diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e166fd5a8..4d9392d62 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ target_link_libraries(notcurses
 )
 target_link_directories(notcurses
   PRIVATE
+    "${TERMINFO_LIBRARY_DIRS}"
     "${AVFORMAT_LIBRARY_DIRS}"
     "${SWSCALE_LIBRARY_DIRS}"
 )
@@ -77,6 +78,22 @@ target_compile_definitions(notcurses-demo
     FORTIFY_SOURCE=2
 )
 
+# tiny proofs of concept, one binary per source file
+file(GLOB POCSRCS CONFIGURE_DEPENDS src/poc/*.c)
+foreach(f ${POCSRCS})
+  get_filename_component(fe "${f}" NAME_WE)
+  add_executable(${fe} ${f})
+  target_include_directories(${fe}
+    PRIVATE "${TERMINFO_INCLUDE_DIR}"
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(${fe}
+    PRIVATE "${TERMINFO_LIBRARIES}"
+  )
+  target_link_directories(${fe}
+    PRIVATE "${TERMINFO_LIBRARY_DIRS}"
+  )
+endforeach()
+
 file(GLOB INPUTSRCS CONFIGURE_DEPENDS src/input/*.cpp)
 add_executable(notcurses-input ${INPUTSRCS})
 target_include_directories(notcurses-input
diff --git a/src/poc/sgr.c b/src/poc/sgr.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19fc431c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/poc/sgr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#include <ncurses.h> // needed for some definitions, see terminfo(3ncurses)
+#include <term.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <notcurses.h>
+
+static int
+pivot_on(int pivot, int* sgrs, int sgrcount){
+  assert(0 <= pivot);
+  assert(sgrcount > pivot);
+  int i;
+  for(i = 0 ; i < sgrcount ; ++i){
+    printf("%c", sgrs[i] ? '1' : '0');
+  }
+  putchar('\n');
+  for(i = 8 ; i >= pivot ; --i){
+    if(sgrs[i] == 0){
+      sgrs[i] = 1;
+      int j;
+      for(j = i + 1 ; j < sgrcount ; ++j){
+        sgrs[j] = 0;
+      }
+      return pivot;
+    }
+  }
+  return pivot - 1;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv){
+  setlocale(LC_ALL, NULL);
+  const char* sgr;
+  char** a;
+  if(setupterm(NULL, -1, NULL)){
+    fprintf(stderr, "Error initializing terminal\n");
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+  if((sgr = tigetstr("sgr")) == NULL || sgr == (char*)-1){
+    fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get terminfo entry for sgr\n");
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+  int sgrs[9] = { 0 };
+  int pivot = 8;
+  // generate all values
+  while(pivot >= 0){
+    pivot = pivot_on(pivot, sgrs, 9);
+    int p = putp(tiparm(sgr, sgrs[0], sgrs[1], sgrs[2], sgrs[3], sgrs[4],
+                             sgrs[5], sgrs[6], sgrs[7], sgrs[8]));
+    assert(OK == p);
+    for(a = argv ; *a ; ++a){
+      if((p = printf("%s\n", *a)) < 0){
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+      }
+    }
+    p = putp(tiparm(sgr, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0));
+    assert(OK == p);
+  }
+  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}