diff --git a/src/lib/debug.c b/src/lib/debug.c
index 8a1849775..7133b1472 100644
--- a/src/lib/debug.c
+++ b/src/lib/debug.c
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ tinfo_debug_caps(const tinfo* ti, FILE* debugfp, int rows, int cols,
     fprintf(debugfp, "%sbackground isn't interpreted as transparent\n", indent);
   }
   fprintf(debugfp, "%scup: %c vpa: %c hpa: %c\n",
-          indent, capyn(get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_CUP)), capyn(ti->vpa), capyn(ti->hpa));
+          indent, capyn(get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_CUP)),
+                  capyn(get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_VPA)),
+                  capyn(get_escape(ti, ESCAPE_HPA)));
 }
 
 void notcurses_debug_caps(const notcurses* nc, FILE* debugfp){
diff --git a/src/lib/direct.c b/src/lib/direct.c
index 514f3a0a0..17bdea348 100644
--- a/src/lib/direct.c
+++ b/src/lib/direct.c
@@ -211,9 +211,11 @@ int ncdirect_cursor_disable(ncdirect* nc){
 // tests under TERM=vt100. if we need to truly rigourize things, we could
 // cub/cub1 the width or cuu/cuu1 the height, then cuf/cub back? FIXME
 int ncdirect_cursor_move_yx(ncdirect* n, int y, int x){
+  const char* hpa = get_escape(&n->tcache, ESCAPE_HPA);
+  const char* vpa = get_escape(&n->tcache, ESCAPE_VPA);
   if(y == -1){ // keep row the same, horizontal move only
-    if(n->tcache.hpa){
-      return term_emit(tiparm(n->tcache.hpa, x), n->ttyfp, false);
+    if(hpa){
+      return term_emit(tiparm(hpa, x), n->ttyfp, false);
     }else if(n->ctermfd >= 0){
       if(cursor_yx_get(n->ctermfd, &y, NULL)){
         return -1;
@@ -222,8 +224,8 @@ int ncdirect_cursor_move_yx(ncdirect* n, int y, int x){
       y = 0;
     }
   }else if(x == -1){ // keep column the same, vertical move only
-    if(!n->tcache.vpa){
-      return term_emit(tiparm(n->tcache.vpa, y), n->ttyfp, false);
+    if(!vpa){
+      return term_emit(tiparm(vpa, y), n->ttyfp, false);
     }else if(n->ctermfd >= 0){
       if(cursor_yx_get(n->ctermfd, NULL, &x)){
         return -1;
@@ -235,9 +237,9 @@ int ncdirect_cursor_move_yx(ncdirect* n, int y, int x){
   const char* cup = get_escape(&n->tcache, ESCAPE_CUP);
   if(cup){
     return term_emit(tiparm(cup, y, x), n->ttyfp, false);
-  }else if(n->tcache.vpa && n->tcache.hpa){
-    if(term_emit(tiparm(n->tcache.hpa, x), n->ttyfp, false) == 0 &&
-       term_emit(tiparm(n->tcache.vpa, y), n->ttyfp, false) == 0){
+  }else if(vpa && hpa){
+    if(term_emit(tiparm(hpa, x), n->ttyfp, false) == 0 &&
+       term_emit(tiparm(vpa, y), n->ttyfp, false) == 0){
       return 0;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 8f75d91b0..1512a34f6 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ init_banner_warnings(const notcurses* nc, FILE* out){
   if(!notcurses_canutf8(nc)){
     fprintf(out, "\n Warning! Encoding is not UTF-8; output may be degraded.\n");
   }
-  if(!nc->tcache.hpa){
+  if(!get_escape(&nc->tcache, ESCAPE_HPA)){
     fprintf(out, "\n Warning! No absolute horizontal placement.\n");
   }
   if(nc->tcache.sgr0){
@@ -1189,9 +1189,11 @@ int notcurses_stop(notcurses* nc){
     // if we were not using the alternate screen, our cursor's wherever we last
     // wrote. move it to the bottom left of the screen.
     if(!nc->tcache.smcup){
-      tty_emit(tiparm(nc->tcache.hpa, 0), nc->ttyfd);
+      // if ldimy is 0, we've not yet written anything; leave it untouched
       if(nc->lfdimy){
-        tty_emit(tiparm(nc->tcache.vpa, nc->lfdimy + nc->margin_t - 1), nc->ttyfd);
+        int targy = nc->lfdimy + nc->margin_t - 1;
+        // cup is required, no need to test for existence
+        tty_emit(tiparm(get_escape(&nc->tcache, ESCAPE_CUP), targy, 0), nc->ttyfd);
       }
     }
     if(nc->ttyfd >= 0){
diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index 467140de2..3efc632f5 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -811,14 +811,15 @@ goto_location(notcurses* nc, FILE* out, int y, int x){
   // if we don't have hpa, force a cup even if we're only 1 char away. the only
   // terminal i know supporting cup sans hpa is vt100, and vt100 can suck it.
   // you can't use cuf for backwards moves anyway; again, vt100 can suck it.
-  if(nc->rstate.y == y && nc->tcache.hpa && !nc->rstate.hardcursorpos){ // only need move x
+  const char* hpa = get_escape(&nc->tcache, ESCAPE_HPA);
+  if(nc->rstate.y == y && hpa && !nc->rstate.hardcursorpos){ // only need move x
     if(nc->rstate.x == x){ // needn't move shit
       return 0;
     }
     if(x == nc->rstate.x + 1 && nc->tcache.cuf1){
       ret = term_emit(nc->tcache.cuf1, out, false);
     }else{
-      ret = term_emit(tiparm(nc->tcache.hpa, x), out, false);
+      ret = term_emit(tiparm(hpa, x), out, false);
     }
   }else{
     // cup is required, no need to verify existence
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.h b/src/lib/termdesc.h
index 780449a41..ac63779cb 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.h
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.h
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ typedef enum {
 typedef struct tinfo {
   uint16_t escindices[ESCAPE_MAX]; // table of 1-biased indices into esctable
   char* esctable;                  // packed table of escape sequences
-  char* hpa;      // horizontal position adjusment (move cursor on row)
-  char* vpa;      // vertical position adjustment (move cursor on column)
   char* setaf;    // set foreground color (ANSI)
   char* setab;    // set background color (ANSI)
   char* op;       // set foreground and background color to default
@@ -138,7 +136,7 @@ typedef struct tinfo {
 } tinfo;
 
 // retrieve the terminfo(5)-style escape 'e' from tdesc (NULL if undefined).
-static inline const char*
+static inline __attribute__ ((pure)) const char*
 get_escape(const tinfo* tdesc, escape_e e){
   unsigned idx = tdesc->escindices[e];
   if(idx){
diff --git a/src/lib/terminfo.c b/src/lib/terminfo.c
index ffad3cbcc..d6bfeb990 100644
--- a/src/lib/terminfo.c
+++ b/src/lib/terminfo.c
@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@ int interrogate_terminfo(tinfo* ti, int fd, const char* termname,
     const char* tinfo;
   } strtdescs[] = {
     { ESCAPE_CUP, "cup", },
+    { ESCAPE_HPA, "hpa", },
+    { ESCAPE_VPA, "vpa", },
     { ESCAPE_MAX, NULL, },
   };
   size_t tablelen = 0;
@@ -248,8 +250,6 @@ int interrogate_terminfo(tinfo* ti, int fd, const char* termname,
   terminfostr(&ti->clearscr, "clear");// clear screen, home cursor
   terminfostr(&ti->cuu, "cuu"); // move N up
   terminfostr(&ti->cud, "cud"); // move N down
-  terminfostr(&ti->hpa, "hpa"); // set horizontal position
-  terminfostr(&ti->vpa, "vpa"); // set verical position
   terminfostr(&ti->cuf, "cuf"); // n non-destructive spaces
   terminfostr(&ti->cub, "cub"); // n non-destructive backspaces
   terminfostr(&ti->cuf1, "cuf1"); // non-destructive space