diff --git a/src/js/simplemde.js b/src/js/simplemde.js
index 2630262..a7d2af7 100644
--- a/src/js/simplemde.js
+++ b/src/js/simplemde.js
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ function toggleSideBySide(editor) {
 	var wrapper = cm.getWrapperElement();
 	var preview = wrapper.nextSibling;
 	var toolbarButton = editor.toolbarElements["side-by-side"];
-
+	var useSideBySideListener = false;
 	if(/editor-preview-active-side/.test(preview.className)) {
 		preview.className = preview.className.replace(
 			/\s*editor-preview-active-side\s*/g, ""
@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@ function toggleSideBySide(editor) {
 		}, 1);
 		toolbarButton.className += " active";
 		wrapper.className += " CodeMirror-sided";
+		useSideBySideListener = true;
 	}
 
 	// Hide normal preview if active
@@ -366,13 +367,20 @@ function toggleSideBySide(editor) {
 		toolbar_div.className = toolbar_div.className.replace(/\s*disabled-for-preview*/g, "");
 	}
 
-	// Start preview with the current text
-	preview.innerHTML = editor.options.previewRender(editor.value(), preview);
-
-	// Updates preview
-	cm.on("update", function() {
+	var sideBySideRenderingFunction = function() {
 		preview.innerHTML = editor.options.previewRender(editor.value(), preview);
-	});
+	};
+
+	if(!cm.sideBySideRenderingFunction) {
+		cm.sideBySideRenderingFunction = sideBySideRenderingFunction;
+	}
+	
+	if(useSideBySideListener) {
+		preview.innerHTML = editor.options.previewRender(editor.value(), preview);
+		cm.on("update", cm.sideBySideRenderingFunction);
+	} else {
+		cm.off("update", cm.sideBySideRenderingFunction);
+	}
 }