diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index c0eb477a94..e38488947c 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ This document attempts to list user-visible changes and any major internal
 rearrangements of Notcurses.
 
 * 2.1.5 (not yet released):
+  * Notcurses **now depends on GNU Readline at build and runtime**, entirely
+    for the benefit of direct mode, which now prepares GNU Readline for safe
+    use (unless the new `NCDIRECT_OPTIONS_NO_READLINE` is used).
   * `ncplane_putstr_yx()`, `ncplane_putstr_stained()`, and
     `ncplane_putnstr_yx()` now return the number of columns output, as
     long documented (they were mistakenly returning the number of bytes).
-  * Notcurses now depends on GNU Readline at build and runtime, entirely
-    for the benefit of direct mode, which now prepares GNU Readline for safe
-    use (unless the new `NCDIRECT_OPTIONS_NO_READLINE` is used).
 
 * 2.1.4 (2021-01-03):
   * Direct mode now supports `NCDIRECT_OPTION_NO_QUIT_SIGHANDLERS`, and by
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index e1bee499bd..a58839e7b1 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ notcurses_stop_minimal(void* vnc){
     if(nc->tcache.cnorm && tty_emit("cnorm", nc->tcache.cnorm, nc->ttyfd)){
       ret = -1;
     }
-  }
-  if(nc->ttyfd >= 0){
     ret |= tcsetattr(nc->ttyfd, TCSANOW, &nc->tpreserved);
   }
   return ret;
diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index bad60af08c..ff370d9251 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -263,55 +263,13 @@ paint(const ncplane* p, struct crender* rvec, int dstleny, int dstlenx,
       if(cell_wide_right_p(targc)){
         continue;
       }
-      const nccell* vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
-      // if we never loaded any content into the cell (or obliterated it by
-      // writing in a zero), use the plane's base cell.
-      if(vis->gcluster == 0 && !cell_double_wide_p(vis)){
-        vis = &p->basecell;
-      }
-      // if we have no character in this cell, we continue to look for a
-      // character, but our foreground color will still be used unless it's
-      // been set to transparent. if that foreground color is transparent, we
-      // still use a character we find here, but its color will come entirely
-      // from cells underneath us.
-      if(!crender->p){
-        // if the following is true, we're a real glyph, and not the right-hand
-        // side of a wide glyph (nor the null codepoint).
-        if( (targc->gcluster = vis->gcluster) ){ // index copy only
-          // we can't plop down a wide glyph if the next cell is beyond the
-          // screen, nor if we're bisected by a higher plane.
-          if(cell_double_wide_p(vis)){
-            // are we on the last column of the real screen? if so, 0x20 us
-            if(absx >= dstlenx - 1){
-              targc->gcluster = htole(' ');
-              targc->width = 1;
-            // is the next cell occupied? if so, 0x20 us
-            }else if(crender[1].c.gcluster){
-//fprintf(stderr, "NULLING out %d/%d (%d/%d) due to %u\n", y, x, absy, absx, crender[1].c.gcluster);
-              targc->gcluster = htole(' ');
-              targc->width = 1;
-            }else{
-              targc->stylemask = vis->stylemask;
-              targc->width = vis->width;
-            }
-          }else{
-            targc->stylemask = vis->stylemask;
-            targc->width = vis->width;
-          }
-          crender->p = p;
-        }else if(cell_wide_right_p(vis)){
-          crender->p = p;
-          targc->width = 0;
-        }
-      }
-
       // Background color takes effect independently of whether we have a
       // glyph. If we've already locked in the background, it has no effect.
       // If it's transparent, it has no effect. Otherwise, update the
       // background channel and balpha.
       // Evaluate the background first, in case we have HIGHCONTRAST fg text.
       if(cell_bg_alpha(targc) > CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE){
-        vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
+        const nccell* vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
         if(cell_bg_default_p(vis)){
           vis = &p->basecell;
         }
@@ -325,7 +283,7 @@ paint(const ncplane* p, struct crender* rvec, int dstleny, int dstlenx,
       }
 
       if(cell_fg_alpha(targc) > CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE){
-        vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
+        const nccell* vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
         if(cell_fg_default_p(vis)){
           vis = &p->basecell;
         }
@@ -348,6 +306,48 @@ paint(const ncplane* p, struct crender* rvec, int dstleny, int dstlenx,
           }
         }
       }
+
+      // if we never loaded any content into the cell (or obliterated it by
+      // writing in a zero), use the plane's base cell.
+      // if we have no character in this cell, we continue to look for a
+      // character, but our foreground color will still be used unless it's
+      // been set to transparent. if that foreground color is transparent, we
+      // still use a character we find here, but its color will come entirely
+      // from cells underneath us.
+      if(!crender->p){
+        const nccell* vis = &p->fb[nfbcellidx(p, y, x)];
+        if(vis->gcluster == 0 && !cell_double_wide_p(vis)){
+          vis = &p->basecell;
+        }
+        // if the following is true, we're a real glyph, and not the right-hand
+        // side of a wide glyph (nor the null codepoint).
+        if( (targc->gcluster = vis->gcluster) ){ // index copy only
+          // we can't plop down a wide glyph if the next cell is beyond the
+          // screen, nor if we're bisected by a higher plane.
+          if(cell_double_wide_p(vis)){
+            // are we on the last column of the real screen? if so, 0x20 us
+            if(absx >= dstlenx - 1){
+              targc->gcluster = htole(' ');
+              targc->width = 1;
+            // is the next cell occupied? if so, 0x20 us
+            }else if(crender[1].c.gcluster){
+//fprintf(stderr, "NULLING out %d/%d (%d/%d) due to %u\n", y, x, absy, absx, crender[1].c.gcluster);
+              targc->gcluster = htole(' ');
+              targc->width = 1;
+            }else{
+              targc->stylemask = vis->stylemask;
+              targc->width = vis->width;
+            }
+          }else{
+            targc->stylemask = vis->stylemask;
+            targc->width = vis->width;
+          }
+          crender->p = p;
+        }else if(cell_wide_right_p(vis)){
+          crender->p = p;
+          targc->width = 0;
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 }