diff --git a/src/vs/editor/browser/viewParts/minimap/minimap.ts b/src/vs/editor/browser/viewParts/minimap/minimap.ts
index 37bfa467466c6a..2935a8bbb12259 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/browser/viewParts/minimap/minimap.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/browser/viewParts/minimap/minimap.ts
@@ -210,6 +210,10 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 	 * used space beween the lines in line data
 	 */
 	public readonly emptySpaceBetweenLines: number;
+	/**
+	 * how many lines to skip per line rendered
+	 */
+	public readonly skipLines: number;
 	/**
 	 * used fontScaling for rendering characters
 	 */
@@ -241,6 +245,7 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 		usedRenderMinimap: RenderMinimap,
 		usedRenderLineHeight: RenderMinimap,
 		emptySpaceBetweenLines: number,
+		skipLines: number,
 		fontScale: number,
 		coversAllLines: boolean,
 		lineCount: number,
@@ -258,6 +263,7 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 		this.renderMinimap = usedRenderMinimap;
 		this.renderLineHeight = usedRenderLineHeight;
 		this.emptySpaceBetweenLines = emptySpaceBetweenLines;
+		this.skipLines = skipLines;
 		this.fontScale = fontScale;
 		this.coversAllLines = coversAllLines;
 		this.lineCount = lineCount;
@@ -280,6 +286,7 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 			this.endLineNumber,
 			this.displayLineHeight,
 			this.emptySpaceBetweenLines,
+			this.skipLines,
 			this.fontScale,
 			this.renderMinimap,
 			this.renderLineHeight,
@@ -404,7 +411,7 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 			return new MinimapLayout(scrollTop, scrollHeight
 				, computedSliderRatio, sliderTop, maxMinimapSliderTop, sliderHeight
 				, startLineNumber, endLineNumber, minimapLineHeight
-				, renderMinimap, renderLineHeight, emptySpaceBetweenLines, fontScale
+				, renderMinimap, renderLineHeight, emptySpaceBetweenLines, 0, fontScale
 				, coversAllLines, lineCount, options);
 		} else {
 			let startLineNumber = Math.max(1, Math.floor(viewportStartLineNumber - sliderTop * pixelRatio / minimapLineHeight));
@@ -423,11 +430,12 @@ class MinimapLayout {
 			}
 
 			const endLineNumber = Math.min(lineCount, startLineNumber + minimapLinesFitting - 1);
+			const skipLines = Math.max(0, Math.floor(1 / minimapLineHeight) - 1);
 
 			return new MinimapLayout(scrollTop, scrollHeight
 				, computedSliderRatio, sliderTop, maxMinimapSliderTop, sliderHeight
 				, startLineNumber, endLineNumber, minimapLineHeight
-				, renderMinimap, renderLineHeight, emptySpaceBetweenLines, fontScale
+				, renderMinimap, renderLineHeight, emptySpaceBetweenLines, skipLines, fontScale
 				, coversAllLines, lineCount, options);
 		}
 	}
@@ -545,9 +553,8 @@ class MinimapBuffers {
 		this._lastUsedBuffer = 0;
 	}
 
-	public hasSameSize(WIDTH: number, HEIGHT: number): boolean {
-		return (this._buffers[0].width === WIDTH) && (this._buffers[0].height === HEIGHT);
-	}
+	public getWidth(): number { return this._buffers[1 - this._lastUsedBuffer].width; }
+	public getHeight(): number { return this._buffers[1 - this._lastUsedBuffer].height; }
 
 	public getBuffer(): ImageData {
 		// rotate buffers
@@ -799,11 +806,13 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 	}
 
 	private _getBuffer(WIDTH: number, HEIGHT: number): ImageData {
-		if (!this._buffers || !this._buffers.hasSameSize(WIDTH, HEIGHT)) {
+		if (!this._buffers
+			|| (this._buffers.getWidth() !== WIDTH)
+			|| (this._buffers.getHeight() < HEIGHT)) {
 			this._buffers = new MinimapBuffers(
 				this._canvas.domNode.getContext('2d')!,
 				WIDTH,
-				HEIGHT,
+				HEIGHT + 64, // overallocate so, chances are we won't need a new buffer soon
 				this._tokensColorTracker.getColor(ColorId.DefaultBackground)
 			);
 		}
@@ -1038,8 +1047,8 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 
 	private renderLines(layout: MinimapLayout): RenderData {
 		const renderMinimap = layout.renderMinimap;
-		const startLineNumber = layout.startLineNumber;
-		const endLineNumber = layout.endLineNumber;
+		const startLineNumber2 = Math.max(1, Math.floor(layout.startLineNumber / (1 + layout.skipLines)));
+		const endLineNumber2 = Math.floor(layout.endLineNumber / (1 + layout.skipLines));
 		const minimapLineHeight = layout.renderLineHeight;
 
 		if (this._lastRenderData
@@ -1062,20 +1071,32 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 		// Oh well!! We need to repaint some lines...
 
 		const width = this._options.canvasInnerWidth;
-		const height = layout.options.entireDocument ? layout.lineCount * (minimapLineHeight + layout.emptySpaceBetweenLines) : this._options.canvasInnerHeight;
+		let height = this._options.canvasInnerHeight;
+		if (layout.options.entireDocument) {
+			height = Math.floor(layout.lineCount * (minimapLineHeight + layout.emptySpaceBetweenLines) / (1 + layout.skipLines));
+		}
 		const imageData = this._getBuffer(width, height);
 
 		// Render untouched lines by using last rendered data.
 		let [_dirtyY1, _dirtyY2, needed] = Minimap._renderUntouchedLines(
 			imageData,
-			startLineNumber,
-			endLineNumber,
+			startLineNumber2,
+			endLineNumber2,
 			minimapLineHeight + layout.emptySpaceBetweenLines,
 			this._lastRenderData
 		);
 
+		const needed2: boolean[] = [];
+		for (let i = 0; i < needed.length; ++i) {
+			let i2 = i * (1 + layout.skipLines);
+			needed2[i2] = needed[i];
+			for (let j = 1; j <= layout.skipLines; ++j) {
+				needed2[i2 + j] = false;
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Fetch rendering info from view model for rest of lines that need rendering.
-		const lineInfo = this._context.model.getMinimapLinesRenderingData(startLineNumber, endLineNumber, needed);
+		const lineInfo = this._context.model.getMinimapLinesRenderingData(layout.startLineNumber, layout.endLineNumber, needed2);
 		const tabSize = lineInfo.tabSize;
 		const background = this._tokensColorTracker.getColor(ColorId.DefaultBackground);
 		const useLighterFont = this._tokensColorTracker.backgroundIsLight();
@@ -1084,7 +1105,7 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 		// Render the rest of lines
 		let dy = 0;
 		const renderedLines: MinimapLine[] = [];
-		for (let lineIndex = 0, lineCount = endLineNumber - startLineNumber + 1; lineIndex < lineCount; lineIndex++) {
+		for (let lineIndex = 0, lineCount = endLineNumber2 - startLineNumber2 + 1; lineIndex < lineCount; lineIndex++) {
 			if (needed[lineIndex]) {
 				Minimap._renderLine(
 					imageData,
@@ -1096,7 +1117,7 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 					dy + layout.emptySpaceBetweenLines,
 					tabSize,
 					oneline,
-					lineInfo.data[lineIndex]!,
+					lineInfo.data[lineIndex * (1 + layout.skipLines)]!,
 					layout.fontScale
 				);
 			}
@@ -1112,15 +1133,17 @@ export class Minimap extends ViewPart {
 			// this fill rect could be reduced to only the empty part below the minimap
 			// and droped completely if "Scroll Beyond Last Line" is disabled
 			ctx.fillRect(0, 0, ctx.canvas.width, ctx.canvas.height);
-			let bitmap = createImageBitmap(imageData);
-			bitmap.then((bitmap: ImageBitmap) =>
+			let bitmap = createImageBitmap(imageData, 0, 0, width, height);
+			bitmap.then((bitmap: ImageBitmap) => {
 				ctx.drawImage(bitmap,
 					0, 0,
 					width,
 					height,
 					0, 0,
 					width,
-					Math.min(this._options.canvasInnerHeight, layout.displayLineHeight * layout.endLineNumber)));
+					Math.min(this._options.canvasInnerHeight, layout.displayLineHeight * layout.endLineNumber));
+				bitmap.close();
+			});
 		} else {
 			const dirtyY1 = (_dirtyY1 === -1 ? 0 : _dirtyY1);
 			const dirtyY2 = (_dirtyY2 === -1 ? imageData.height : _dirtyY2);