diff --git a/src/lib/plot.c b/src/lib/plot.c
index e8c4d7c1a..8bbf31fc6 100644
--- a/src/lib/plot.c
+++ b/src/lib/plot.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ int redraw_pixelplot_##T(nc##X##plot* ncp){ \
   if(!interval){ \
     interval = 1; \
   } \
-  uint32_t* pixels = malloc(dimy * dimx * states * scale); \
+  uint32_t* pixels = malloc(dimy * dimx * states * scale * sizeof(*pixels)); \
   if(pixels == NULL){ \
     return -1; \
   } \
@@ -134,81 +134,44 @@ int redraw_pixelplot_##T(nc##X##plot* ncp){ \
        direction, prepping pixels, aborting early if we can't draw anything in a \
        given cell. */ \
     T intervalbase = ncp->miny; \
-    const wchar_t* egc = ncp->plot.bset->plotegcs; \
     bool done = !ncp->plot.bset->fill; \
+    int pcol = 0; /* column of pixels to which we're writing */ \
     for(int y = 0 ; y < dimy ; ++y){ \
+      int prow = y * states; /* row of pixels we start at */ \
       uint64_t channels = 0; \
       calc_gradient_channels(&channels, ncp->plot.minchannels, ncp->plot.minchannels, \
                              ncp->plot.maxchannels, ncp->plot.maxchannels, y, x, dimy, dimx); \
       ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
-      if(egc){ \
-        size_t egcidx = 0, sumidx = 0; \
-        /* if we've got at least one interval's worth on the number of positions \
-          times the number of intervals per position plus the starting offset, \
-          we're going to print *something* */ \
-        for(int i = 0 ; i < scale ; ++i){ \
-          sumidx *= states; \
-          if(intervalbase < gvals[i]){ \
-            if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
-              /* we want the log-base-interval of gvals[i] */ \
-              double scaled = log(gvals[i] - ncp->miny) / log(interval); \
-              double sival = intervalbase ? log(intervalbase) / log(interval) : 0; \
-              egcidx = scaled - sival; \
-            }else{ \
-              egcidx = (gvals[i] - intervalbase) / interval; \
-            } \
-            if(egcidx >= states){ \
-              egcidx = states - 1; \
-              done = false; \
-            } \
-            sumidx += egcidx; \
+      /* if we've got at least one interval's worth on the number of positions \
+        times the number of intervals per position plus the starting offset, \
+        we're going to print *something* */ \
+      for(int i = 0 ; i < scale ; ++i){ \
+        size_t egcidx; \
+        if(intervalbase < gvals[i]){ \
+          if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
+            /* we want the log-base-interval of gvals[i] */ \
+            double scaled = log(gvals[i] - ncp->miny) / log(interval); \
+            double sival = intervalbase ? log(intervalbase) / log(interval) : 0; \
+            egcidx = scaled - sival; \
           }else{ \
-            egcidx = 0; \
+            egcidx = (gvals[i] - intervalbase) / interval; \
           } \
-  /* printf(stderr, "y: %d i(scale): %d gvals[%d]: %ju egcidx: %zu sumidx: %zu interval: %f intervalbase: %ju\n", y, i, i, gvals[i], egcidx, sumidx, interval, intervalbase); */ \
-        } \
-        /* if we're not UTF8, we can only arrive here via NCBLIT_1x1 (otherwise \
-          we would have errored out during construction). even then, however, \
-          we need handle ASCII differently, since it can't print full block. \
-          in ASCII mode, sumidx != 0 means swap colors and use space. in all \
-          modes, sumidx == 0 means don't do shit, since we erased earlier. */ \
-  /* if(sumidx)fprintf(stderr, "dimy: %d y: %d x: %d sumidx: %zu egc[%zu]: %lc\n", dimy, y, x, sumidx, sumidx, egc[sumidx]); */ \
-        if(sumidx){ \
-          if(notcurses_canutf8(ncplane_notcurses(ncp->plot.ncp))){ \
-            char utf8[MB_CUR_MAX + 1]; \
-            int bytes = wctomb(utf8, egc[sumidx]); \
-            if(bytes < 0){ \
-              free(pixels); \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-            utf8[bytes] = '\0'; \
-            nccell* c = ncplane_cell_ref_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x); \
-            cell_set_bchannel(c, ncchannels_bchannel(channels)); \
-            cell_set_fchannel(c, ncchannels_fchannel(channels)); \
-            nccell_set_styles(c, NCSTYLE_NONE); \
-            if(pool_blit_direct(&ncp->plot.ncp->pool, c, utf8, bytes, 1) <= 0){ \
-              free(pixels); \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-          }else{ \
-            const uint64_t swapbg = ncchannels_bchannel(channels); \
-            const uint64_t swapfg = ncchannels_fchannel(channels); \
-            ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
-            ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
-            ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
-            if(ncplane_putchar_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x, ' ') <= 0){ \
-              free(pixels); \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-            ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
-            ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
-            ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
+          if(egcidx >= states){ \
+            egcidx = states - 1; \
+            done = false; \
           } \
+        }else{ \
+          egcidx = 0; \
         } \
-        if(done){ \
-          break; \
+        /* FIXME take egcidx into account for height */ \
+        for(size_t yy = 0 ; yy < states ; ++yy){ \
+          int poff = (prow + yy) * dimx * scale + pcol; \
+          pixels[poff] = htole(0xfffffffflu); /* FIXME use real colors */ \
         } \
       } \
+      if(done){ \
+        break; \
+      } \
       if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
         intervalbase = ncp->miny + pow(interval, (y + 1) * states - 1); \
       }else{ \
@@ -325,71 +288,69 @@ int redraw_plot_##T(nc##X##plot* ncp){ \
       calc_gradient_channels(&channels, ncp->plot.minchannels, ncp->plot.minchannels, \
                              ncp->plot.maxchannels, ncp->plot.maxchannels, y, x, dimy, dimx); \
       ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
-      if(egc){ \
-        size_t egcidx = 0, sumidx = 0; \
-        /* if we've got at least one interval's worth on the number of positions \
-          times the number of intervals per position plus the starting offset, \
-          we're going to print *something* */ \
-        for(int i = 0 ; i < scale ; ++i){ \
-          sumidx *= states; \
-          if(intervalbase < gvals[i]){ \
-            if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
-              /* we want the log-base-interval of gvals[i] */ \
-              double scaled = log(gvals[i] - ncp->miny) / log(interval); \
-              double sival = intervalbase ? log(intervalbase) / log(interval) : 0; \
-              egcidx = scaled - sival; \
-            }else{ \
-              egcidx = (gvals[i] - intervalbase) / interval; \
-            } \
-            if(egcidx >= states){ \
-              egcidx = states - 1; \
-              done = false; \
-            } \
-            sumidx += egcidx; \
+      size_t egcidx = 0, sumidx = 0; \
+      /* if we've got at least one interval's worth on the number of positions \
+        times the number of intervals per position plus the starting offset, \
+        we're going to print *something* */ \
+      for(int i = 0 ; i < scale ; ++i){ \
+        sumidx *= states; \
+        if(intervalbase < gvals[i]){ \
+          if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
+            /* we want the log-base-interval of gvals[i] */ \
+            double scaled = log(gvals[i] - ncp->miny) / log(interval); \
+            double sival = intervalbase ? log(intervalbase) / log(interval) : 0; \
+            egcidx = scaled - sival; \
           }else{ \
-            egcidx = 0; \
+            egcidx = (gvals[i] - intervalbase) / interval; \
           } \
-  /* printf(stderr, "y: %d i(scale): %d gvals[%d]: %ju egcidx: %zu sumidx: %zu interval: %f intervalbase: %ju\n", y, i, i, gvals[i], egcidx, sumidx, interval, intervalbase); */ \
-        } \
-        /* if we're not UTF8, we can only arrive here via NCBLIT_1x1 (otherwise \
-          we would have errored out during construction). even then, however, \
-          we need handle ASCII differently, since it can't print full block. \
-          in ASCII mode, sumidx != 0 means swap colors and use space. in all \
-          modes, sumidx == 0 means don't do shit, since we erased earlier. */ \
-  /* if(sumidx)fprintf(stderr, "dimy: %d y: %d x: %d sumidx: %zu egc[%zu]: %lc\n", dimy, y, x, sumidx, sumidx, egc[sumidx]); */ \
-        if(sumidx){ \
-          if(notcurses_canutf8(ncplane_notcurses(ncp->plot.ncp))){ \
-            char utf8[MB_CUR_MAX + 1]; \
-            int bytes = wctomb(utf8, egc[sumidx]); \
-            if(bytes < 0){ \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-            utf8[bytes] = '\0'; \
-            nccell* c = ncplane_cell_ref_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x); \
-            cell_set_bchannel(c, ncchannels_bchannel(channels)); \
-            cell_set_fchannel(c, ncchannels_fchannel(channels)); \
-            nccell_set_styles(c, NCSTYLE_NONE); \
-            if(pool_blit_direct(&ncp->plot.ncp->pool, c, utf8, bytes, 1) <= 0){ \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-          }else{ \
-            const uint64_t swapbg = ncchannels_bchannel(channels); \
-            const uint64_t swapfg = ncchannels_fchannel(channels); \
-            ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
-            ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
-            ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
-            if(ncplane_putchar_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x, ' ') <= 0){ \
-              return -1; \
-            } \
-            ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
-            ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
-            ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
+          if(egcidx >= states){ \
+            egcidx = states - 1; \
+            done = false; \
           } \
+          sumidx += egcidx; \
+        }else{ \
+          egcidx = 0; \
         } \
-        if(done){ \
-          break; \
+/* printf(stderr, "y: %d i(scale): %d gvals[%d]: %ju egcidx: %zu sumidx: %zu interval: %f intervalbase: %ju\n", y, i, i, gvals[i], egcidx, sumidx, interval, intervalbase); */ \
+      } \
+      /* if we're not UTF8, we can only arrive here via NCBLIT_1x1 (otherwise \
+        we would have errored out during construction). even then, however, \
+        we need handle ASCII differently, since it can't print full block. \
+        in ASCII mode, sumidx != 0 means swap colors and use space. in all \
+        modes, sumidx == 0 means don't do shit, since we erased earlier. */ \
+/* if(sumidx)fprintf(stderr, "dimy: %d y: %d x: %d sumidx: %zu egc[%zu]: %lc\n", dimy, y, x, sumidx, sumidx, egc[sumidx]); */ \
+      if(sumidx){ \
+        if(notcurses_canutf8(ncplane_notcurses(ncp->plot.ncp))){ \
+          char utf8[MB_CUR_MAX + 1]; \
+          int bytes = wctomb(utf8, egc[sumidx]); \
+          if(bytes < 0){ \
+            return -1; \
+          } \
+          utf8[bytes] = '\0'; \
+          nccell* c = ncplane_cell_ref_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x); \
+          cell_set_bchannel(c, ncchannels_bchannel(channels)); \
+          cell_set_fchannel(c, ncchannels_fchannel(channels)); \
+          nccell_set_styles(c, NCSTYLE_NONE); \
+          if(pool_blit_direct(&ncp->plot.ncp->pool, c, utf8, bytes, 1) <= 0){ \
+            return -1; \
+          } \
+        }else{ \
+          const uint64_t swapbg = ncchannels_bchannel(channels); \
+          const uint64_t swapfg = ncchannels_fchannel(channels); \
+          ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
+          ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
+          ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
+          if(ncplane_putchar_yx(ncp->plot.ncp, dimy - y - 1, x, ' ') <= 0){ \
+            return -1; \
+          } \
+          ncchannels_set_bchannel(&channels, swapbg); \
+          ncchannels_set_fchannel(&channels, swapfg); \
+          ncplane_set_channels(ncp->plot.ncp, channels); \
         } \
       } \
+      if(done){ \
+        break; \
+      } \
       if(ncp->plot.exponentiali){ \
         intervalbase = ncp->miny + pow(interval, (y + 1) * states - 1); \
       }else{ \