diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 6eefa15ef..0774c498e 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -852,16 +852,16 @@ notcurses* notcurses_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
   if((ret->stdscr = create_initial_ncplane(ret, dimy, dimx)) == NULL){
     goto err;
   }
+  if(ret->tcache.smkx && term_emit("smkx", ret->tcache.smkx, ret->ttyfp, false)){
+    free_plane(ret->top);
+    goto err;
+  }
   if(!opts->retain_cursor){
-    if(ret->tcache.civis && term_emit("civis", ret->tcache.civis, ret->ttyfp, false)){
+    if(ret->tcache.civis && term_emit("civis", ret->tcache.civis, ret->ttyfp, true)){
       free_plane(ret->top);
       goto err;
     }
   }
-  if(ret->tcache.smkx && term_emit("smkx", ret->tcache.smkx, ret->ttyfp, false)){
-    free_plane(ret->top);
-    goto err;
-  }
   if((ret->rstate.mstreamfp = open_memstream(&ret->rstate.mstream, &ret->rstate.mstrsize)) == NULL){
     free_plane(ret->top);
     goto err;
@@ -1718,13 +1718,13 @@ void ncplane_erase(ncplane* n){
 
 void notcurses_cursor_enable(notcurses* nc){
   if(nc->tcache.cnorm){
-    term_emit("cnorm", nc->tcache.cnorm, nc->ttyfp, false);
+    term_emit("cnorm", nc->tcache.cnorm, nc->ttyfp, true);
   }
 }
 
 void notcurses_cursor_disable(notcurses* nc){
   if(nc->tcache.civis){
-    term_emit("civis", nc->tcache.civis, nc->ttyfp, false);
+    term_emit("civis", nc->tcache.civis, nc->ttyfp, true);
   }
 }