diff --git a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
index 929c7fa94..a30e8d5c0 100644
--- a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
+++ b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlaneHeader.js
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ BlazeComponent.extendComponent({
     );
 
     // FIXME(mark-i-m): where do we put constants?
-    if (height < 100 || !height) {
+    //                  also in imports/i18n/data/en.i18n.json
+    if (height != -1 && (height < 100 || !height)) {
       Template.instance()
         .$('.swimlane-height-error')
         .click();
diff --git a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.jade b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.jade
index f6fbaf920..c44b3958a 100644
--- a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.jade
+++ b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.jade
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ template(name="swimlane")
     +swimlaneHeader
   unless collapseSwimlane
     .swimlane.js-lists.js-swimlane(id="swimlane-{{_id}}"
-                                   style="height:{{swimlaneHeight}}px;")
+                                   style="height:{{swimlaneHeight}};")
       if isMiniScreen
         if currentListIsInThisSwimlane _id
           +list(currentList)
diff --git a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.js b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.js
index 82af48c1d..fb190c157 100644
--- a/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.js
+++ b/client/components/swimlanes/swimlanes.js
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ BlazeComponent.extendComponent({
   swimlaneHeight() {
     const user = Meteor.user();
     const swimlane = Template.currentData();
-    return user.getSwimlaneHeight(swimlane.boardId, swimlane._id);
+    const height = user.getSwimlaneHeight(swimlane.boardId, swimlane._id);
+    return height == -1 ? "auto" : (height + "px");
   },
 }).register('swimlane');
 
diff --git a/models/users.js b/models/users.js
index 9caf834ea..800708233 100644
--- a/models/users.js
+++ b/models/users.js
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ Users.helpers({
     if (swimlaneHeights[boardId] && swimlaneHeights[boardId][listId]) {
       return swimlaneHeights[boardId][listId];
     } else {
-      return 270; //TODO(mark-i-m): default?
+      return -1;
     }
   },