diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a13ee14e62e7c271609c4c77b066df407fe742e3..63a0ab67c4e9da6939521f10f49aeaf3c584b51b 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use input::{input_kb, input_mouse, undo_redo, ClickTimer};
 use input::{poll_wasm_paste, WasmPaste, WasmPasteAsyncChannel};
 use render::{
     blink_cursor, cosmic_edit_redraw_buffer, freeze_cursor_blink, hide_inactive_or_readonly_cursor,
-    on_scale_factor_change, CursorBlinkTimer, CursorVisibility, SwashCacheState,
+    on_scale_factor_change, set_initial_scale, CursorBlinkTimer, CursorVisibility, SwashCacheState,
 };
 
 #[cfg(feature = "multicam")]
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ pub enum CosmicTextPosition {
 pub struct CosmicTextChanged(pub (Entity, String));
 
 // TODO docs
+const DEFAULT_SCALE_PLACEHOLDER: f32 = 0.6969690;
+
 #[derive(Clone, Component)]
 pub struct CosmicMetrics {
     pub font_size: f32,
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ impl Default for CosmicMetrics {
         Self {
             font_size: 12.,
             line_height: 12.,
-            scale_factor: 1.,
+            scale_factor: DEFAULT_SCALE_PLACEHOLDER,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -288,12 +290,14 @@ impl Plugin for CosmicEditPlugin {
         app.add_systems(
             First,
             (
+                set_initial_scale,
                 cosmic_editor_builder,
                 placeholder_builder,
                 on_scale_factor_change,
                 render::cosmic_ui_to_canvas,
                 render::cosmic_sprite_to_canvas,
-            ),
+            )
+                .chain(),
         )
         .add_systems(PreUpdate, (update_buffer_text, update_placeholder_text))
         .add_systems(
diff --git a/src/render.rs b/src/render.rs
index cb585f6028b8818963b41d77aca7c4469d8f6b6b..e76e6d87bee7971a0fa8e3780f1d9d59a7743cda 100644
--- a/src/render.rs
+++ b/src/render.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use image::{imageops::FilterType, GenericImageView};
 use crate::{
     get_text_size, get_x_offset_center, get_y_offset_center, CosmicAttrs, CosmicBackground,
     CosmicCanvas, CosmicEditor, CosmicFontSystem, CosmicMetrics, CosmicMode, CosmicTextPosition,
-    FillColor, Focus, Placeholder, ReadOnly, XOffset,
+    FillColor, Focus, Placeholder, ReadOnly, XOffset, DEFAULT_SCALE_PLACEHOLDER,
 };
 
 #[derive(Resource)]
@@ -430,6 +430,19 @@ pub(crate) fn hide_inactive_or_readonly_cursor(
     }
 }
 
+pub(crate) fn set_initial_scale(
+    window_q: Query<&Window, With<PrimaryWindow>>,
+    mut metrics_q: Query<&mut CosmicMetrics, Added<CosmicMetrics>>,
+) {
+    let scale = window_q.single().scale_factor() as f32;
+
+    for mut metrics in metrics_q.iter_mut() {
+        if metrics.scale_factor == DEFAULT_SCALE_PLACEHOLDER {
+            metrics.scale_factor = scale;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn on_scale_factor_change(
     mut scale_factor_changed: EventReader<WindowScaleFactorChanged>,
     mut cosmic_query: Query<(&mut CosmicEditor, &CosmicMetrics, &mut XOffset)>,