diff --git a/core/document.cpp b/core/document.cpp
--- a/core/document.cpp
+++ b/core/document.cpp
@@ -1282,6 +1282,7 @@
     const qulonglong memoryToFree = calculateMemoryToFree();
     const int currentViewportPage = (*m_viewportIterator).pageNumber;
     int maxDistance = INT_MAX; // Default: No maximum
+    qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "sendGeneratorPixmapRequest entry for " << currentViewportPage;
     if ( memoryToFree )
     {
         AllocatedPixmap *pixmapToReplace = searchLowestPriorityPixmap( true );
@@ -1303,7 +1304,12 @@
 
         QRect requestRect = r->isTile() ? r->normalizedRect().geometry( r->width(), r->height() ) : QRect( 0, 0, r->width(), r->height() );
         TilesManager *tilesManager = r->d->tilesManager();
+        double normalizedArea = r->normalizedRect().width() * r->normalizedRect().height();
 
+        qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "sendGeneratorPixmapRequest loop (tile): for " << currentViewportPage << " isTile: " << r->isTile()
+                                 << " preload: " << r->preload()
+                                 << " normalizedRect" << r->normalizedRect()
+                                 << " requestRect=" << requestRect << " wxh=" << r->width() << " x " << r->height();
         // If it's a preload but the generator is not threaded no point in trying to preload
         if ( r->preload() && !m_generator->hasFeature( Generator::Threaded ) )
         {
@@ -1319,17 +1325,20 @@
         else if ( !r->d->mForce && r->preload() && qAbs( r->pageNumber() - currentViewportPage ) >= maxDistance )
         {
             m_pixmapRequestsStack.pop_back();
-            //qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "Ignoring request that doesn't fit in cache";
+            qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "Ignoring request that doesn't fit in cache";
             delete r;
         }
         // Ignore requests for pixmaps that are already being generated
         else if ( tilesManager && tilesManager->isRequesting( r->normalizedRect(), r->width(), r->height() ) )
         {
+            qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug).nospace() << "ignore already gen req for " << r->pageNumber();
             m_pixmapRequestsStack.pop_back();
             delete r;
         }
-        // If the requested area is above 8000000 pixels, switch on the tile manager
-        else if ( !tilesManager && m_generator->hasFeature( Generator::TiledRendering ) && (long)r->width() * (long)r->height() > 8000000L )
+        // If the requested area is above 8000000 pixels, and we're not rendering most of the page,  switch on the tile manager
+        else if ( !tilesManager && m_generator->hasFeature( Generator::TiledRendering ) &&
+                  (long)r->width() * (long)r->height() > 8000000L &&
+                  normalizedArea < 0.75 && normalizedArea != 0 )
         {
             // if the image is too big. start using tiles
             qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug).nospace() << "Start using tiles on page " << r->pageNumber()
@@ -1373,6 +1382,7 @@
 
                 r->setNormalizedRect( tilesRect );
                 request = r;
+                qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug).nospace() << "large case request set:" << r;
             }
             else
             {
@@ -1382,6 +1392,7 @@
                 // zoom level to a tiled one
                 m_pixmapRequestsStack.pop_back();
                 delete r;
+                qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug).nospace() << "large case request discard";
             }
         }
         // If the requested area is below 6000000 pixels, switch off the tile manager
@@ -1418,6 +1429,7 @@
     if ( !request )
     {
         m_pixmapRequestsMutex.unlock();
+        qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "sendGeneratorPixmapRequest exit !request for " << currentViewportPage;
         return;
     }
 
@@ -1468,6 +1480,7 @@
         // pino (7/4/2006): set the polling interval from 10 to 30
         QTimer::singleShot( 30, m_parent, SLOT(sendGeneratorPixmapRequest()) );
     }
+    qCDebug(OkularCoreDebug) << "sendGeneratorPixmapRequest exit bottom for " << currentViewportPage;
 }
 
 void DocumentPrivate::rotationFinished( int page, Okular::Page *okularPage )
diff --git a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
--- a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
+++ b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
@@ -1447,7 +1447,10 @@
     QApplication::setOverrideCursor( QCursor( Qt::BusyCursor ) );
     // request the pixmap
     QLinkedList< Okular::PixmapRequest * > requests;
-    requests.push_back( new Okular::PixmapRequest( this, m_frameIndex, pixW, pixH, PRESENTATION_PRIO, Okular::PixmapRequest::NoFeature ) );
+    Okular::PixmapRequest * mainRequest = new Okular::PixmapRequest( this, m_frameIndex, pixW, pixH, PRESENTATION_PRIO, Okular::PixmapRequest::NoFeature );
+    mainRequest->setNormalizedRect(Okular::NormalizedRect(0,0,1,1));
+
+    requests.push_back( mainRequest );
     // restore cursor
     QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
     // ask for next and previous page if not in low memory usage setting