diff --git a/grid.c b/grid.c
index 90e1a0a5..3eeb7a27 100644
--- a/grid.c
+++ b/grid.c
@@ -701,7 +701,6 @@ grid_move_lines(struct grid *gd, u_int dy, u_int py, u_int ny, u_int bg)
 		gd->linedata[py - 1].flags &= ~GRID_LINE_WRAPPED;
 }
 
-
 /* Move a group of cells. */
 void
 grid_move_cells(struct grid *gd, u_int dx, u_int px, u_int py, u_int nx,
diff --git a/screen-write.c b/screen-write.c
index f374630c..7df5cd92 100644
--- a/screen-write.c
+++ b/screen-write.c
@@ -1516,6 +1516,7 @@ screen_write_collect_flush(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, int scroll_only,
 	struct screen_write_collect_item	*ci, *tmp;
 	struct screen_write_collect_line	*cl;
 	u_int					 y, cx, cy, items = 0;
+	int					 clear = 0;
 	struct tty_ctx				 ttyctx;
 	size_t					 written = 0;
 
@@ -1539,22 +1540,29 @@ screen_write_collect_flush(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, int scroll_only,
 	cx = s->cx; cy = s->cy;
 	for (y = 0; y < screen_size_y(s); y++) {
 		cl = &ctx->s->write_list[y];
-		if (cl->bg != 0) {
-			screen_write_set_cursor(ctx, 0, y);
-			screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 1);
-			ttyctx.bg = cl->bg - 1;
-			tty_write(tty_cmd_clearline, &ttyctx);
-		}
 		TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(ci, &cl->items, entry, tmp) {
+			if (clear != -1 &&
+			    (u_int)clear != ci->x &&
+			    cl->bg != 0) {
+				screen_write_set_cursor(ctx, clear, y);
+				screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 1);
+				ttyctx.bg = cl->bg - 1;
+				ttyctx.num = ci->x - clear;
+				log_debug("clear %u at %u", ttyctx.num, clear);
+				tty_write(tty_cmd_clearcharacter, &ttyctx);
+			}
+
 			screen_write_set_cursor(ctx, ci->x, y);
 			if (ci->type == CLEAR_END) {
 				screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 1);
 				ttyctx.bg = ci->bg;
 				tty_write(tty_cmd_clearendofline, &ttyctx);
+				clear = -1;
 			} else if (ci->type == CLEAR_START) {
 				screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 1);
 				ttyctx.bg = ci->bg;
 				tty_write(tty_cmd_clearstartofline, &ttyctx);
+				clear = ci->x + 1;
 			} else {
 				screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 0);
 				ttyctx.cell = &ci->gc;
@@ -1562,6 +1570,7 @@ screen_write_collect_flush(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, int scroll_only,
 				ttyctx.ptr = cl->data + ci->x;
 				ttyctx.num = ci->used;
 				tty_write(tty_cmd_cells, &ttyctx);
+				clear = ci->x + ci->used;
 			}
 
 			items++;
@@ -1570,6 +1579,16 @@ screen_write_collect_flush(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, int scroll_only,
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&cl->items, ci, entry);
 			free(ci);
 		}
+		if (clear != -1 &&
+		    (u_int)clear != screen_size_x(s) - 1 &&
+		    cl->bg != 0) {
+			screen_write_set_cursor(ctx, clear, y);
+			screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx, 1);
+			ttyctx.bg = cl->bg - 1;
+			log_debug("clear to end at %u", clear);
+			tty_write(tty_cmd_clearendofline, &ttyctx);
+		}
+		clear = 0;
 		cl->bg = 0;
 	}
 	s->cx = cx; s->cy = cy;
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 3093424f..6989682c 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1891,7 +1891,6 @@ const char	*find_home(void);
 const char	*getversion(void);
 void		 expand_paths(const char *, char ***, u_int *);
 
-
 /* proc.c */
 struct imsg;
 int	proc_send(struct tmuxpeer *, enum msgtype, int, const void *, size_t);
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index fac7a99e..279bafaf 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -1531,20 +1531,9 @@ tty_cmd_deletecharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
 void
 tty_cmd_clearcharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
 {
-	if (ctx->bigger) {
-		tty_draw_pane(tty, ctx, ctx->ocy);
-		return;
-	}
-
 	tty_default_attributes(tty, &ctx->defaults, ctx->palette, ctx->bg);
 
-	tty_cursor_pane(tty, ctx, ctx->ocx, ctx->ocy);
-
-	if (tty_term_has(tty->term, TTYC_ECH) &&
-	    !tty_fake_bce(tty, &ctx->defaults, 8))
-		tty_putcode1(tty, TTYC_ECH, ctx->num);
-	else
-		tty_repeat_space(tty, ctx->num);
+	tty_clear_pane_line(tty, ctx, ctx->ocy, ctx->ocx, ctx->num, ctx->bg);
 }
 
 void