diff --git a/core/autoload/ui.el b/core/autoload/ui.el
index 20a0b690a..29e28b226 100644
--- a/core/autoload/ui.el
+++ b/core/autoload/ui.el
@@ -13,7 +13,13 @@
 (defun doom/toggle-line-numbers (&optional arg)
   "Toggle `linum-mode'."
   (interactive "P")
-  (linum-mode (or arg (if linum-mode -1 +1))))
+  (let ((arg (or arg (if linum-mode -1 +1))))
+    (cond ((featurep 'nlinum)
+           (nlinum-mode arg))
+          ((featurep 'linum-mode)
+           (linum-mode arg))
+          (t
+           (error "No line number plugin detected")))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun doom-resize-window (new-size &optional horizontal)
diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index a7f36c251..0f393e94b 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -195,18 +195,51 @@ file."
         (add-hook 'evil-visual-state-entry-hook #'doom|hl-line-off nil t)
         (add-hook 'evil-visual-state-exit-hook #'hl-line-mode nil t)))))
 
-;; Line numbers
-(def-package! linum
-  :commands linum-mode
-  :preface (defvar linum-format "%4d ")
+;; Line number column. A faster (or equivalent, in the worst case) line number
+;; plugin than the built-in `linum'.
+(def-package! nlinum
+  :commands nlinum-mode
+  :preface
+  (defvar linum-format "%3d ")
+  (defvar nlinum-format "%4d ")
   :init
   (add-hook! (prog-mode text-mode)
     (unless (eq major-mode 'org-mode)
-      (linum-mode +1)))
+      (nlinum-mode +1)))
 
   :config
-  (require 'hlinum) ; highlight current line number
-  (hlinum-activate))
+  (defun doom*nlinum-flush-all-windows (&rest _)
+    "Fix nlinum margins after major UI changes (like a change of font)."
+    (dolist (buffer (doom-visible-buffers))
+      (with-current-buffer buffer
+        (when nlinum-mode (nlinum--flush)))))
+  (advice-add #'set-frame-font :after #'doom*nlinum-flush-all-windows)
+
+  ;; A known issue with nlinum is that line numbers disappear over time. These
+  ;; hooks/advisors will attempt to stave off these glitches.
+  (defun doom*nlinum-flush (&optional _ norecord)
+    ;; norecord check is necessary to prevent infinite recursion in
+    ;; `select-window'
+    (when (and nlinum-mode (not norecord))
+      (if _
+          (nlinum--flush)
+        ;; done in two steps to leave current line number highlighting alone
+        (nlinum--region (point-min) (line-beginning-position))
+        (nlinum--region (line-end-position) (point-max)))))
+  ;; refresh when switching windows
+  (advice-add #'select-window :before #'doom*nlinum-flush)
+  (advice-add #'select-window :after  #'doom*nlinum-flush)
+  ;; and when pressing ESC in normal mode
+  (add-hook '+evil-esc-hook #'doom*nlinum-flush)
+
+  ;;
+  (after! web-mode
+    (advice-add #'web-mode-fold-or-unfold :after #'nlinum--flush))
+
+  ;; Optimization: calculate line number column width beforehand
+  (add-hook! nlinum-mode
+    (setq nlinum--width (length (save-excursion (goto-char (point-max))
+                                                (format-mode-line "%l"))))))
 
 ;; Helps us distinguish stacked delimiter pairs. Especially in parentheses-drunk
 ;; languages like Lisp.
diff --git a/core/packages.el b/core/packages.el
index 5fdf714e1..bb06a4ab3 100644
--- a/core/packages.el
+++ b/core/packages.el
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 ;; core-ui.el
 (package! highlight-indentation)
 (package! highlight-numbers)
-(package! hlinum)
+(package! nlinum)
 (package! rainbow-delimiters)
 (package! vi-tilde-fringe)
 (package! visual-fill-column)
diff --git a/modules/app/regex/autoload/regex.el b/modules/app/regex/autoload/regex.el
index 0a994c26a..f9499a5da 100644
--- a/modules/app/regex/autoload/regex.el
+++ b/modules/app/regex/autoload/regex.el
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
           (with-current-buffer +regex--expr-buffer
             (conf-mode)
             (rainbow-delimiters-mode +1)
-            (linum-mode -1)
+            (doom/toggle-line-numbers +1)
             (setq-local require-final-newline nil)
             (+regex-mode +1)
             (text-scale-set 3)))
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
         (switch-to-buffer (get-buffer-create "*doom-regex-repl*"))
         (conf-mode)
         (rainbow-delimiters-mode +1)
-        (linum-mode -1)
+        (doom/toggle-line-numbers -1)
         (setq-local require-final-newline nil)
         (setq mode-line-format nil
               +regex--expr-replace-buffer (current-buffer))
diff --git a/modules/ui/doom/config.el b/modules/ui/doom/config.el
index 510da6684..2a7e9af1e 100644
--- a/modules/ui/doom/config.el
+++ b/modules/ui/doom/config.el
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@
   :config
   (load-theme +doom-theme t)
 
+  ;; nlinum line highlighting
+  (when (featurep 'nlinum)
+    (doom-themes-nlinum-config))
+
   ;; Add file icons to doom-neotree
   (doom-themes-neotree-config)
   (setq doom-neotree-enable-variable-pitch t