diff --git a/screen-write.c b/screen-write.c
index 7df5cd92..f374630c 100644
--- a/screen-write.c
+++ b/screen-write.c
@@ -1516,7 +1516,6 @@ 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;
 
@@ -1540,29 +1539,22 @@ 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;
@@ -1570,7 +1562,6 @@ 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++;
@@ -1579,16 +1570,6 @@ 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;