diff --git a/src/common/services/BufferService.ts b/src/common/services/BufferService.ts
index 99594d22..c8c5f273 100644
--- a/src/common/services/BufferService.ts
+++ b/src/common/services/BufferService.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ export class BufferService extends Disposable implements IBufferService {
     @IOptionsService private _optionsService: IOptionsService
   ) {
     super();
-    this.cols = Math.max(_optionsService.options.cols, MINIMUM_COLS);
-    this.rows = Math.max(_optionsService.options.rows, MINIMUM_ROWS);
+    this.cols = Math.max(_optionsService.options.cols || 0, MINIMUM_COLS);
+    this.rows = Math.max(_optionsService.options.rows || 0, MINIMUM_ROWS);
     this.buffers = new BufferSet(_optionsService, this);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/common/services/OptionsService.test.ts b/src/common/services/OptionsService.test.ts
index c289b5be..8675b6b9 100644
--- a/src/common/services/OptionsService.test.ts
+++ b/src/common/services/OptionsService.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ describe('OptionsService', () => {
     afterEach(() => {
       console.error = originalError;
     });
+    it('uses default value if invalid constructor option values passed for cols/rows', () => {
+      const optionsService = new OptionsService({ cols: undefined, rows: undefined });
+      assert.equal(optionsService.getOption('rows'), DEFAULT_OPTIONS.rows);
+      assert.equal(optionsService.getOption('cols'), DEFAULT_OPTIONS.cols);
+    });
+    it('uses values from constructor option values if correctly passed', () => {
+      const optionsService = new OptionsService({ cols: 80, rows: 25 });
+      assert.equal(optionsService.getOption('rows'), 25);
+      assert.equal(optionsService.getOption('cols'), 80);
+    });
     it('uses default value if invalid constructor option value passed', () => {
       assert.equal(new OptionsService({tabStopWidth: 0}).getOption('tabStopWidth'), DEFAULT_OPTIONS.tabStopWidth);
     });
diff --git a/src/common/services/OptionsService.ts b/src/common/services/OptionsService.ts
index 5add8283..e9dcaa6a 100644
--- a/src/common/services/OptionsService.ts
+++ b/src/common/services/OptionsService.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ export class OptionsService implements IOptionsService {
         if (value <= 0) {
           throw new Error(`${key} cannot be less than or equal to 0, value: ${value}`);
         }
+      case 'rows':
+      case 'cols':
+        if (!value && value !== 0) {
+          throw new Error(`${key} must be numeric, value: ${value}`);
+        }
         break;
     }
     return value;