diff --git a/src/markdown/directives/apply.js b/src/markdown/directives/apply.js
index ee0105e..687aadb 100644
--- a/src/markdown/directives/apply.js
+++ b/src/markdown/directives/apply.js
@@ -34,28 +34,24 @@ function _apply(md, opts = {}) {
     (state) => {
       if (state.inlineMode) return
 
-      // compute the total number of skipped pages
-      let totalSkippedSlides = 0
-      for (const token of state.tokens) {
-        const { marpitDirectives } = token.meta || {}
-        if (
-          marpitDirectives &&
-          (marpitDirectives.paginate === 'hold' ||
-            marpitDirectives.paginate === 'skip')
-        ) {
-          totalSkippedSlides++
-        }
-      }
+      let pageNumber = 0
 
-      // keep track of slides that were skipped using one of the following
-      // directives:
-      // `paginate: skip`, `_paginate: skip`,
-      // `paginate: hold`, or `_paginate: hold
-      let currentSkippedSlides = 0
+      const tokensForPaginationTotal = []
 
       for (const token of state.tokens) {
-        const { marpitDirectives, marpitSlide, marpitSlideTotal } =
-          token.meta || {}
+        const { marpitDirectives, marpitSlideElement } = token.meta || {}
+
+        if (marpitSlideElement === 1) {
+          // `skip` and `hold` disable increment of the page number
+          if (
+            !(
+              marpitDirectives?.paginate === 'skip' ||
+              marpitDirectives?.paginate === 'hold'
+            )
+          ) {
+            pageNumber += 1
+          }
+        }
 
         if (marpitDirectives) {
           const style = new InlineStyle(token.attrGet('style'))
@@ -103,24 +99,12 @@ function _apply(md, opts = {}) {
               style.set('background-size', marpitDirectives.backgroundSize)
           }
 
-          if (marpitDirectives.paginate) {
-            if (
-              marpitDirectives.paginate === 'hold' ||
-              marpitDirectives.paginate === 'skip'
-            ) {
-              currentSkippedSlides++
-            }
-
-            if (marpitDirectives.paginate !== 'skip') {
-              token.attrSet(
-                'data-marpit-pagination',
-                marpitSlide - currentSkippedSlides + 1,
-              )
-              token.attrSet(
-                'data-marpit-pagination-total',
-                marpitSlideTotal - totalSkippedSlides,
-              )
-            }
+          if (
+            marpitDirectives.paginate &&
+            marpitDirectives.paginate !== 'skip'
+          ) {
+            token.attrSet('data-marpit-pagination', pageNumber)
+            tokensForPaginationTotal.push(token)
           }
 
           if (marpitDirectives.header)
@@ -133,6 +117,11 @@ function _apply(md, opts = {}) {
           if (styleStr !== '') token.attrSet('style', styleStr)
         }
       }
+
+      // Set total page number to each slide
+      for (const token of tokensForPaginationTotal) {
+        token.attrSet('data-marpit-pagination-total', pageNumber)
+      }
     },
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/markdown/directives/directives.js b/src/markdown/directives/directives.js
index 8bda455..f85e370 100644
--- a/src/markdown/directives/directives.js
+++ b/src/markdown/directives/directives.js
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ export const globals = Object.assign(Object.create(null), {
  * @prop {Directive} header Specify the content of slide header. It will insert
  *     a `<header>` element to the first of each slide contents.
  * @prop {Directive} paginate Show page number on the slide if you set `true`.
+ *     `hold` and `skip` are also available to disable increment of the page
+ *     number.
  */
 export const locals = Object.assign(Object.create(null), {
   backgroundColor: (v) => ({ backgroundColor: v }),
@@ -78,11 +80,13 @@ export const locals = Object.assign(Object.create(null), {
   color: (v) => ({ color: v }),
   footer: (v) => (typeof v === 'string' ? { footer: v } : {}),
   header: (v) => (typeof v === 'string' ? { header: v } : {}),
-  paginate: (v) => ({
-    paginate: ['hold', 'skip'].includes(v)
-      ? v
-      : (v || '').toLowerCase() === 'true',
-  }),
+  paginate: (v) => {
+    const normalized = (v || '').toLowerCase()
+
+    if (['hold', 'skip'].includes(normalized)) return { paginate: normalized }
+
+    return { paginate: normalized === 'true' }
+  },
 })
 
 export default [...Object.keys(globals), ...Object.keys(locals)]