diff --git a/image-sixel.c b/image-sixel.c
index 8fa02a82..a03c8619 100644
--- a/image-sixel.c
+++ b/image-sixel.c
@@ -52,6 +52,19 @@ struct sixel_image {
 	struct sixel_line	*lines;
 };
 
+struct sixel_chunk {
+	u_int	 next_x;
+	u_int	 next_y;
+
+	u_int	 count;
+	char	 pattern;
+	char	 next_pattern;
+
+	size_t	 len;
+	size_t	 used;
+	char	*data;
+};
+
 static int
 sixel_parse_expand_lines(struct sixel_image *si, u_int y)
 {
@@ -496,13 +509,65 @@ sixel_print_repeat(char **buf, size_t *len, size_t *used, u_int count, char ch)
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+sixel_print_compress_colors(struct sixel_image *si, struct sixel_chunk *chunks,
+    u_int y, u_int *active, u_int *nactive)
+{
+	u_int			 i, x, c, dx, colors[6];
+	struct sixel_chunk	*chunk = NULL;
+	struct sixel_line	*sl;
+
+	for (x = 0; x < si->x; x++) {
+		for (i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
+			colors[i] = 0;
+			if (y + i < si->y) {
+				sl = &si->lines[y + i];
+				if (x < sl->x && sl->data[x] != 0) {
+					colors[i] = sl->data[x];
+					c = sl->data[x] - 1;
+					chunks[c].next_pattern |= 1 << i;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		for (i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
+			if (colors[i] == 0)
+				continue;
+
+			c = colors[i] - 1;
+			chunk = &chunks[c];
+			if (chunk->next_x == x + 1)
+				continue;
+
+			if (chunk->next_y < y + 1) {
+				chunk->next_y = y + 1;
+				active[(*nactive)++] = c;
+			}
+
+			dx = x - chunk->next_x;
+			if (chunk->pattern != chunk->next_pattern || dx != 0) {
+				sixel_print_repeat(&chunk->data, &chunk->len,
+				    &chunk->used, chunk->count,
+				    chunk->pattern + 0x3f);
+				sixel_print_repeat(&chunk->data, &chunk->len,
+				    &chunk->used, dx, '?');
+				chunk->pattern = chunk->next_pattern;
+				chunk->count = 0;
+			}
+			chunk->count++;
+			chunk->next_pattern = 0;
+			chunk->next_x = x + 1;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 char *
 sixel_print(struct sixel_image *si, struct sixel_image *map, size_t *size)
 {
-	char			*buf, tmp[64], *contains, data, last = 0;
+	char			*buf, tmp[64];
 	size_t			 len, used = 0, tmplen;
-	u_int			*colours, ncolours, i, c, x, y, count;
-	struct sixel_line	*sl;
+	u_int			*colours, ncolours, i, c, y, *active, nactive;
+	struct sixel_chunk	*chunks, *chunk;
 
 	if (map != NULL) {
 		colours = map->colours;
@@ -514,7 +579,6 @@ sixel_print(struct sixel_image *si, struct sixel_image *map, size_t *size)
 
 	if (ncolours == 0)
 		return (NULL);
-	contains = xcalloc(1, ncolours);
 
 	len = 8192;
 	buf = xmalloc(len);
@@ -528,59 +592,42 @@ sixel_print(struct sixel_image *si, struct sixel_image *map, size_t *size)
 		sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, tmp, tmplen);
 	}
 
+	chunks = xcalloc(ncolours, sizeof *chunks);
+	active = xcalloc(ncolours, sizeof *active);
+
 	for (i = 0; i < ncolours; i++) {
 		c = colours[i];
 		tmplen = xsnprintf(tmp, sizeof tmp, "#%u;%u;%u;%u;%u",
 		    i, c >> 24, (c >> 16) & 0xff, (c >> 8) & 0xff, c & 0xff);
 		sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, tmp, tmplen);
+
+		chunk = &chunks[i];
+		chunk->len = 8;
+		chunk->data = xmalloc(chunk->len);
 	}
 
 	for (y = 0; y < si->y; y += 6) {
-		memset(contains, 0, ncolours);
-		for (x = 0; x < si->x; x++) {
-			for (i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
-				if (y + i >= si->y)
-					break;
-				sl = &si->lines[y + i];
-				if (x < sl->x && sl->data[x] != 0)
-					contains[sl->data[x] - 1] = 1;
-			}
-		}
+		nactive = 0;
+		sixel_print_compress_colors(si, chunks, y, active, &nactive);
 
-		for (c = 0; c < ncolours; c++) {
-			if (!contains[c])
-				continue;
+		for (i = 0; i < nactive; i++) {
+			c = active[i];
+			chunk = &chunks[c];
 			tmplen = xsnprintf(tmp, sizeof tmp, "#%u", c);
 			sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, tmp, tmplen);
-
-			count = 0;
-			for (x = 0; x < si->x; x++) {
-				data = 0;
-				for (i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
-					if (y + i >= si->y)
-						break;
-					sl = &si->lines[y + i];
-					if (x < sl->x && sl->data[x] == c + 1)
-						data |= (1 << i);
-				}
-				data += 0x3f;
-				if (data != last) {
-					sixel_print_repeat(&buf, &len, &used,
-					    count, last);
-					last = data;
-					count = 1;
-				} else
-					count++;
-			}
-			sixel_print_repeat(&buf, &len, &used, count, data);
+			sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, chunk->data,
+			    chunk->used);
+			sixel_print_repeat(&buf, &len, &used, chunk->count,
+			    chunk->pattern + 0x3f);
 			sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, "$", 1);
+			chunk->used = chunk->next_x = chunk->count = 0;
 		}
 
 		if (buf[used - 1] == '$')
 			used--;
 		sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, "-", 1);
 	}
-	if (buf[used - 1] == '$' || buf[used - 1] == '-')
+	if (buf[used - 1] == '-')
 		used--;
 
 	sixel_print_add(&buf, &len, &used, "\033\\", 2);
@@ -589,7 +636,11 @@ sixel_print(struct sixel_image *si, struct sixel_image *map, size_t *size)
 	if (size != NULL)
 		*size = used;
 
-	free(contains);
+	for (i = 0; i < ncolours; i++)
+		free(chunks[i].data);
+	free(active);
+	free(chunks);
+
 	return (buf);
 }