diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index 16451f255..1b88f28be 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ typedef struct {int x;} *SPRITE_MAP_HANDLE;
 #define FONTS_DATA_HEAD SPRITE_MAP_HANDLE sprite_map; double logical_dpi_x, logical_dpi_y, font_sz_in_pts; unsigned int cell_width, cell_height;
 typedef struct {FONTS_DATA_HEAD} *FONTS_DATA_HANDLE;
 
-#define READ_BUF_SZ (1024*1024)
+#define READ_BUF_SZ (1024u*1024u)
 
 #define clear_sprite_position(cell) (cell).sprite_x = 0; (cell).sprite_y = 0; (cell).sprite_z = 0;
 
diff --git a/kitty/vt-parser.c b/kitty/vt-parser.c
index b9fdb03bc..4baf022c3 100644
--- a/kitty/vt-parser.c
+++ b/kitty/vt-parser.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #define EXTENDED_OSC_SENTINEL ESC
 #define PARSER_BUF_SZ (8u * 1024u)
 #define PENDING_BUF_INCREMENT (16u * 1024u)
+#define PENDING_BUF_LIMIT (32u * READ_BUF_SZ)
 
 // Macros {{{
 
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ typedef struct PS {
         monotonic_t activated_at, wait_time;
         unsigned stop_escape_code_type;
         size_t capacity, used;
+        struct { size_t start, length; } current;
         uint8_t *buf;
     } pending_mode;
 
@@ -1546,7 +1548,7 @@ do_parse_vt(PS *self) {
         switch(state) {
             case START:
                 if (self->pending_mode.activated_at) {
-                    if (self->pending_mode.activated_at + self->pending_mode.wait_time < self->now) {
+                    if (self->pending_mode.activated_at + self->pending_mode.wait_time < self->now || self->pending_mode.capacity >= PENDING_BUF_LIMIT) {
                         dump_partial_escape_code_to_pending(self);
                         self->pending_mode.activated_at = 0;
                         state = START;