diff --git a/src/lib/direct.c b/src/lib/direct.c
index 9078f7497..be3a69e8d 100644
--- a/src/lib/direct.c
+++ b/src/lib/direct.c
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ ncdirect_dump_plane(ncdirect* n, const ncplane* np, int xoff){
   int dimy, dimx;
   ncplane_dim_yx(np, &dimy, &dimx);
   if(np->sprite){
-    if(fputs(np->sprite->glyph, n->ttyfp) == EOF){
+    if(ncfputs(np->sprite->glyph, n->ttyfp) == EOF){
       return -1;
     }
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index ce1552887..a95e07f11 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ struct ncvisual_details;
 // we can't define multipart ncvisual here, because OIIO requires C++ syntax,
 // and we can't go throwing C++ syntax into this header. so it goes.
 
+typedef enum {
+  SPRIXEL_NOCHANGE,
+  SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED,
+  SPRIXEL_HIDE,
+} sprixel_e;
+
 // there is a context-wide set of displayed pixel glyphs ("sprixels"); i.e.
 // these are independent of particular piles. there should never be very many
 // associated with a context (a dozen or so at max). with the kitty protocol,
@@ -54,11 +60,7 @@ typedef struct sprixel {
   char* glyph;       // glyph; can be quite large
   int id;            // embedded into glusters field of nccell
   struct ncplane* n; // associated ncplane
-  enum {
-    SPRIXEL_NOCHANGE,
-    SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED,
-    SPRIXEL_HIDE,
-  } invalidated;
+  sprixel_e invalidated;
   struct sprixel* next;
   int y, x;
   int dimy, dimx;    // cell geometry
@@ -450,6 +452,26 @@ struct blitset {
 
 #include "blitset.h"
 
+static inline int
+ncfputs(const char* ext, FILE* out){
+  int r;
+#ifdef __USE_GNU
+  r = fputs_unlocked(ext, out);
+#else
+  r = fputs(ext, out);
+#endif
+  return r;
+}
+
+static inline int
+ncfputc(char c, FILE* out){
+#ifdef __USE_GNU
+  return fputc_unlocked(c, out);
+#else
+  return fputc(c, out);
+#endif
+}
+
 void reset_stats(ncstats* stats);
 void summarize_stats(notcurses* nc);
 
@@ -635,7 +657,7 @@ term_emit(const char* seq, FILE* out, bool flush){
   if(!seq){
     return -1;
   }
-  if(fputs(seq, out) == EOF){
+  if(ncfputs(seq, out) == EOF){
 //fprintf(stderr, "Error emitting %zub escape (%s)\n", strlen(seq), strerror(errno));
     return -1;
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/kitty.c b/src/lib/kitty.c
index 76c54af32..1378d73b4 100644
--- a/src/lib/kitty.c
+++ b/src/lib/kitty.c
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ write_kitty_data(FILE* fp, int linesize, int leny, int lenx,
       totalout += encodeable;
       char out[17];
       base64_rgba3(source, encodeable, out);
-      fputs(out, fp);
+      ncfputs(out, fp);
     }
     fprintf(fp, "\e\\");
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index 6c72cfc62..2f66245ff 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -554,26 +554,6 @@ int ncplane_mergedown_simple(const ncplane* restrict src, ncplane* restrict dst)
   return ncplane_mergedown(src, dst, 0, 0, ncplane_dim_y(src), ncplane_dim_x(src), 0, 0);
 }
 
-static inline int
-ncfputs(const char* ext, FILE* out){
-  int r;
-#ifdef __USE_GNU
-  r = fputs_unlocked(ext, out);
-#else
-  r = fputs(ext, out);
-#endif
-  return r;
-}
-
-static inline int
-ncfputc(char c, FILE* out){
-#ifdef __USE_GNU
-  return fputc_unlocked(c, out);
-#else
-  return fputc(c, out);
-#endif
-}
-
 // write the nccell's UTF-8 extended grapheme cluster to the provided FILE*.
 static int
 term_putc(FILE* out, const egcpool* e, const nccell* c){
@@ -973,7 +953,7 @@ rasterize_sprixels(notcurses* nc, const ncpile* p, FILE* out){
       ncplane_yx(s->n, &y, &x);
       y += s->y;
       x += s->x;
-//fprintf(stderr, "DRAWING BITMAP AT %d/%d\n", y, x);
+//fprintf(stderr, "DRAWING BITMAP AT %d/%d\n", y + nc->stdplane->absy, x + nc->stdplane->absx);
       if(goto_location(nc, out, y + nc->stdplane->absy, x + nc->stdplane->absx)){
         return -1;
       }
@@ -991,7 +971,6 @@ rasterize_sprixels(notcurses* nc, const ncpile* p, FILE* out){
       }else if(r > 0){
         ret = 1;
       }
-      // FIXME delete it in kitty
       *parent = s->next;
       sprixel_free(s);
     }else{
diff --git a/src/tests/pixel.cpp b/src/tests/pixel.cpp
index a42c777f8..a8ef0a6d8 100644
--- a/src/tests/pixel.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/pixel.cpp
@@ -107,5 +107,47 @@ TEST_CASE("Pixel") {
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
   }
+
+  SUBCASE("PixelBigCellWipePolychromatic") {
+    // first, assemble a visual equivalent to 4 cells
+    auto y = 10 * nc_->tcache.cellpixy;
+    auto x = 10 * nc_->tcache.cellpixx;
+    std::vector<uint32_t> v(x * y, 0xffffffff);
+    for(auto& e : v){
+      e -= random() % 0x1000000;
+    }
+    auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(v.data(), y, sizeof(decltype(v)::value_type) * x, x);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
+    struct ncvisual_options vopts = {
+      .n = nullptr,
+      .scaling = NCSCALE_NONE,
+      .y = 0, .x = 0,
+      .begy = 0, .begx = 0,
+      .leny = y, .lenx = x,
+      .blitter = NCBLIT_PIXEL,
+      .flags = NCVISUAL_OPTION_NODEGRADE,
+    };
+    auto n = ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != n);
+    auto s = n->sprite;
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != s);
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    CHECK(0 == nc_->tcache.pixel_cell_wipe(nc_, s, 5, 5));
+    s->invalidated = SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED;
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    CHECK(0 == nc_->tcache.pixel_cell_wipe(nc_, s, 3, 3));
+    s->invalidated = SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED;
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    CHECK(0 == nc_->tcache.pixel_cell_wipe(nc_, s, 8, 8));
+    s->invalidated = SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED;
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    CHECK(0 == nc_->tcache.pixel_cell_wipe(nc_, s, 8, 3));
+    s->invalidated = SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED;
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    ncplane_destroy(n);
+    ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+  }
+
   CHECK(!notcurses_stop(nc_));
 }