diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 8f74b58..8f011f4 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ const builtin = @import("builtin");
 frame_rate: usize = 60,
 theme: []const u8 = "default",
 input_mode: []const u8 = "flow",
-gutter_line_numbers: bool = true,
-gutter_line_numbers_relative: bool = false,
+gutter_line_numbers_mode: ?LineNumberMode = null,
 gutter_line_numbers_style: DigitStyle = .ascii,
 gutter_symbols: bool = true,
 enable_terminal_cursor: bool = true,
@@ -34,3 +33,9 @@ pub const DigitStyle = enum {
     subscript,
     superscript,
 };
+
+pub const LineNumberMode = enum {
+    none,
+    relative,
+    absolute,
+};
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index ef2d734..c4a440a 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -619,6 +619,13 @@ fn config_eql(comptime T: type, a: T, b: T) bool {
     }
     switch (@typeInfo(T)) {
         .Bool, .Int, .Float, .Enum => return a == b,
+        .Optional => |info| {
+            if (a == null and b == null)
+                return true;
+            if (a == null or b == null)
+                return false;
+            return config_eql(info.child, a.?, b.?);
+        },
         else => {},
     }
     @compileError("unsupported config type " ++ @typeName(T));
diff --git a/src/tui/editor_gutter.zig b/src/tui/editor_gutter.zig
index 53ae8fe..21297c0 100644
--- a/src/tui/editor_gutter.zig
+++ b/src/tui/editor_gutter.zig
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const MessageFilter = @import("MessageFilter.zig");
 const tui = @import("tui.zig");
 const ed = @import("editor.zig");
 const DigitStyle = @import("config").DigitStyle;
+const LineNumberMode = @import("config").LineNumberMode;
 
 allocator: Allocator,
 plane: Plane,
@@ -26,7 +27,6 @@ lines: u32 = 0,
 view_rows: u32 = 1,
 view_top: u32 = 1,
 line: usize = 0,
-linenum: bool,
 mode: ?LineNumberMode = null,
 render_style: DigitStyle,
 highlight: bool,
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ pub fn create(allocator: Allocator, parent: Widget, event_source: Widget, editor
         .allocator = allocator,
         .plane = try Plane.init(&(Widget.Box{}).opts(@typeName(Self)), parent.plane.*),
         .parent = parent,
-        .linenum = tui.config().gutter_line_numbers,
-        .mode = if (tui.config().gutter_line_numbers_relative) .relative else null,
+        .mode = tui.config().gutter_line_numbers_mode,
         .render_style = tui.config().gutter_line_numbers_style,
         .highlight = tui.config().highlight_current_line_gutter,
         .symbols = tui.config().gutter_symbols,
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ pub fn receive(self: *Self, _: tp.pid_ref, m: tp.message) error{Exit}!bool {
 }
 
 fn update_width(self: *Self) void {
-    if (!self.linenum) return;
+    if (self.mode == .none) return;
     const width = int_width(self.lines);
     self.width = if (self.mode == .relative and width > 4) 4 else @max(width, 2);
     self.width += if (self.symbols) 3 else 1;
@@ -122,7 +121,7 @@ pub fn layout(self: *Self) Widget.Layout {
 }
 
 inline fn get_width(self: *Self) usize {
-    return if (self.linenum) self.width else if (self.symbols) 3 else 1;
+    return if (self.mode != .none) self.width else if (self.symbols) 3 else 1;
 }
 
 fn get_numbering_mode(self: *const Self) LineNumberMode {
@@ -133,8 +132,6 @@ fn get_numbering_mode(self: *const Self) LineNumberMode {
     };
 }
 
-const LineNumberMode = enum { relative, absolute };
-
 fn from_mode_enum(mode: anytype) LineNumberMode {
     return switch (mode) {
         .relative => .relative,
@@ -151,13 +148,10 @@ pub fn render(self: *Self, theme: *const Widget.Theme) bool {
     self.plane.home();
     self.plane.set_style(theme.editor_gutter);
     _ = self.plane.fill(" ");
-    if (self.linenum) {
-        switch (self.get_numbering_mode()) {
-            .relative => self.render_relative(theme),
-            .absolute => self.render_linear(theme),
-        }
-    } else {
-        self.render_none(theme);
+    switch (self.get_numbering_mode()) {
+        .none => self.render_none(theme),
+        .relative => self.render_relative(theme),
+        .absolute => self.render_linear(theme),
     }
     if (self.symbols)
         self.render_diagnostics(theme);
diff --git a/src/tui/mainview.zig b/src/tui/mainview.zig
index d781da1..98795f6 100644
--- a/src/tui/mainview.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mainview.zig
@@ -572,25 +572,17 @@ const cmds = struct {
 
     pub fn gutter_mode_next(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
         const config = tui.config_mut();
-        var ln = config.gutter_line_numbers;
-        var lnr = config.gutter_line_numbers_relative;
-        if (ln and !lnr) {
-            ln = true;
-            lnr = true;
-        } else if (ln and lnr) {
-            ln = false;
-            lnr = false;
-        } else {
-            ln = true;
-            lnr = false;
-        }
-        config.gutter_line_numbers = ln;
-        config.gutter_line_numbers_relative = lnr;
+        const mode: ?@import("config").LineNumberMode = if (config.gutter_line_numbers_mode) |mode| switch(mode) {
+            .absolute => .relative,
+            .relative => .none,
+            .none => null,
+        } else .relative;
+
+        config.gutter_line_numbers_mode = mode;
         try tui.save_config();
         if (self.widgets.get("editor_gutter")) |gutter_widget| {
             const gutter = gutter_widget.dynamic_cast(@import("editor_gutter.zig")) orelse return;
-            gutter.linenum = ln;
-            gutter.mode = if(lnr) .relative else null;
+            gutter.mode = mode;
         }
     }
     pub const gutter_mode_next_meta = .{ .description = "Next gutter mode" };