diff --git a/src/input/input.cpp b/src/input/input.cpp
index 4a8f18b07..ff32c26a0 100644
--- a/src/input/input.cpp
+++ b/src/input/input.cpp
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ void Ticker(ncpp::NotCurses* nc) {
 
 int input_demo(ncpp::NotCurses* nc) {
   constexpr auto PLOTHEIGHT = 6;
-  auto n = std::make_unique<Plane*>(nc->get_stdplane(&dimy, &dimx));
+  auto n = nc->get_stdplane(&dimy, &dimx);
   ncpp::Plane pplane{PLOTHEIGHT, dimx, dimy - PLOTHEIGHT,  0, nullptr};
   struct ncplot_options popts{};
   // FIXME would be nice to switch over to exponential at some level
@@ -218,14 +218,14 @@ int input_demo(ncpp::NotCurses* nc) {
   if(!plot){
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
-  (*n)->set_fg_rgb(0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
-  (*n)->set_bg_rgb(0xbb, 0x64, 0xbb);
-  (*n)->styles_on(CellStyle::Underline);
-  if((*n)->putstr(0, NCAlign::Center, "mash keys, yo. give that mouse some waggle! ctrl+d exits.") <= 0){
+  n->set_fg_rgb(0x00, 0x00, 0x00);
+  n->set_bg_rgb(0xbb, 0x64, 0xbb);
+  n->styles_on(CellStyle::Underline);
+  if(n->putstr(0, NCAlign::Center, "mash keys, yo. give that mouse some waggle! ctrl+d exits.") <= 0){
     return -1;
   }
-  (*n)->styles_set(CellStyle::None);
-  (*n)->set_bg_default();
+  n->styles_set(CellStyle::None);
+  n->set_bg_default();
   if(!nc->render()){
     return -1;
   }
@@ -253,35 +253,35 @@ int input_demo(ncpp::NotCurses* nc) {
         }
       mtx.unlock();
     }
-    if(!(*n)->cursor_move(y, 0)){
+    if(!n->cursor_move(y, 0)){
       break;
     }
-    (*n)->set_fg_rgb(0xd0, 0xd0, 0xd0);
-    (*n)->printf("%c%c%c ", ni.alt ? 'A' : 'a', ni.ctrl ? 'C' : 'c',
+    n->set_fg_rgb(0xd0, 0xd0, 0xd0);
+    n->printf("%c%c%c ", ni.alt ? 'A' : 'a', ni.ctrl ? 'C' : 'c',
               ni.shift ? 'S' : 's');
     if(r < 0x80){
-      (*n)->set_fg_rgb(128, 250, 64);
-      if((*n)->printf("ASCII: [0x%02x (%03d)] '%lc'", r, r,
-                     (wchar_t)(iswprint(r) ? r : printutf8(r))) < 0){
+      n->set_fg_rgb(128, 250, 64);
+      if(n->printf("ASCII: [0x%02x (%03d)] '%lc'", r, r,
+                   (wchar_t)(iswprint(r) ? r : printutf8(r))) < 0){
         break;
       }
     }else{
       if(nckey_supppuab_p(r)){
-        (*n)->set_fg_rgb(250, 64, 128);
-        if((*n)->printf("Special: [0x%02x (%02d)] '%s'", r, r, nckeystr(r)) < 0){
+        n->set_fg_rgb(250, 64, 128);
+        if(n->printf("Special: [0x%02x (%02d)] '%s'", r, r, nckeystr(r)) < 0){
           break;
         }
         if(NCKey::IsMouse(r)){
-          if((*n)->printf(-1, NCAlign::Right, " x: %d y: %d", ni.x, ni.y) < 0){
+          if(n->printf(-1, NCAlign::Right, " x: %d y: %d", ni.x, ni.y) < 0){
             break;
           }
         }
       }else{
-        (*n)->set_fg_rgb(64, 128, 250);
-        (*n)->printf("Unicode: [0x%08x] '%lc'", r, (wchar_t)r);
+        n->set_fg_rgb(64, 128, 250);
+        n->printf("Unicode: [0x%08x] '%lc'", r, (wchar_t)r);
       }
     }
-    if(!dim_rows(*n)){
+    if(!dim_rows(n)){
       break;
     }
     const uint64_t sec = (timenow_to_ns() - start) / NANOSECS_IN_SEC;
@@ -322,6 +322,8 @@ int main(void){
   if(!nc.mouse_enable()){
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
+  // clear the screen in the absence of smcup mode
+  nc.refresh(nullptr, nullptr);
   int ret = input_demo(&nc);
   if(!nc.stop() || ret){
     return EXIT_FAILURE;