diff --git a/src/lib/blit.c b/src/lib/blit.c
index f01e4ef99..a20d6870f 100644
--- a/src/lib/blit.c
+++ b/src/lib/blit.c
@@ -437,10 +437,12 @@ quadrant_blit(ncplane* nc, int placey, int placex, int linesize,
           cell_set_fg_alpha(c, CELL_ALPHA_BLEND);
         }
       }
-      if(*egc && pool_blit_direct(&nc->pool, c, egc, strlen(egc), 1) <= 0){
-        return -1;
+      if(*egc){
+        if(pool_blit_direct(&nc->pool, c, egc, strlen(egc), 1) <= 0){
+          return -1;
+        }
+        ++total;
       }
-      ++total;
     }
   }
   return total;
diff --git a/src/lib/ffmpeg.cpp b/src/lib/ffmpeg.cpp
index c8b18b071..529788d1b 100644
--- a/src/lib/ffmpeg.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/ffmpeg.cpp
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ int ncvisual_blit(ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "place: %d/%d rows/cols: %d/%d %d/%d+%d/%d\n", placey, placex, rows, cols, begy, begx, leny, lenx);
   if(rgba_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, stride, data, begy, begx,
-                        leny, lenx, blendcolors) <= 0){
+                        leny, lenx, blendcolors) < 0){
 //fprintf(stderr, "rgba dispatch failed!\n");
     if(sframe){
       av_freep(sframe->data);
diff --git a/src/lib/oiio.cpp b/src/lib/oiio.cpp
index ee9ad7731..938662e25 100644
--- a/src/lib/oiio.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/oiio.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ int ncvisual_blit(struct ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols,
     stride = ncv->rowstride;
   }
   if(rgba_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, stride, data, begy, begx,
-                        leny, lenx, blendcolors) <= 0){
+                        leny, lenx, blendcolors) < 0){
     return -1;
   }
   return 0;
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.cpp b/src/lib/visual.cpp
index 812787ea6..13929888a 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/visual.cpp
@@ -346,6 +346,11 @@ auto ncvisual_from_bgra(const void* bgra, int rows, int rowstride,
     ncv->cols = cols;
     ncv->rows = rows;
     auto data = static_cast<uint32_t*>(memdup(bgra, rowstride * ncv->rows));
+    for(int p = 0 ; p < rowstride / 4 * ncv->rows ; ++p){
+      const unsigned r = (data[p] & 0xffllu) << 16u;
+      const unsigned b = (data[p] & 0xff0000llu) >> 16u;
+      data[p] = (data[p] & 0xff00ff00llu) | r | b;
+    }
     if(data == nullptr){
       ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
       return nullptr;
@@ -608,7 +613,7 @@ auto ncvisual_blit(ncvisual* ncv, int rows, int cols, ncplane* n,
   (void)rows;
   (void)cols;
   if(rgba_blit_dispatch(n, bset, placey, placex, ncv->rowstride, ncv->data,
-                        begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors) <= 0){
+                        begy, begx, leny, lenx, blendcolors) < 0){
     return -1;
   }
   return 0;
diff --git a/tests/visual.cpp b/tests/visual.cpp
index 95dd08d9f..245bd7736 100644
--- a/tests/visual.cpp
+++ b/tests/visual.cpp
@@ -151,13 +151,14 @@ TEST_CASE("Visual") {
   SUBCASE("LoadRGBAFromMemory") {
     int dimy, dimx;
     ncplane_dim_yx(ncp_, &dimy, &dimx);
-    std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0x88bbccff);
+    std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0xff88bbcc);
     auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(rgba.data(), dimy * 2, dimx * 4, dimx);
     REQUIRE(ncv);
     struct ncvisual_options opts{};
     opts.n = ncp_;
-    CHECK(ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts));
+    CHECK(nullptr != ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts));
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    // FIXME check cell for color -- want ccbb88
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
   }
@@ -165,13 +166,14 @@ TEST_CASE("Visual") {
   SUBCASE("LoadBGRAFromMemory") {
     int dimy, dimx;
     ncplane_dim_yx(ncp_, &dimy, &dimx);
-    std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0x88bbccff);
+    std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0xff88bbcc);
     auto ncv = ncvisual_from_bgra(rgba.data(), dimy * 2, dimx * 4, dimx);
     REQUIRE(ncv);
     struct ncvisual_options opts{};
     opts.n = ncp_;
-    CHECK(ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts));
+    CHECK(nullptr != ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts));
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    // FIXME check cell for color -- want 88bbcc
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
   }