diff --git a/packages/ui/client/components/views/ViewEditor.vue b/packages/ui/client/components/views/ViewEditor.vue
index 2cebb5e8c3ff..7620ab54325f 100644
--- a/packages/ui/client/components/views/ViewEditor.vue
+++ b/packages/ui/client/components/views/ViewEditor.vue
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import {
   activeTraceView,
   getTraceEditorMarkersForFile,
   getTraceEntryClass,
-  isTraceViewEnabled,
   selectActiveTraceStep,
 } from '~/composables/trace-view'
 import { escapeHtml } from '~/utils/escape'
@@ -141,9 +140,7 @@ function codemirrorChanges() {
 }
 
 const TRACE_GUTTER_ID = 'trace-step-gutter'
-const traceGutterConfigs = isTraceViewEnabled(props.file)
-  ? [{ className: TRACE_GUTTER_ID, style: 'width: 14px' }]
-  : []
+const traceGutterEnabled = computed(() => activeTraceView.value?.test.file.id === props.file.id)
 let traceGutterLines: number[] = []
 
 const traceEditorMarkersForFile = computed(() => {
@@ -166,6 +163,13 @@ function syncTraceMarkers() {
   }
   traceGutterLines = []
 
+  editor.setOption('gutters', [
+    'CodeMirror-linenumbers',
+    ...(traceGutterEnabled.value
+      ? [{ className: TRACE_GUTTER_ID, style: 'width: 14px' }]
+      : []),
+  ])
+
   const lineCount = editor.lineCount()
   for (const marker of traceEditorMarkersForFile.value) {
     const line = marker.line - 1
@@ -195,7 +199,7 @@ function syncTraceMarkers() {
 }
 
 watch(
-  [codemirrorRef, traceEditorMarkersForFile, loading],
+  [codemirrorRef, traceGutterEnabled, traceEditorMarkersForFile, loading],
   () => {
     syncTraceMarkers()
   },
@@ -453,7 +457,7 @@ onBeforeUnmount(clearListeners)
     :options="{
       lineNumbers: true,
       styleActiveLine: true,
-      gutters: ['CodeMirror-linenumbers', ...traceGutterConfigs],
+      gutters: ['CodeMirror-linenumbers'],
     }"
     :mode="ext"
     data-testid="code-mirror"
diff --git a/test/ui/test/trace.spec.ts b/test/ui/test/trace.spec.ts
index 1d6bfbfb9b9d..23e3c0d0b56b 100644
--- a/test/ui/test/trace.spec.ts
+++ b/test/ui/test/trace.spec.ts
@@ -182,7 +182,10 @@ async function testBasic(page: Page) {
   await expect(activeLine).toContainText('Render simple')
 
   // markers ordered by 'test finished' > 'Render simple' > 'Render another'
-  const traceEditorMarkers = page.getByTestId('editor').getByTestId('trace-editor-marker')
+  const editor = page.getByTestId('editor')
+  const traceEditorMarkers = editor.getByTestId('trace-editor-marker')
+  const traceGutter = editor.locator('.CodeMirror-gutter.trace-step-gutter')
+  await expect(traceGutter).toBeVisible()
   await expect(traceEditorMarkers).toHaveCount(3)
   await expect(traceEditorMarkers.nth(1)).toHaveAttribute('aria-current', 'step')
   await expect(traceEditorMarkers.nth(2)).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-current', 'step')
@@ -242,6 +245,7 @@ async function testBasic(page: Page) {
   // verify closing trace viewer doesn't immediately auto-open it again
   await traceView.getByRole('button', { name: 'Close Trace Viewer' }).click()
   await expect(traceView).toBeHidden()
+  await expect(traceGutter).toHaveCount(0)
 }
 
 async function testViewport(page: Page) {