diff --git a/src/lib/fill.c b/src/lib/fill.c
index a3dabed95..86bcc22f3 100644
--- a/src/lib/fill.c
+++ b/src/lib/fill.c
@@ -487,7 +487,15 @@ rotate_plane(ncplane* n){
   }
   const int newy = dimx / 2;
   const int newx = dimy * 2;
-  ncplane* newp = ncplane_new(n, newy, newx, absy, absx, n->userptr, "copy");
+  struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+    .y = absy,
+    .horiz.x = absx,
+    .rows = newy,
+    .cols = newx,
+    .userptr = n->userptr,
+    .name = "copy",
+  };
+  ncplane* newp = ncplane_create(n, &nopts);
   return newp;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/menu.c b/src/lib/menu.c
index e2b98c326..e74b5502b 100644
--- a/src/lib/menu.c
+++ b/src/lib/menu.c
@@ -321,8 +321,14 @@ ncmenu* ncmenu_create(ncplane* n, const ncmenu_options* opts){
       if(totalwidth < dimx){
         totalwidth = dimx;
       }
-      int ypos = ret->bottom ? dimy - totalheight : 0;
-      ret->ncp = ncplane_new(n, totalheight, totalwidth, ypos, 0, NULL, "menu");
+      struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+        .y = ret->bottom ? dimy - totalheight : 0,
+        .horiz.x = 0,
+        .rows = totalheight,
+        .cols = totalwidth,
+        .name = "menu",
+      };
+      ret->ncp = ncplane_create(n, &nopts);
       if(ret->ncp){
         ret->unrolledsection = -1;
         ret->headerchannels = opts->headerchannels;
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 4a89b0817..ed630b22a 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -457,8 +457,15 @@ ncplane* ncplane_dup(const ncplane* n, void* opaque){
   const struct notcurses* nc = ncplane_notcurses_const(n);
   const int placey = n->absy - nc->margin_t;
   const int placex = n->absx - nc->margin_l;
-  ncplane* newn = ncplane_new(n->boundto, dimy, dimx,
-                              placey, placex, opaque, n->name);
+  struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+    .y = placey,
+    .horiz.x = placex,
+    .rows = dimy,
+    .cols = dimx,
+    .userptr = opaque,
+    .name = n->name,
+  };
+  ncplane* newn = ncplane_create(n->boundto, &nopts);
   if(newn){
     if(egcpool_dup(&newn->pool, &n->pool)){
       ncplane_destroy(newn);
diff --git a/src/lib/reader.c b/src/lib/reader.c
index 8c51000e4..6d7129b42 100644
--- a/src/lib/reader.c
+++ b/src/lib/reader.c
@@ -16,9 +16,14 @@ ncreader* ncreader_create(ncplane* n, const ncreader_options* opts){
   nr->ncp = n;
   // do *not* bind it to the visible plane; we always want it offscreen,
   // to the upper left of the true origin
-  if((nr->textarea = ncplane_new(notcurses_stdplane(ncplane_notcurses(n)),
-                                 ncplane_dim_y(n), ncplane_dim_x(n),
-                                 -ncplane_dim_y(n), -ncplane_dim_x(n), NULL, "text")) == NULL){
+  struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+    .y = -ncplane_dim_y(n),
+    .horiz.x = -ncplane_dim_x(n),
+    .rows = ncplane_dim_y(n),
+    .cols = ncplane_dim_x(n),
+    .name = "text",
+  };
+  if((nr->textarea = ncplane_create(notcurses_stdplane(ncplane_notcurses(n)), &nopts)) == NULL){
     ncplane_destroy(nr->ncp);
     free(nr);
     return NULL;
diff --git a/src/lib/reel.c b/src/lib/reel.c
index 387fc7c11..b172f33dd 100644
--- a/src/lib/reel.c
+++ b/src/lib/reel.c
@@ -258,7 +258,14 @@ ncreel_draw_tablet(const ncreel* nr, nctablet* t, int frontiertop,
     return -1;
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "p tplacement: %p base %d/%d len %d/%d frontiery %d %d dir %d\n", t, begy, begx, leny, lenx, frontiertop, frontierbottom, direction);
-  ncplane* fp = ncplane_new(nr->p, leny, lenx, begy, begx, NULL, "tab");
+  struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+    .y = begy,
+    .horiz.x = begx,
+    .rows = leny,
+    .cols = lenx,
+    .name = "tab",
+  };
+  ncplane* fp = ncplane_create(nr->p, &nopts);
   if((t->p = fp) == NULL){
 //fprintf(stderr, "failure creating border plane %d %d %d %d\n", leny, lenx, begy, begx);
     return -1;
@@ -278,7 +285,14 @@ ncreel_draw_tablet(const ncreel* nr, nctablet* t, int frontiertop,
   }
   if(cbleny - cby + 1 > 0){
 //fprintf(stderr, "cbp placement %dx%d @ %dx%d\n", cbleny, cblenx, cby, cbx);
-    t->cbp = ncplane_new(t->p, cbleny, cblenx, cby, cbx, NULL, "tdat");
+    struct ncplane_options dnopts = {
+      .y = cby,
+      .horiz.x = cbx,
+      .rows = cbleny,
+      .cols = cblenx,
+      .name = "tdat",
+    };
+    t->cbp = ncplane_create(t->p, &dnopts);
     if(t->cbp == NULL){
 //fprintf(stderr, "failure creating data plane %d %d %d %d\n", cbleny, cblenx, cby, cbx);
       ncplane_destroy(t->p);
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.cpp b/src/lib/visual.cpp
index e5bc6fcf8..327c28000 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/visual.cpp
@@ -418,9 +418,16 @@ auto ncvisual_render(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv,
       }
     }
 //fprintf(stderr, "PLACING NEW PLANE: %d/%d @ %d/%d\n", disprows, dispcols, placey, placex);
-    n = ncplane_new(notcurses_stdplane(nc), disprows / encoding_y_scale(bset),
-                    dispcols / encoding_x_scale(bset), placey, placex, nullptr, "vis");
-    if(n == nullptr){
+    struct ncplane_options nopts = {
+      .y = placey,
+      .horiz = {
+        .x = placex,
+      },
+      .rows = disprows / encoding_y_scale(bset),
+      .cols = dispcols / encoding_x_scale(bset),
+      .name = "vis",
+    };
+    if((n = ncplane_create(notcurses_stdplane(nc), &nopts)) == nullptr){
       return nullptr;
     }
     placey = 0;