diff --git a/Tusker/Extensions/StatusStateResolver.swift b/Tusker/Extensions/StatusStateResolver.swift
index 098abf4156..a51d0bb582 100644
--- a/Tusker/Extensions/StatusStateResolver.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Extensions/StatusStateResolver.swift
@@ -11,11 +11,10 @@ import Pachyderm
 
 extension StatusState {
     
-    func resolveFor(status: StatusMO, text: String?) {
+    func resolveFor(status: StatusMO, height: CGFloat) {
         let longEnoughToCollapse: Bool
         if Preferences.shared.collapseLongPosts,
-           let text = text,
-           text.count > 500 {
+           height > 500 {
             longEnoughToCollapse = true
         } else {
             longEnoughToCollapse = false
diff --git a/Tusker/Views/Status/BaseStatusTableViewCell.swift b/Tusker/Views/Status/BaseStatusTableViewCell.swift
index bdfaf09e21..517835d8ab 100644
--- a/Tusker/Views/Status/BaseStatusTableViewCell.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Views/Status/BaseStatusTableViewCell.swift
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ class BaseStatusTableViewCell: UITableViewCell {
         updateStatusIconsForPreferences(status)
 
         if state.unknown {
-            state.resolveFor(status: status, text: contentTextView.text)
+            layoutIfNeeded()
+            state.resolveFor(status: status, height: contentTextView.bounds.height)
             if state.collapsible! && showStatusAutomatically {
                 state.collapsed = false
             }
diff --git a/Tusker/Views/Status/StatusCollectionViewCell.swift b/Tusker/Views/Status/StatusCollectionViewCell.swift
index 2b8fc7f0ed..5fa0c579ee 100644
--- a/Tusker/Views/Status/StatusCollectionViewCell.swift
+++ b/Tusker/Views/Status/StatusCollectionViewCell.swift
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ extension StatusCollectionViewCell {
         favoriteButton.isEnabled = mastodonController.loggedIn
         
         if statusState.unknown {
-            statusState.resolveFor(status: status, text: contentContainer.contentTextView.text)
+            // layout so that we can take the content height into consideration when deciding whether to collapse
+            layoutIfNeeded()
+            statusState.resolveFor(status: status, height: contentContainer.contentTextView.bounds.height)
             if statusState.collapsible! && showStatusAutomatically {
                 statusState.collapsed = false
             }