diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/PaddedCellBulk.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/PaddedCellBulk.java
index 531b743006..b4ce1ff354 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/PaddedCellBulk.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/PaddedCellBulk.java
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public static List<File> check(File rootDir, File diagnoseDir, Formatter formatt
 				} else {
 					// if the input is resolvable, we'll use that to try again at
 					// determining if it's clean
-					paddedCellStep.set(problemFile, padded.steps().get(0));
+					paddedCellStep.set(problemFile, padded.canonical());
 					if (!paddedFormatter.isClean(problemFile)) {
 						stillFailing.add(problemFile);
 					}
diff --git a/plugin-gradle/src/test/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/PaddedCellTaskTest.java b/plugin-gradle/src/test/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/PaddedCellTaskTest.java
index 6ed3339306..47b96c19fc 100644
--- a/plugin-gradle/src/test/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/PaddedCellTaskTest.java
+++ b/plugin-gradle/src/test/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/PaddedCellTaskTest.java
@@ -124,6 +124,10 @@ public void paddedCellApply() throws IOException {
 		assertFileContent("A", cycle.file);		// cycle -> first element in cycle
 		assertFileContent("", converge.file);	// converge -> converges
 		assertFileContent("CCC", diverge.file);	// diverge -> no change
+
+		cycle.check.execute();
+		converge.check.execute();
+		diverge.check.execute();
 	}
 
 	@Test