diff --git a/gertty/view/side_diff.py b/gertty/view/side_diff.py
index 41c21a7..9644595 100644
--- a/gertty/view/side_diff.py
+++ b/gertty/view/side_diff.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ from gertty import mywid
 from gertty import gitrepo
 from gertty.view.diff import *
 
+LN_COL_WIDTH = 5
+
 class SideDiffCommentEdit(BaseDiffCommentEdit):
     def __init__(self, app, context, old_key=None, new_key=None, old=u'', new=u''):
         super(SideDiffCommentEdit, self).__init__([])
@@ -32,9 +34,9 @@ class SideDiffCommentEdit(BaseDiffCommentEdit):
         self.new_key = new_key
         self.old = urwid.Edit(edit_text=old, multiline=True)
         self.new = urwid.Edit(edit_text=new, multiline=True)
-        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', 4, False)))
+        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', LN_COL_WIDTH, False)))
         self.contents.append((urwid.AttrMap(self.old, 'draft-comment'), ('weight', 1, False)))
-        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', 4, False)))
+        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', LN_COL_WIDTH, False)))
         self.contents.append((urwid.AttrMap(self.new, 'draft-comment'), ('weight', 1, False)))
         self.focus_position = 3
 
@@ -60,9 +62,9 @@ class SideDiffComment(BaseDiffComment):
             oldt = urwid.AttrMap(oldt, 'comment')
         if new:
             newt = urwid.AttrMap(newt, 'comment')
-        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', 4, False)))
+        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', LN_COL_WIDTH, False)))
         self.contents.append((oldt, ('weight', 1, False)))
-        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', 4, False)))
+        self.contents.append((urwid.Text(u''), ('given', LN_COL_WIDTH, False)))
         self.contents.append((newt, ('weight', 1, False)))
 
 class SideDiffLine(BaseDiffLine):
@@ -74,13 +76,13 @@ class SideDiffLine(BaseDiffLine):
             if ln is None:
                 ln = ''
             else:
-                ln = str(ln)
+                ln = '%*i' % (LN_COL_WIDTH-1, ln)
             ln_col = urwid.Text(('line-number', ln))
             ln_col.set_wrap_mode('clip')
             line_col = urwid.Text(line)
             if action == '':
                 line_col = urwid.AttrMap(line_col, 'nonexistent')
-            columns += [(4, ln_col), line_col]
+            columns += [(LN_COL_WIDTH, ln_col), line_col]
         col = urwid.Columns(columns)
         map = {None: 'focused',
                'added-line': 'focused-added-line',
diff --git a/gertty/view/unified_diff.py b/gertty/view/unified_diff.py
index 899ef95..8c6d488 100644
--- a/gertty/view/unified_diff.py
+++ b/gertty/view/unified_diff.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ from gertty import mywid
 from gertty import gitrepo
 from gertty.view.diff import *
 
+LN_COL_WIDTH = 5
+
 class UnifiedDiffCommentEdit(BaseDiffCommentEdit):
     def __init__(self, context, oldnew, key=None, comment=u''):
         super(UnifiedDiffCommentEdit, self).__init__([])
@@ -53,11 +55,11 @@ class UnifiedDiffLine(BaseDiffLine):
         if old_ln is None:
             old_ln = ''
         else:
-            old_ln = str(old_ln)
+            old_ln = '%*i' % (LN_COL_WIDTH-1, old_ln)
         if new_ln is None:
             new_ln = ''
         else:
-            new_ln = str(new_ln)
+            new_ln = '%*i' % (LN_COL_WIDTH-1, new_ln)
         old_ln_col = urwid.Text(('line-number', old_ln))
         old_ln_col.set_wrap_mode('clip')
         new_ln_col = urwid.Text(('line-number', new_ln))
@@ -65,13 +67,13 @@ class UnifiedDiffLine(BaseDiffLine):
         if oldnew == gitrepo.OLD:
             action = old_action
             line = old_line
-            columns = [(4, old_ln_col), (4, urwid.Text(u''))]
+            columns = [(LN_COL_WIDTH, old_ln_col), (LN_COL_WIDTH, urwid.Text(u''))]
         elif oldnew == gitrepo.NEW:
             action = new_action
             line = new_line
-            columns = [(4, urwid.Text(u'')), (4, new_ln_col)]
+            columns = [(LN_COL_WIDTH, urwid.Text(u'')), (LN_COL_WIDTH, new_ln_col)]
         if new_action == ' ':
-            columns = [(4, old_ln_col), (4, new_ln_col)]
+            columns = [(LN_COL_WIDTH, old_ln_col), (LN_COL_WIDTH, new_ln_col)]
         line_col = urwid.Text(line)
         if action == '':
             line_col = urwid.AttrMap(line_col, 'nonexistent')
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ class UnifiedFileHeader(BaseFileHeader):
                     urwid.Text(('filename', old))])
         elif oldnew == gitrepo.NEW:
             col = urwid.Columns([
-                    (4, urwid.Text(u'')),
+                    (LN_COL_WIDTH, urwid.Text(u'')),
                     urwid.Text(('filename', new))])
         map = {None: 'focused-filename',
                'filename': 'focused-filename'}