diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 34fa7a9c..22dd1ee2 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -1308,7 +1308,8 @@ input_csi_dispatch(struct input_ctx *ictx)
 		}
 		break;
 	case INPUT_CSI_ECH:
-		screen_write_clearcharacter(sctx, input_get(ictx, 0, 1, 1));
+		screen_write_clearcharacter(sctx, input_get(ictx, 0, 1, 1),
+		    ictx->cell.cell.bg);
 		break;
 	case INPUT_CSI_DCH:
 		screen_write_deletecharacter(sctx, input_get(ictx, 0, 1, 1),
diff --git a/screen-write.c b/screen-write.c
index 6631ab56..7dace38a 100644
--- a/screen-write.c
+++ b/screen-write.c
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ screen_write_deletecharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, u_int nx, u_int bg)
 
 /* Clear nx characters. */
 void
-screen_write_clearcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, u_int nx)
+screen_write_clearcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, u_int nx, u_int bg)
 {
 	struct screen	*s = ctx->s;
 	struct tty_ctx	 ttyctx;
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ screen_write_clearcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx, u_int nx)
 		return;
 
 	screen_write_initctx(ctx, &ttyctx);
+	ttyctx.bg = bg;
 
 	grid_view_clear(s->grid, s->cx, s->cy, nx, 1, 8);
 
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index a91ed2e1..bfe7df3a 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -792,6 +792,7 @@ struct window_pane {
 	struct event	 modetimer;
 	time_t		 modelast;
 	u_int		 modeprefix;
+	char		*searchstr;
 
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(window_pane) entry;
 	RB_ENTRY(window_pane) tree_entry;
@@ -1996,7 +1997,7 @@ void	 screen_write_cursorleft(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int);
 void	 screen_write_alignmenttest(struct screen_write_ctx *);
 void	 screen_write_insertcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int, u_int);
 void	 screen_write_deletecharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int, u_int);
-void	 screen_write_clearcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int);
+void	 screen_write_clearcharacter(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int, u_int);
 void	 screen_write_insertline(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int, u_int);
 void	 screen_write_deleteline(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int, u_int);
 void	 screen_write_clearline(struct screen_write_ctx *, u_int);
@@ -2177,7 +2178,6 @@ void		 window_copy_vadd(struct window_pane *, const char *, va_list);
 void		 window_copy_pageup(struct window_pane *, int);
 void		 window_copy_start_drag(struct client *, struct mouse_event *);
 int		 window_copy_scroll_position(struct window_pane *);
-const char	*window_copy_search_string(struct window_pane *);
 
 /* window-choose.c */
 extern const struct window_mode window_choose_mode;
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index 18e4c3d2..e182be22 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -798,6 +798,7 @@ tty_clear_area(struct tty *tty, const struct window_pane *wp, u_int py,
     u_int ny, u_int px, u_int nx, u_int bg)
 {
 	u_int	yy;
+	char	tmp[64];
 
 	log_debug("%s: %u,%u at %u,%u", __func__, nx, ny, px, py);
 
@@ -815,6 +816,17 @@ tty_clear_area(struct tty *tty, const struct window_pane *wp, u_int py,
 			tty_putcode(tty, TTYC_ED);
 			return;
 		}
+
+		/*
+		 * If we're setting a background colour (so it is not default),
+		 * we can use DECFRA.
+		 */
+		if (tty->term_type == TTY_VT420 && bg != 8) {
+			xsnprintf(tmp, sizeof tmp, "\033[32;%u;%u;%u;%u$x",
+			    py + 1, px + 1, py + ny, px + nx);
+			tty_puts(tty, tmp);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* Couldn't use an escape sequence, loop over the lines. */
@@ -1023,7 +1035,7 @@ tty_cmd_deletecharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
 void
 tty_cmd_clearcharacter(struct tty *tty, const struct tty_ctx *ctx)
 {
-	tty_attributes(tty, &grid_default_cell, ctx->wp);
+	tty_default_attributes(tty, ctx->wp, ctx->bg);
 
 	tty_cursor_pane(tty, ctx, ctx->ocx, ctx->ocy);