diff --git a/nw/gui/doceditor.py b/nw/gui/doceditor.py
index 91a4b255..fb2a07e6 100644
--- a/nw/gui/doceditor.py
+++ b/nw/gui/doceditor.py
@@ -416,9 +416,7 @@ class GuiDocEditor(QTextEdit):
 
         self.theIndex.scanText(tHandle, docText)
         if self._updateHeaders(checkLevel=True):
-            if self.theParent.projTabs.currentIndex() == self.theParent.idxNovelView:
-                logger.verbose("Document headers have changed, updating novel tree")
-                self.theParent.novelView.refreshTree()
+            self.theParent.requestNovelTreeRefresh()
         else:
             self.theParent.novelView.updateWordCounts(tHandle)
 
diff --git a/nw/gui/noveltree.py b/nw/gui/noveltree.py
index 7a7990f8..0ceaf9ec 100644
--- a/nw/gui/noveltree.py
+++ b/nw/gui/noveltree.py
@@ -131,10 +131,11 @@ class GuiNovelTree(QTreeWidget):
     def refreshTree(self, overRide=False):
         """Called whenever the Novel tab is activated.
         """
+        logger.verbose("Requesting refresh of the novel tree")
         treeChanged = self.theParent.treeView.changedSince(self._lastBuild)
         indexChanged = self.theIndex.novelChangedSince(self._lastBuild)
         if not (treeChanged or indexChanged):
-            logger.verbose("No changes made to the novel")
+            logger.verbose("No changes have been made to the novel index")
             return
 
         selItem = self.selectedItems()
diff --git a/nw/guimain.py b/nw/guimain.py
index f6538bf0..3500f87a 100644
--- a/nw/guimain.py
+++ b/nw/guimain.py
@@ -817,6 +817,14 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
         self.novelView.refreshTree()
         return
 
+    def requestNovelTreeRefresh(self):
+        """Update the novel tree, but only if it is visible.
+        """
+        if self.projTabs.currentIndex() == self.idxNovelView and self.hasProject:
+            self.novelView.refreshTree()
+            return True
+        return False
+
     def rebuildIndex(self, beQuiet=False):
         """Rebuild the entire index.
         """