diff --git a/Sources/VLModel.cpp b/Sources/VLModel.cpp
index c55d6bf..74c5c2a 100644
--- a/Sources/VLModel.cpp
+++ b/Sources/VLModel.cpp
@@ -818,6 +818,19 @@ void VLMeasure::MMAChords(std::string & chords, const VLProperties & prop,
   }
 }
 
+bool VLMeasure::IsEmpty() const
+{
+	return fChords.size() == 1 && fMelody.size() == 1
+		&& fChords.front().fPitch == VLNote::kNoPitch
+		&& fMelody.front().fPitch == VLNote::kNoPitch;
+}
+
+bool VLMeasure::NoChords() const
+{
+	return fChords.size() == 1 
+		&& fChords.front().fPitch == VLNote::kNoPitch;
+}
+
 VLSong::VLSong(bool initialize)
 {
 	if (!initialize)
@@ -827,21 +840,27 @@ VLSong::VLSong(bool initialize)
 	VLProperties 		defaultProperties = {fourFour, 0, 1, 3};
 	
 	fProperties.push_back(defaultProperties);
-	fMeasures.resize(32); // Leadin, AABA
-	
-	VLLyricsNote 	rest = VLLyricsNote(VLRest(1));
-	VLChord 		rchord;
-	rchord.fDuration = 1;
-	
-	for (int i=0; i<32; ++i) {
-		fMeasures[i].fChords.push_back(rchord);
-		fMeasures[i].fMelody.push_back(rest);
-	}
+
+	AddMeasure();
 
 	fGoToCoda	= -1;
 	fCoda		= -1;
 }
 
+void VLSong::AddMeasure()
+{
+	VLFraction		dur  = fProperties[0].fTime;
+	VLLyricsNote 	rest = VLLyricsNote(VLRest(dur));
+	VLChord 		rchord;
+	rchord.fDuration = dur;
+	VLMeasure meas;
+	
+	meas.fChords.push_back(rchord);
+	meas.fMelody.push_back(rest);
+
+	fMeasures.push_back(meas);
+}
+
 void VLSong::swap(VLSong & other)
 {
 	fProperties.swap(other.fProperties);
@@ -866,6 +885,12 @@ void VLSong::clear()
 //
 void VLSong::AddChord(VLChord chord, size_t measure, VLFraction at)
 {
+	//	
+	// Always keep an empty measure in reserve
+	//
+	while (measure+1 >= fMeasures.size())
+		AddMeasure();
+
 	VLChordList::iterator i = fMeasures[measure].fChords.begin();
 	VLFraction			  t(0);
 
@@ -925,6 +950,11 @@ void VLSong::DelChord(size_t measure, VLFraction at)
 		t = tEnd;
 		++i;
 	}
+	//
+	// Trim excess empty measures
+	//
+	if (measure == fMeasures.size()-2 && fMeasures[measure].IsEmpty())
+		fMeasures.pop_back();
 }
 
 uint8_t & FirstTie(VLMeasure & measure)
@@ -945,6 +975,12 @@ uint8_t & LastTie(VLMeasure & measure)
 //
 void VLSong::AddNote(VLLyricsNote note, size_t measure, VLFraction at)
 {
+	//	
+	// Always keep an empty measure in reserve
+	//
+	while (measure+1 >= fMeasures.size())
+		AddMeasure();
+
 	VLNoteList::iterator	i = fMeasures[measure].fMelody.begin();
 	VLFraction			  	t(0);
 
@@ -1031,6 +1067,11 @@ void VLSong::DelNote(size_t measure, VLFraction at)
 		t = tEnd;
 		++i;
 	}
+	//
+	// Trim excess empty measures
+	//
+	if (measure == fMeasures.size()-2 && fMeasures[measure].IsEmpty())
+		fMeasures.pop_back();
 }
 
 void VLSong::ExtendNote(size_t measure, VLFraction at)
@@ -1159,7 +1200,17 @@ void VLSong::Transpose(int semi)
 	}
 }
 
-size_t  VLSong::CountStanzas() const
+size_t VLSong::EmptyEnding() const
+{
+	size_t full = fMeasures.size();
+
+	while (full-- && fMeasures[full].IsEmpty())
+		;
+
+	return fMeasures.size()-(full+1);
+}
+
+size_t VLSong::CountStanzas() const
 {
 	size_t stanzas = 0;
 
@@ -1233,6 +1284,7 @@ void VLSong::LilypondNotes(std::string & notes) const
 	std::string indent 		= "";
 	size_t		seenEnding 	= 0;
 	int			numEndings	= 0;
+	size_t		endMeasure  = fMeasures.size()-EmptyEnding();
 	for (size_t measure=0; measure<fMeasures.size(); ++measure) {
 		VLNoteList::const_iterator i 	= fMeasures[measure].fMelody.begin();
 		VLNoteList::const_iterator e 	= fMeasures[measure].fMelody.end();
@@ -1850,7 +1902,7 @@ bool VLSong::DoesEndEnding(size_t measure, bool * repeat, size_t * volta) const
 VLSong::iterator::iterator(const VLSong & song, bool end)
 	: fSong(song)
 {
-	fMeasure	= end ? fSong.CountMeasures() : 0;
+	fMeasure	= end ? fSong.CountMeasures()-fSong.EmptyEnding() : 0;
 	AdjustStatus();
 }
 
diff --git a/Sources/VLModel.h b/Sources/VLModel.h
index c08161a..44bc363 100644
--- a/Sources/VLModel.h
+++ b/Sources/VLModel.h
@@ -247,6 +247,9 @@ struct VLMeasure {
 
 	void MMANotes(std::string & notes, const VLProperties & prop, VLFraction extra) const;
 	void MMAChords(std::string & chords, const VLProperties & prop, bool initial) const;
+
+	bool IsEmpty() const;
+	bool NoChords() const;
 };
 
 struct VLRepeat {
@@ -350,6 +353,7 @@ struct VLSong {
 	void	DeleteMeasures(size_t beginMeasure, size_t endMeasure);
 
 	size_t	CountMeasures() const { return fMeasures.size(); }
+	size_t	EmptyEnding() const;
 	size_t  CountStanzas() const;
 	size_t	CountTopLedgers() const;
 	size_t	CountBotLedgers() const;
@@ -357,6 +361,8 @@ struct VLSong {
 	void	LilypondChords(std::string & chords) const;
 	void 	LilypondStanza(std::string & lyrics, size_t stanza) const;
 	VLFract TiedDuration(size_t measure);
+private:
+	void	AddMeasure();
 };
 
 // Local Variables:
diff --git a/Sources/VLSheetView.h b/Sources/VLSheetView.h
index a5b2c21..f16438f 100644
--- a/Sources/VLSheetView.h
+++ b/Sources/VLSheetView.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ enum VLRecalc {
 	char				fClickMode;
 	float				fClefKeyW;
 	float				fMeasureW;
+	size_t				fLastMeasures;
 	int 				fGroups; 
 	int 				fQuarterBeats;
 	int 				fDivPerGroup;
diff --git a/Sources/VLSheetView.mm b/Sources/VLSheetView.mm
index 5aa6469..2ee627c 100644
--- a/Sources/VLSheetView.mm
+++ b/Sources/VLSheetView.mm
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ static float sFlatPos[] = {
 		fNumTopLedgers 		= 0;
 		fNumBotLedgers 		= 2;
 		fNumStanzas    		= 2;
+		fLastMeasures		= 0;
 	}
     return self;
 }
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ VLMusicElement sSemi2Accidental[12][12] = {
 	fClefKeyW		= kClefX+kClefW+(std::labs(prop.fKey)+1)*kKeyW;
 	fMeasureW		= fGroups*(fDivPerGroup+1)*kNoteW;
 	fMeasPerSystem	= std::max<int>(1, std::floor((sz.width-fClefKeyW) / fDisplayScale / fMeasureW));
-	fNumSystems 	= (song->CountMeasures()+fMeasPerSystem-1)/fMeasPerSystem;
+	fNumSystems 	= std::max(2lu, (song->CountMeasures()+fMeasPerSystem-1)/fMeasPerSystem);
 	sz.height		= fNumSystems*kSystemH;
 
 	NSSize boundsSz	= {sz.width / fDisplayScale, sz.height / fDisplayScale};
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ VLMusicElement sSemi2Accidental[12][12] = {
 			NSMakePoint(0.0, NSMaxY([dv frame])-NSHeight([cv bounds]))];
 	}
 
+	fLastMeasures	= song->CountMeasures();
 	fNeedsRecalc	= kNoRecalc;	
 }
 
@@ -518,7 +520,7 @@ VLMusicElement sSemi2Accidental[12][12] = {
 
 - (void)drawRect:(NSRect)rect
 {
-	if (fNeedsRecalc || [self inLiveResize]) {
+	if (fNeedsRecalc || [self inLiveResize] || [self song]->CountMeasures() != fLastMeasures) {
 		[self recalculateDimensions];
 		rect = [self bounds];
 	}
diff --git a/Sources/VLXMLDocument.mm b/Sources/VLXMLDocument.mm
index fe4b976..449fab9 100644
--- a/Sources/VLXMLDocument.mm
+++ b/Sources/VLXMLDocument.mm
@@ -308,7 +308,8 @@ const char * sSteps = "C DbD EbE F GbG AbA BbB ";
 	[melody addAttribute: [NSXMLNode attributeWithName:@"id"
 										   stringValue:@"MELO"]];
 
-	for (int measure = 0; measure < song->CountMeasures(); ++measure) {
+	size_t endMeasure = song->CountMeasures()-song->EmptyEnding();
+	for (int measure = 0; measure < endMeasure; ++measure) {
 		NSXMLElement * melMeas = [NSXMLNode elementWithName:@"measure"];
 		[melMeas addAttribute: 
 					 [NSXMLNode attributeWithName:@"number"
@@ -601,18 +602,6 @@ int8_t sStepToPitch[] = {
 		int				m = [[[measure attributeForName:@"number"]
 								 stringValue] intValue]-1;
 
-		if (m >= song->CountMeasures()) {
-			size_t oldSz = song->fMeasures.size();
-			song->fMeasures.resize(m+1);
-			VLLyricsNote 	rest = VLLyricsNote(VLRest(prop.fTime));
-			VLChord 		rchord;
-			rchord.fDuration = prop.fTime;
-			for (size_t i=oldSz; i<=m; ++i) {
-				song->fMeasures[i].fChords.push_back(rchord);
-				song->fMeasures[i].fMelody.push_back(rest);
-			}
-		}
-
 		[self readBarlines:[measure elementsForName:@"barline"] measure:m
 			  repeat:&repeat inRepeat:&inRepeat error:outError];
 		if ([measure nodeForXPath:@".//sound[@coda=\"A\"]" error:outError])