diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 3dedbec81..8c93c20d7 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -334,8 +334,12 @@ enum edge_border_types {
 	E_VERTICAL,     /**< hide vertical edge borders */
 	E_HORIZONTAL,   /**< hide horizontal edge borders */
 	E_BOTH,		/**< hide vertical and horizontal edge borders */
-	E_SMART, /**< hide both if precisely one window is present in workspace */
-	E_SMART_NO_GAPS, /**< hide both if one window and gaps to edge is zero */
+};
+
+enum edge_border_smart_types {
+	ESMART_OFF,
+	ESMART_ON, /**< hide edges if precisely one window is present in workspace */
+	ESMART_NO_GAPS, /**< hide edges if one window and gaps to edge is zero */
 };
 
 enum sway_popup_during_fullscreen {
@@ -510,7 +514,7 @@ struct sway_config {
 	int border_thickness;
 	int floating_border_thickness;
 	enum edge_border_types hide_edge_borders;
-	enum edge_border_types saved_edge_borders;
+	enum edge_border_smart_types hide_edge_borders_smart;
 	bool hide_lone_tab;
 
 	// border colors
diff --git a/sway/commands/hide_edge_borders.c b/sway/commands/hide_edge_borders.c
index f69bece10..9a1d84458 100644
--- a/sway/commands/hide_edge_borders.c
+++ b/sway/commands/hide_edge_borders.c
@@ -32,14 +32,15 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_hide_edge_borders(int argc, char **argv) {
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "both") == 0) {
 		config->hide_edge_borders = E_BOTH;
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "smart") == 0) {
-		config->hide_edge_borders = E_SMART;
+		config->hide_edge_borders = E_NONE;
+		config->hide_edge_borders_smart = ESMART_ON;
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "smart_no_gaps") == 0) {
-		config->hide_edge_borders = E_SMART_NO_GAPS;
+		config->hide_edge_borders = E_NONE;
+		config->hide_edge_borders_smart = ESMART_NO_GAPS;
 	} else {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, expected_syntax);
 	}
 	config->hide_lone_tab = hide_lone_tab;
-	config->saved_edge_borders = config->hide_edge_borders;
 
 	arrange_root();
 
diff --git a/sway/commands/smart_borders.c b/sway/commands/smart_borders.c
index be3461064..738786799 100644
--- a/sway/commands/smart_borders.c
+++ b/sway/commands/smart_borders.c
@@ -10,14 +10,12 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_smart_borders(int argc, char **argv) {
 		return error;
 	}
 
-	enum edge_border_types saved = config->hide_edge_borders;
 	if (strcmp(argv[0], "no_gaps") == 0) {
-		config->hide_edge_borders = E_SMART_NO_GAPS;
+		config->hide_edge_borders_smart = ESMART_NO_GAPS;
 	} else {
-		config->hide_edge_borders = parse_boolean(argv[0], true) ?
-			E_SMART : config->saved_edge_borders;
+		config->hide_edge_borders_smart = parse_boolean(argv[0], true) ?
+			ESMART_ON : ESMART_OFF;
 	}
-	config->saved_edge_borders = saved;
 
 	arrange_root();
 
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index afc60a42d..1f03610a9 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static void config_defaults(struct sway_config *config) {
 	config->border_thickness = 2;
 	config->floating_border_thickness = 2;
 	config->hide_edge_borders = E_NONE;
-	config->saved_edge_borders = E_NONE;
+	config->hide_edge_borders_smart = ESMART_OFF;
 	config->hide_lone_tab = false;
 
 	// border colors
diff --git a/sway/sway.5.scd b/sway/sway.5.scd
index 8315f8a1d..9119b379a 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.scd
+++ b/sway/sway.5.scd
@@ -603,8 +603,10 @@ The default colors are:
 
 *hide_edge_borders* [--i3] none|vertical|horizontal|both|smart|smart_no_gaps
 	Hides window borders adjacent to the screen edges. Default is _none_. The
-	_--i3_ option enables i3-compatible behavior to hide the title bar on tabbed
-	and stacked containers with one child.
+	_--i3_ option enables i3-compatible behavior to hide the title bar on
+	tabbed and stacked containers with one child. The _smart_|_smart_no_gaps_
+	options are equivalent to setting _smart_borders_ smart|no_gaps and
+	_hide_edge_borders_ none.
 
 *input* <input_device> <input-subcommands...>
 	For details on input subcommands, see *sway-input*(5).
@@ -621,9 +623,9 @@ The default colors are:
 
 *smart_borders* on|no_gaps|off
 	If smart_borders are _on_, borders will only be enabled if the workspace
-	has more than one visible child (identical to _hide_edge_borders_ smart).
-	If smart_borders is set to _no_gaps_, borders will only be enabled if the
-	workspace has more than one visible child and gaps equal to zero.
+	has more than one visible child. If smart_borders is set to _no_gaps_,
+	borders will only be enabled if the workspace has more than one visible
+	child and gaps equal to zero.
 
 *smart_gaps* on|off
 	If smart_gaps are _on_ gaps will only be enabled if a workspace has more
diff --git a/sway/tree/view.c b/sway/tree/view.c
index 376cc3325..93d4fefce 100644
--- a/sway/tree/view.c
+++ b/sway/tree/view.c
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ void view_autoconfigure(struct sway_view *view) {
 
 	if (!container_is_floating(con) && ws) {
 
-		bool smart = config->hide_edge_borders == E_SMART ||
-			(config->hide_edge_borders == E_SMART_NO_GAPS &&
+		bool smart = config->hide_edge_borders_smart == ESMART_ON ||
+			(config->hide_edge_borders_smart == ESMART_NO_GAPS &&
 			!gaps_to_edge(view));
 		bool hide_smart = smart && view_is_only_visible(view);