diff --git a/src/lib/direct.c b/src/lib/direct.c
index ac73a5248..aef7dbc0b 100644
--- a/src/lib/direct.c
+++ b/src/lib/direct.c
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ ncdirect_render_visual(ncdirect* n, ncvisual* ncv, ncblitter_e blitfxn,
     bargs.u.pixel.colorregs = n->tcache.color_registers;
     int cols = lenx / bargs.u.pixel.celldimx + !!(lenx % bargs.u.pixel.celldimx);
     int rows = leny / bargs.u.pixel.celldimy + !!(leny % bargs.u.pixel.celldimy);
-    if((bargs.u.pixel.spx = sprixel_alloc(ncdv, ncv, rows, cols, 0, 0)) == NULL){
+    if((bargs.u.pixel.spx = sprixel_alloc(ncdv, rows, cols, 0, 0)) == NULL){
       free_plane(ncdv);
       return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 13bc994cf..747ec594d 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -922,10 +922,10 @@ void sprixel_hide(sprixel* s);
 int sprite_draw(const notcurses* n, const ncpile *p, sprixel* s, FILE* out);
 int kitty_draw(const notcurses* n, const ncpile *p, sprixel* s, FILE* out);
 int sixel_draw(const notcurses* n, const ncpile *p, sprixel* s, FILE* out);
-// dimy and dimx are cell geometry, not pixel. takes ownership of s on success.
-sprixel* sprixel_alloc(ncplane* n, struct ncvisual* ncv, int dimy, int dimx,
-                       int placey, int placex);
-sprixel* sprixel_recycle(ncplane* n, struct ncvisual* ncv);
+// dimy and dimx are cell geometry, not pixel.
+sprixel* sprixel_alloc(ncplane* n, int dimy, int dimx, int placey, int placex);
+sprixel* sprixel_recycle(ncplane* n);
+// takes ownership of s on success.
 int sprixel_load(sprixel* spx, char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
                  int pixy, int pixx, int parse_start);
 int sprite_wipe_cell(const notcurses* nc, sprixel* s, int y, int x);
diff --git a/src/lib/sprite.c b/src/lib/sprite.c
index 6df0d047e..896901b2b 100644
--- a/src/lib/sprite.c
+++ b/src/lib/sprite.c
@@ -9,25 +9,22 @@ void sprixel_free(sprixel* s){
     if(s->n){
       s->n->sprite = NULL;
     }
-    if(s->ncv){
-      s->ncv->spx = NULL;
-    }
     free(s->glyph);
     free(s);
   }
 }
 
-sprixel* sprixel_recycle(ncplane* n, ncvisual* ncv){
+sprixel* sprixel_recycle(ncplane* n){
+  assert(n->sprite);
   const notcurses* nc = ncplane_notcurses_const(n);
   if(nc->tcache.pixel_destroy == sprite_kitty_annihilate){
-    sprixel* hides = n->sprite ? n->sprite : ncv->spx;
-    assert(hides);
+    sprixel* hides = n->sprite;
     int dimy = hides->dimy;
     int dimx = hides->dimx;
     int y = hides->y;
     int x = hides->x;
     sprixel_hide(hides);
-    return sprixel_alloc(n, ncv, dimy, dimx, y, x);
+    return sprixel_alloc(n, dimy, dimx, y, x);
   }
   return n->sprite;
 }
@@ -52,10 +49,6 @@ void sprixel_hide(sprixel* s){
     s->invalidated = SPRIXEL_HIDE;
     s->movedfromy = ncplane_abs_y(s->n);
     s->movedfromx = ncplane_abs_x(s->n);
-    if(s->ncv){
-      s->ncv->spx = NULL;
-      s->ncv = NULL;
-    }
     if(s->n){
       s->n->sprite = NULL;
       s->n = NULL;
@@ -86,13 +79,11 @@ sprixel* sprixel_by_id(const notcurses* nc, uint32_t id){
   return NULL;
 }
 
-sprixel* sprixel_alloc(ncplane* n, ncvisual* ncv, int dimy, int dimx,
-                       int placey, int placex){
+sprixel* sprixel_alloc(ncplane* n, int dimy, int dimx, int placey, int placex){
   sprixel* ret = malloc(sizeof(sprixel));
   if(ret){
     memset(ret, 0, sizeof(*ret));
     ret->n = n;
-    ret->ncv = ncv;
     ret->dimy = dimy;
     ret->dimx = dimx;
     ret->y = placey;
diff --git a/src/lib/visual-details.h b/src/lib/visual-details.h
index 959e682c0..05abcfe85 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual-details.h
+++ b/src/lib/visual-details.h
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ typedef struct ncvisual {
   // lines are sometimes padded. this many true bytes per row in data.
   int rowstride;
   bool owndata; // we own data iff owndata == true
-  // FIXME this cannot live here! it breaks wiping. associate with plane.
-  struct sprixel* spx; // non-NULL if this is NCBLIT_PIXEL
 } ncvisual;
 
 static inline void
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.c b/src/lib/visual.c
index 4f8a75b37..56d372dfe 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.c
+++ b/src/lib/visual.c
@@ -700,22 +700,17 @@ ncplane* ncvisual_render_pixels(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, const struct blits
   bargs.u.pixel.celldimx = nc->tcache.cellpixx;
   bargs.u.pixel.celldimy = nc->tcache.cellpixy;
   bargs.u.pixel.colorregs = nc->tcache.color_registers;
-  if(ncv->spx == NULL || n->sprite == NULL){
+  if(n->sprite == NULL){
     int cols = dispcols / bargs.u.pixel.celldimx + !!(dispcols % bargs.u.pixel.celldimx);
     int rows = disprows / bargs.u.pixel.celldimy + !!(disprows % bargs.u.pixel.celldimy);
-    if(ncv->spx){
-      sprixel_hide(ncv->spx);
-    }
-    if(n->sprite){
-      sprixel_hide(n->sprite);
-    }
-    if((ncv->spx = sprixel_alloc(n, ncv, rows, cols, placey, placex)) == NULL){
-      goto err;
+    if((n->sprite = sprixel_alloc(n, rows, cols, placey, placex)) == NULL){
+      ncplane_destroy(createdn);
+      return NULL;
     }
   }else{
-    ncv->spx = sprixel_recycle(n, ncv);
+    n->sprite = sprixel_recycle(n);
   }
-  bargs.u.pixel.spx = ncv->spx;
+  bargs.u.pixel.spx = n->sprite;
   // FIXME only set this if cursor is indeed hidden
   if(nc->tcache.sprixel_cursor_hack){
     bargs.u.pixel.cursor_hack = nc->tcache.civis;
@@ -723,16 +718,10 @@ ncplane* ncvisual_render_pixels(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, const struct blits
     bargs.u.pixel.cursor_hack = NULL;
   }
   if(ncvisual_blit(ncv, disprows, dispcols, n, bset, disprows, dispcols, &bargs)){
-    goto err;
+    ncplane_destroy(createdn);
+    return NULL;
   }
   return n;
-
-err:
-  if(ncv->spx){
-    sprixel_free(ncv->spx);
-  }
-  ncplane_destroy(createdn);
-  return NULL;
 }
 
 ncplane* ncvisual_render(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, const struct ncvisual_options* vopts){
@@ -788,9 +777,6 @@ ncvisual* ncvisual_from_plane(const ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit, int begy, int
 }
 
 void ncvisual_destroy(ncvisual* ncv){
-  if(ncv->spx){
-    ncv->spx->ncv = NULL;
-  }
   if(visual_implementation){
     visual_implementation->visual_destroy(ncv);
   }