diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
index 8c1661b2e0..d0518311f5 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view.cc
@@ -1151,27 +1151,21 @@ MidiView::model_changed()
 
 	NoteBase* cne;
 
-	if (_midi_context.visibility_range_style() == MidiViewBackground::ContentsRange) {
-
-		uint8_t low_note = std::numeric_limits<uint8_t>::max();
-		uint8_t hi_note = std::numeric_limits<uint8_t>::min();
-
-		for (MidiModel::Notes::iterator n = notes.begin(); n != notes.end(); ++n) {
-			if ((*n)->note() < low_note) {
-				low_note = (*n)->note();
-			}
-			if ((*n)->note() > hi_note)  {
-				hi_note = (*n)->note();
-			}
-		}
+	uint8_t low_note = std::numeric_limits<uint8_t>::max();
+	uint8_t hi_note = std::numeric_limits<uint8_t>::min();
 
+	if (!notes.empty()) {
+		low_note = _model->lowest_note ();
+		hi_note = _model->highest_note ();
+	} else {
 		/* Pick a reasonable default range if the model is mepty */
+		low_note = UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_lower_midi_note();
+		hi_note = UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_upper_midi_note();
+	}
 
-		if (notes.empty()) {
-			low_note = UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_lower_midi_note();
-			hi_note = UIConfiguration::instance().get_default_upper_midi_note();
-		}
+	_midi_context.update_data_note_range (low_note, hi_note);
 
+	if (_midi_context.visibility_range_style() == MidiViewBackground::ContentsRange) {
 		maybe_set_note_range (low_note, hi_note);
 	}
 
@@ -1755,8 +1749,8 @@ MidiView::note_in_region_range (const std::shared_ptr<NoteType> note, bool& visi
 	const std::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::MidiRegion> midi_reg = midi_region();
 
 	const bool outside = !note_in_region_time_range (note);
-
-	visible = (note->note() >= _midi_context.lowest_note()) && (note->note() <= _midi_context.highest_note());
+	const int y = _midi_context.note_to_y (note->note());
+	visible =  (y >= 0) && (y <= _midi_context.contents_height());
 
 	return !outside;
 }
@@ -1931,7 +1925,7 @@ MidiView::region_update_sustained (Note *ev, double& x0, double& x1, double& y0,
 		x1 = std::max(1., _editing_context.duration_to_pixels (_midi_region->length()));
 	}
 
-	y1 = y0 + std::max(1., floor(note_height()) - 1);
+	y1 = std::min ((double) _midi_context.contents_height(), y0 + std::max(1., floor(note_height()) - 1));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.cc
index 6fa63d4769..91a3a18404 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.cc
@@ -275,10 +275,20 @@ MidiViewBackground::apply_note_range (uint8_t lowest, uint8_t highest, bool to_c
 
 	float uiscale = UIConfiguration::instance().get_ui_scale();
 
-	int const range = _highest_note - _lowest_note;
-	int nh = std::max (5, std::min ((int) (UIConfiguration::instance().get_max_note_height() * uiscale), (int) ceil ((double) contents_height() / range)));
+	int range = _highest_note - _lowest_note;
+	int apparent_note_height = (int) ceil ((double) contents_height() / range);
+	int nh = std::min ((int) (UIConfiguration::instance().get_max_note_height() * uiscale), apparent_note_height);
 	int additional_notes = 0;
 
+	if (nh < 3) {
+		/* range does not fit, so center on the data range */
+		nh = 3;
+		range = _data_note_max - _data_note_min;
+		int center = _data_note_min + (range /2);
+		highest = center + ((contents_height() / nh) / 2);
+		lowest = center - ((contents_height() / nh) / 2);
+	}
+
 	if (note_range_set) {
 		/* how many notes do we need to add or remove to adequately
 		 * fill contents_height() with note lines?
@@ -360,6 +370,7 @@ bool
 MidiViewBackground::update_data_note_range (uint8_t min, uint8_t max)
 {
 	bool dirty = false;
+
 	if (min < _data_note_min) {
 		_data_note_min = min;
 		dirty = true;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.h b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.h
index 36501344bd..e9ea7bf576 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_view_background.h
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ class MidiViewBackground : public virtual ViewBackground
 
 	sigc::signal<void,bool> NoteVisibilityShouldChange;
 
+	bool update_data_note_range (uint8_t min, uint8_t max);
+
   protected:
 	EditingContext&           _editing_context;
 	bool                      _range_dirty;
@@ -156,7 +158,6 @@ class MidiViewBackground : public virtual ViewBackground
 	void parameter_changed (std::string const &);
 	void note_range_adjustment_changed();
 	void setup_note_lines();
-	bool update_data_note_range (uint8_t min, uint8_t max);
 	void update_contents_height ();
 	virtual void apply_note_range_to_children () = 0;
 	virtual bool updates_suspended() const { return false; }