diff --git a/tests/stacking.cpp b/tests/stacking.cpp
index 740eb20ff9..b7be9030b1 100644
--- a/tests/stacking.cpp
+++ b/tests/stacking.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,42 @@ TEST_CASE("Stacking") {
   struct ncplane* n_ = notcurses_stddim_yx(nc_, &dimy, &dimx);
   REQUIRE(nullptr != n_);
 
+  SUBCASE("LowerAtopUpperWhite") {
+    struct ncplane_options opts = {
+      0, 0, 1, 1, nullptr, "top", nullptr, 0,
+    };
+    auto top = ncplane_create(n_, &opts);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != top);
+    // create an ncvisual of 2 rows, 1 column, with the bottom 0xffffff
+    const uint32_t topv[] = {htole(0), htole(0xffffffff)};
+    auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(topv, 2, 4, 1);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
+    struct ncvisual_options vopts = {
+      .n = top, .scaling = NCSCALE_NONE, .y = 0, .x = 0, .begy = 0, .begx = 0,
+      .leny = 2, .lenx = 1, .blitter = NCBLIT_2x1, .flags = 0,
+    };
+    CHECK(top == ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts));
+    ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
+
+    // create an ncvisual of 2 rows, 1 column, with the top 0xffffff
+    const uint32_t botv[] = {htole(0xffffffff), htole(0)};
+    ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(botv, 2, 4, 1);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
+    vopts.n = n_;
+    CHECK(n_ == ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts));
+    ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
+
+    CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
+    uint64_t channels;
+    auto egc = notcurses_at_yx(nc_, 0, 0, nullptr, &channels);
+    REQUIRE(nullptr != egc);
+    // ought yield space with white background FIXME currently just yields
+    // a lower half block
+    CHECK(0 == strcmp("\u2584", egc));
+    CHECK(0xffffff == channels_fg_rgb(channels));
+    CHECK(0xffffff == channels_bg_rgb(channels));
+    ncplane_destroy(top);
+  }
 
   SUBCASE("UpperAtopLowerWhite") {
     struct ncplane_options opts = {
@@ -71,7 +107,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Stacking") {
     auto top = ncplane_create(n_, &opts);
     REQUIRE(nullptr != top);
     // create an ncvisual of 2 rows, 2 columns, with the top 0xffffff
-    const uint32_t topv[] = {htole(0xffffffff), htole(0xffffffff), htole(0), htole(0)};
+    const uint32_t topv[] = {htole(0xff00ff00), htole(0xff00ff00), htole(0), htole(0)};
     auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(topv, 2, 8, 2);
     REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
     struct ncvisual_options vopts = {
@@ -82,7 +118,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Stacking") {
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
 
     // create an ncvisual of 2 rows, 2 columns, with the bottom 0xffffff
-    const uint32_t botv[] = {htole(0), htole(0), htole(0xffffffff), htole(0xffffffff)};
+    const uint32_t botv[] = {htole(0), htole(0), htole(0xff00ff00), htole(0xff00ff00)};
     ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(botv, 2, 8, 2);
     REQUIRE(nullptr != ncv);
     vopts.n = n_;
@@ -96,12 +132,14 @@ TEST_CASE("Stacking") {
     // ought yield space with white background FIXME currently just yields
     // an upper half block
     CHECK(0 == strcmp("\u2580", egc));
-    CHECK(0xffffff == channels_fg_rgb(channels));
-    CHECK(0xffffff == channels_bg_rgb(channels));
+    CHECK(0x00ff00 == channels_fg_rgb(channels));
+    CHECK(0x00ff00 == channels_bg_rgb(channels));
     ncplane_destroy(top);
   }
 
   SUBCASE("StackedQuadCrossed") {
+    ncplane_erase(n_);
+    notcurses_refresh(nc_, nullptr, nullptr);
     struct ncplane_options opts = {
       0, 0, 1, 1, nullptr, "top", nullptr, 0,
     };
@@ -116,6 +154,11 @@ TEST_CASE("Stacking") {
       .leny = 2, .lenx = 2, .blitter = NCBLIT_2x2, .flags = 0,
     };
     CHECK(top == ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &vopts));
+    /*
+cell c = CELL_TRIVIAL_INITIALIZER;
+ncplane_at_yx_cell(top, 0, 0, &c);
+fprintf(stderr, "[[[%s]]] %016lx\n", cell_extended_gcluster(top, &c), c.channels);
+*/
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
 
     // create an ncvisual of 2 rows, 2 columns, with the tr, bl 0xffffff