.concat extra
+
 				doRescale = (scale) ->
 					# console.log 'doRescale', scale
 					origposition = angular.copy scope.position
@@ -307,14 +334,6 @@ define [
 					# trigger a redraw
 					scope.scale = angular.copy (scope.scale)
 
-        // shim layer with setTimeout fallback
-        requestAnimationFrame = do () ->
-          window.requestAnimationFrame  ||
-          window.webkitRequestAnimationFrame ||
-          window.mozRequestAnimationFrame    ||
-          (callback) -> window.setTimeout(callback, 1000 / 60)
-
-        rafActive = null
 				element.on 'scroll', () ->
 					#console.log 'scroll event', element.scrollTop(), 'adjusting?', scope.adjustingScroll
 					scope.scrollPosition = element.scrollTop()
@@ -323,41 +342,21 @@ define [
 						scope.$apply()
 						scope.adjustingScroll = false
 						return
-					# scope.scrolled = true
-					# if scope.scrollHandlerTimeout
-					#	$timeout.cancel(scope.scrollHandlerTimeout)
-					# scope.scrollHandlerTimeout = $timeout scrollHandler, 100
-					if not rafActive?
-						rafActive = requestAnimationFrame(scrollCheck)
-
-				prev = null
-				scope.scrollPosition = element.scrollTop()
-				scrollCheck = (timestamp) ->
-					prev = timestamp if not prev?
-					dt = timestamp - prev
-					if (dt > 100)
-						scope.lastScrollPosition = scope.scrollPosition if not scope.lastScrollPosition?
-						dy = scope.scrollPosition - scope.lastScrollPosition
-						scope.lastScrollPosition = scope.scrollPosition
-						console.log 'handle scroll dy', dy if dy != 0
-						scope.scrolled = true if dy != 0
-						if scope.scrolled && dy == 0
-							scrollHandler()
-							scope.scrolled = false
-							rafActive = null
-							return
-					requestAnimationFrame(scrollCheck)
-
-				requestAnimationFrame(scrollCheck)
+					scope.scrolled = true
+					if scope.scrollHandlerTimeout
+						$timeout.cancel(scope.scrollHandlerTimeout)
+					scope.scrollHandlerTimeout = $timeout scrollHandler, 25
 
 				scrollHandler = () ->
-					updateContainer()
+					visiblePages = getVisiblePages()
+					pages = getExtraPages visiblePages
+					scope.document.renderPages(pages)
 					scope.$apply()
 					newPosition = ctrl.getPdfPosition()
 					if newPosition?
 						scope.position = newPosition
 					scope.$apply()
-					# scope.scrollHandlerTimeout = null
+					scope.scrollHandlerTimeout = null
 
 				scope.$watch 'pdfSrc', (newVal, oldVal) ->
 					# console.log 'loading pdf', newVal, oldVal