diff --git a/core/autoload/ui.el b/core/autoload/ui.el
index 35e84485a..26896ec0a 100644
--- a/core/autoload/ui.el
+++ b/core/autoload/ui.el
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ Uses `display-line-numbers' in Emacs 26+ and `nlinum-mode' everywhere else."
            (setq display-line-numbers next))
           ((featurep 'nlinum)
            (pcase next
-             (`t (nlinum-relative-mode -1) (nlinum-mode +1))
-             (`relative (nlinum-relative-mode +1))
+             (`t (nlinum-relative-off) (nlinum-mode +1))
+             (`relative (nlinum-relative-on))
              (`nil (nlinum-mode -1))))
           (t
            (error "No line number plugin detected")))))
diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index eda1a12ff..a69959d21 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -416,7 +416,9 @@ character that looks like a space that `whitespace-mode' won't affect.")
 (def-package! nlinum-relative
   :unless (boundp 'display-line-numbers)
   :commands nlinum-relative-mode
-  :config (after! evil (nlinum-relative-setup-evil)))
+  :config
+  (setq nlinum-format " %d ")
+  (after! evil (nlinum-relative-setup-evil)))
 
 
 ;;