diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index 59e875e54..ea69b578f 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -724,6 +724,7 @@ prepare_to_render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, monotonic_t now, unsigned int *
         Window *w = tab->windows + i;
 #define WD w->render_data
         if (w->visible && WD.screen) {
+            screen_check_pause_rendering(WD.screen, now);
             *num_visible_windows += 1;
             color_type window_bg = colorprofile_to_color(WD.screen->color_profile, WD.screen->color_profile->overridden.default_bg, WD.screen->color_profile->configured.default_bg).rgb;
             if (*num_visible_windows == 1) first_window_bg = window_bg;
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 2710c0740..264f9ffd5 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -473,6 +473,7 @@ dealloc(Screen* self) {
     PyMem_Free(self->overlay_line.original_line.gpu_cells);
     Py_CLEAR(self->overlay_line.overlay_text);
     PyMem_Free(self->main_tabstops);
+    Py_CLEAR(self->paused_rendering.linebuf);
     free(self->selections.items);
     free(self->url_ranges.items);
     free_hyperlink_pool(self->hyperlink_pool);
@@ -2362,19 +2363,38 @@ screen_request_capabilities(Screen *self, char c, const char *query) {
 
 // Rendering {{{
 
+void
+screen_check_pause_rendering(Screen *self, monotonic_t now) {
+    if (self->paused_rendering.expires_at && now > self->paused_rendering.expires_at) screen_pause_rendering(self, false, 0);
+}
+
 bool
 screen_pause_rendering(Screen *self, bool pause, int for_in_ms) {
     if (!pause) {
         if (!self->paused_rendering.expires_at) return false;
         self->paused_rendering.expires_at = 0;
+        self->is_dirty = true;
         return true;
     }
     if (self->paused_rendering.expires_at) return false;
     if (for_in_ms <= 0) for_in_ms = 2000;
     self->paused_rendering.expires_at = monotonic() + ms_to_monotonic_t(for_in_ms);
     self->paused_rendering.inverted = self->modes.mDECSCNM ? true : false;
+    self->paused_rendering.scrolled_by = self->scrolled_by;
+    self->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated = false;
     memcpy(&self->paused_rendering.cursor, self->cursor, sizeof(self->paused_rendering.cursor));
     memcpy(&self->paused_rendering.color_profile, self->color_profile, sizeof(self->paused_rendering.color_profile));
+    if (!self->paused_rendering.linebuf || self->paused_rendering.linebuf->xnum != self->columns || self->paused_rendering.linebuf->ynum != self->lines) {
+        if (self->paused_rendering.linebuf) Py_CLEAR(self->paused_rendering.linebuf);
+        self->paused_rendering.linebuf = alloc_linebuf(self->lines, self->columns);
+        if (!self->paused_rendering.linebuf) { PyErr_Clear(); self->paused_rendering.expires_at = 0; return false; }
+    }
+    for (index_type y = 0; y < self->lines; y++) {
+        Line *src = visual_line_(self, y);
+        linebuf_init_line(self->paused_rendering.linebuf, y);
+        copy_line(src, self->linebuf->line);
+        self->paused_rendering.linebuf->line_attrs[y] = src->attrs;
+    }
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -2571,6 +2591,22 @@ screen_update_only_line_graphics_data(Screen *self) {
 
 void
 screen_update_cell_data(Screen *self, void *address, FONTS_DATA_HANDLE fonts_data, bool cursor_has_moved) {
+    if (self->paused_rendering.expires_at) {
+        if (!self->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated) {
+            LineBuf *linebuf = self->paused_rendering.linebuf;
+            for (index_type y = 0; y < self->lines; y++) {
+                linebuf_init_line(linebuf, y);
+                if (linebuf->line->attrs.has_dirty_text) {
+                    render_line(fonts_data, linebuf->line, y, &self->paused_rendering.cursor, self->disable_ligatures);
+                    screen_render_line_graphics(self, linebuf->line, y);
+                    if (linebuf->line->attrs.has_dirty_text && screen_has_marker(self)) mark_text_in_line(self->marker, linebuf->line);
+                    linebuf_mark_line_clean(linebuf, y);
+                }
+                update_line_data(linebuf->line, y, address);
+            }
+        }
+        return;
+    }
     const bool is_overlay_active = screen_is_overlay_active(self);
     unsigned int history_line_added_count = self->history_line_added_count;
     index_type lnum;
diff --git a/kitty/screen.h b/kitty/screen.h
index f6837b2a0..f33e86c4d 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.h
+++ b/kitty/screen.h
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ typedef struct {
         monotonic_t expires_at;
         Cursor cursor;
         ColorProfile color_profile;
-        bool inverted;
+        bool inverted, cell_data_updated;
+        unsigned int scrolled_by;
+        LineBuf *linebuf;
     } paused_rendering;
 } Screen;
 
@@ -268,6 +270,7 @@ bool screen_send_signal_for_key(Screen *, char key);
 bool get_line_edge_colors(Screen *self, color_type *left, color_type *right);
 bool parse_sgr(Screen *screen, const uint8_t *buf, unsigned int num, const char *report_name, bool is_deccara);
 bool screen_pause_rendering(Screen *self, bool pause, int for_in_ms);
+void screen_check_pause_rendering(Screen *self, monotonic_t now);
 #define DECLARE_CH_SCREEN_HANDLER(name) void screen_##name(Screen *screen);
 DECLARE_CH_SCREEN_HANDLER(bell)
 DECLARE_CH_SCREEN_HANDLER(backspace)
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index dd3fb32f1..a4c2dc2a8 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -389,12 +389,19 @@ cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat
     bool disable_ligatures = screen->disable_ligatures == DISABLE_LIGATURES_CURSOR;
     bool screen_resized = screen->last_rendered.columns != screen->columns || screen->last_rendered.lines != screen->lines;
 
-    if (screen->reload_all_gpu_data || screen->scroll_changed || screen->is_dirty || screen_resized || (disable_ligatures && cursor_pos_changed)) {
-        sz = sizeof(GPUCell) * screen->lines * screen->columns;
-        address = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(vao_idx, sz, cell_data_buffer, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY);
-        screen_update_cell_data(screen, address, fonts_data, disable_ligatures && cursor_pos_changed);
-        unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, cell_data_buffer); address = NULL;
+#define update_cell_data \
+        sz = sizeof(GPUCell) * screen->lines * screen->columns; \
+        address = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(vao_idx, sz, cell_data_buffer, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY); \
+        screen_update_cell_data(screen, address, fonts_data, disable_ligatures && cursor_pos_changed); \
+        unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, cell_data_buffer); address = NULL; \
         changed = true;
+
+    if (screen->paused_rendering.expires_at) {
+        if (!screen->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated) {
+            update_cell_data;
+        }
+    } else if (screen->reload_all_gpu_data || screen->scroll_changed || screen->is_dirty || screen_resized || (disable_ligatures && cursor_pos_changed)) {
+        update_cell_data;
     }
 
     if (cursor_pos_changed) {
@@ -402,18 +409,25 @@ cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat
         screen->last_rendered.cursor_y = cursor->y;
     }
 
-    if (screen->reload_all_gpu_data || screen_resized || screen_is_selection_dirty(screen)) {
-        sz = (size_t)screen->lines * screen->columns;
-        address = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(vao_idx, sz, selection_buffer, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY);
-        screen_apply_selection(screen, address, sz);
-        unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, selection_buffer); address = NULL;
-        changed = true;
-    }
+    if (screen->paused_rendering.expires_at) {
+        if (!screen->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated) {
+        }
+        screen->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated = true;
+        screen->last_rendered.scrolled_by = screen->paused_rendering.scrolled_by;
+    } else {
+        if (screen->reload_all_gpu_data || screen_resized || screen_is_selection_dirty(screen)) {
+            sz = (size_t)screen->lines * screen->columns;
+            address = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(vao_idx, sz, selection_buffer, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY);
+            screen_apply_selection(screen, address, sz);
+            unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, selection_buffer); address = NULL;
+            changed = true;
+        }
 
-    if (grman_update_layers(screen->grman, screen->scrolled_by, xstart, ystart, dx, dy, screen->columns, screen->lines, screen->cell_size)) {
-        changed = true;
+        if (grman_update_layers(screen->grman, screen->scrolled_by, xstart, ystart, dx, dy, screen->columns, screen->lines, screen->cell_size)) {
+            changed = true;
+        }
+        screen->last_rendered.scrolled_by = screen->scrolled_by;
     }
-    screen->last_rendered.scrolled_by = screen->scrolled_by;
     screen->last_rendered.columns = screen->columns;
     screen->last_rendered.lines = screen->lines;
     return changed;