diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index ea69b578f..da19570f2 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -651,7 +651,9 @@ pyset_iutf8(ChildMonitor *self, PyObject *args) {
 
 static bool
 cursor_needs_render(Window *w) {
-    return w->cursor_visible_at_last_render != w->render_data.screen->cursor_render_info.is_visible || w->render_data.screen->last_rendered.cursor_x != w->render_data.screen->cursor_render_info.x || w->render_data.screen->last_rendered.cursor_y != w->render_data.screen->cursor_render_info.y || w->last_cursor_shape != w->render_data.screen->cursor_render_info.shape;
+#define cri w->render_data.screen->cursor_render_info
+    return w->cursor_visible_at_last_render != cri.is_visible || w->render_data.screen->last_rendered.cursor_x != cri.x || w->render_data.screen->last_rendered.cursor_y != cri.y || w->last_cursor_shape != cri.shape;
+#undef cri
 }
 
 static bool
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 596d272c9..89f86f68e 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -1324,7 +1324,7 @@ change_pointer_shape(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-unsigned long
+static unsigned long
 screen_current_char_width(Screen *self) {
     unsigned long ans = 1;
     if (self->cursor->x < self->columns - 1 && self->cursor->y < self->lines) {
@@ -1335,7 +1335,7 @@ screen_current_char_width(Screen *self) {
 
 bool
 screen_is_cursor_visible(const Screen *self) {
-    return self->modes.mDECTCEM;
+    return self->paused_rendering.expires_at ? self->paused_rendering.cursor_visible : self->modes.mDECTCEM;
 }
 
 void
@@ -2393,9 +2393,10 @@ screen_pause_rendering(Screen *self, bool pause, int for_in_ms) {
     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.inverted = self->modes.mDECSCNM;
     self->paused_rendering.scrolled_by = self->scrolled_by;
     self->paused_rendering.cell_data_updated = false;
+    self->paused_rendering.cursor_visible = self->modes.mDECTCEM;
     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) {
diff --git a/kitty/screen.h b/kitty/screen.h
index 2da6c60c1..edebe8f6b 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.h
+++ b/kitty/screen.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ typedef struct {
         monotonic_t expires_at;
         Cursor cursor;
         ColorProfile color_profile;
-        bool inverted, cell_data_updated;
+        bool inverted, cell_data_updated, cursor_visible;
         unsigned int scrolled_by;
         LineBuf *linebuf;
         Selections selections, url_ranges;
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ void screen_update_selection(Screen *self, index_type x, index_type y, bool in_l
 bool screen_history_scroll(Screen *self, int amt, bool upwards);
 PyObject* as_text_history_buf(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *args, ANSIBuf *output);
 Line* screen_visual_line(Screen *self, index_type y);
-unsigned long screen_current_char_width(Screen *self);
 void screen_mark_url(Screen *self, index_type start_x, index_type start_y, index_type end_x, index_type end_y);
 void set_active_hyperlink(Screen*, char*, char*);
 hyperlink_id_type screen_mark_hyperlink(Screen*, index_type, index_type);
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 73f3fb2ef..88dbdcc82 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ cell_update_uniform_block(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, int uniform_buffer, c
     rd->use_cell_for_selection_bg = IS_SPECIAL_COLOR(highlight_bg) ? 1. : 0.;
     // Cursor position
     enum { BLOCK_IDX = 0, BEAM_IDX = NUM_UNDERLINE_STYLES + 3, UNDERLINE_IDX = NUM_UNDERLINE_STYLES + 4, UNFOCUSED_IDX = NUM_UNDERLINE_STYLES + 5 };
+    Line *line_for_cursor = NULL;
     if (cursor->is_visible) {
         rd->cursor_x = cursor->x, rd->cursor_y = cursor->y;
         if (cursor->is_focused) {
@@ -335,14 +336,19 @@ cell_update_uniform_block(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, int uniform_buffer, c
         } else rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx = UNFOCUSED_IDX;
         color_type cell_fg = rd->default_fg, cell_bg = rd->default_bg;
         index_type cell_color_x = cursor->x;
-        bool cursor_ok = cursor->x < screen->columns && cursor->y < screen->lines;
         bool reversed = false;
-        if (cursor_ok) {
-            linebuf_init_line(screen->linebuf, cursor->y);
-            colors_for_cell(screen->linebuf->line, cp, &cell_color_x, &cell_fg, &cell_bg, &reversed);
+        if (cursor->x < screen->columns && cursor->y < screen->lines) {
+            if (screen->paused_rendering.expires_at) {
+                linebuf_init_line(screen->paused_rendering.linebuf, cursor->y); line_for_cursor = screen->paused_rendering.linebuf->line;
+            } else {
+                linebuf_init_line(screen->linebuf, cursor->y); line_for_cursor = screen->linebuf->line;
+            }
+        }
+        if (line_for_cursor) {
+            colors_for_cell(line_for_cursor, cp, &cell_color_x, &cell_fg, &cell_bg, &reversed);
         }
         if (IS_SPECIAL_COLOR(cursor_color)) {
-            if (cursor_ok) pick_cursor_color(screen->linebuf->line, cp, cell_fg, cell_bg, cell_color_x, &rd->cursor_fg, &rd->cursor_bg, rd->default_fg, rd->default_bg);
+            if (line_for_cursor) pick_cursor_color(line_for_cursor, cp, cell_fg, cell_bg, cell_color_x, &rd->cursor_fg, &rd->cursor_bg, rd->default_fg, rd->default_bg);
             else { rd->cursor_fg = rd->default_bg; rd->cursor_bg = rd->default_fg; }
             if (cell_bg == cell_fg) {
                 rd->cursor_fg = rd->default_bg; rd->cursor_bg = rd->default_fg;
@@ -354,10 +360,9 @@ cell_update_uniform_block(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, int uniform_buffer, c
         }
     } else rd->cursor_x = screen->columns, rd->cursor_y = screen->lines;
     rd->cursor_w = rd->cursor_x;
-    if (
-            (rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx == BLOCK_IDX || rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx == UNDERLINE_IDX) &&
-            screen_current_char_width(screen) > 1
-    ) rd->cursor_w += 1;
+    if ((rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx == BLOCK_IDX || rd->cursor_fg_sprite_idx == UNDERLINE_IDX) && line_for_cursor && line_for_cursor->gpu_cells[cursor->x].attrs.width > 1) {
+        rd->cursor_w += 1;
+    }
 
     rd->xnum = screen->columns; rd->ynum = screen->lines;