diff --git a/nw/gui/doceditor.py b/nw/gui/doceditor.py
index e412d902..5c23e513 100644
--- a/nw/gui/doceditor.py
+++ b/nw/gui/doceditor.py
@@ -362,12 +362,13 @@ class GuiDocEditor(QTextEdit):
 
         return
 
-    def updateDocTitle(self, tHandle):
+    def updateDocInfo(self, tHandle):
         """Called when an item label is changed to check if the document
         title bar needs updating,
         """
         if tHandle == self.theHandle:
             self.docHeader.setTitleFromHandle(self.theHandle)
+            self.docFooter.updateInfo()
             self.updateDocMargins()
         return
 
@@ -775,7 +776,7 @@ class GuiDocEditor(QTextEdit):
             self.theHandle, self.charCount, self.wordCount, self.paraCount
         )
         self._checkDocSize(self.charCount)
-        self.docFooter.updateInfo()
+        self.docFooter.updateCounts()
 
         return
 
@@ -1925,6 +1926,7 @@ class GuiDocEditFooter(QWidget):
         """
         self.theHandle = tHandle
         self.updateInfo()
+        self.updateCounts()
         return
 
     def updateInfo(self):
@@ -1934,9 +1936,6 @@ class GuiDocEditFooter(QWidget):
         if nwItem is None:
             sIcon  = QPixmap()
             sText  = ""
-            wCount = 0
-            wDiff  = 0
-
         else:
             iStatus = nwItem.itemStatus
             if nwItem.itemClass == nwItemClass.NOVEL:
@@ -1945,15 +1944,25 @@ class GuiDocEditFooter(QWidget):
             else:
                 iStatus = self.theProject.importItems.checkEntry(iStatus)
                 theIcon = self.theParent.importIcons[iStatus]
-
-            sIcon  = theIcon.pixmap(self.sPx, self.sPx)
-            sText  = nwItem.itemStatus
-            wCount = nwItem.wordCount
-            wDiff  = wCount - nwItem.initCount
+            sIcon = theIcon.pixmap(self.sPx, self.sPx)
+            sText = nwItem.itemStatus
 
         self.statusIcon.setPixmap(sIcon)
         self.statusText.setText(sText)
 
+        return
+
+    def updateCounts(self):
+        """Update the word counts.
+        """
+        nwItem = self.theProject.projTree[self.theHandle]
+        if nwItem is None:
+            wCount = 0
+            wDiff  = 0
+        else:
+            wCount = nwItem.wordCount
+            wDiff  = wCount - nwItem.initCount
+
         self.wordsText.setText("Words: {:n} ({:+n})".format(wCount, wDiff))
 
         return
diff --git a/nw/gui/docviewer.py b/nw/gui/docviewer.py
index 17a7c079..863d2bf6 100644
--- a/nw/gui/docviewer.py
+++ b/nw/gui/docviewer.py
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class GuiDocViewer(QTextBrowser):
 
         return
 
-    def updateDocTitle(self, tHandle):
+    def updateDocInfo(self, tHandle):
         """Called when an item label is changed to check if the document
         title bar needs updating,
         """
diff --git a/nw/guimain.py b/nw/guimain.py
index 091c659d..5c0714d4 100644
--- a/nw/guimain.py
+++ b/nw/guimain.py
@@ -676,8 +676,8 @@ class GuiMain(QMainWindow):
             if dlgProj.exec_():
                 self.treeView.setTreeItemValues(tHandle)
                 self.treeMeta.updateViewBox(tHandle)
-                self.docEditor.updateDocTitle(tHandle)
-                self.docViewer.updateDocTitle(tHandle)
+                self.docEditor.updateDocInfo(tHandle)
+                self.docViewer.updateDocInfo(tHandle)
 
         return