diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index bc9f23750..b8977be23 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -279,8 +279,9 @@ PyObject* parse_bytes_dump(PyObject UNUSED *, PyObject *);
 PyObject* parse_bytes(PyObject UNUSED *, PyObject *);
 uint16_t* translation_table(char);
 uint32_t decode_utf8(uint32_t*, uint32_t*, uint8_t byte);
-Savepoint* savepoints_pop(SavepointBuffer *pts);
-Savepoint* savepoints_push(SavepointBuffer *pts);
+Savepoint* savepoints_pop(SavepointBuffer *);
+Savepoint* savepoints_push(SavepointBuffer *);
+void savepoints_init(SavepointBuffer *);
 void cursor_reset(Cursor*);
 Cursor* cursor_copy(Cursor*);
 void cursor_copy_to(Cursor *src, Cursor *dest);
diff --git a/kitty/savepoints.c b/kitty/savepoints.c
index 53cdac746..8362cb696 100644
--- a/kitty/savepoints.c
+++ b/kitty/savepoints.c
@@ -24,3 +24,8 @@ Savepoint* savepoints_pop(SavepointBuffer *self) {
     RETREAT(end_of_data);
     return self->end_of_data;
 }
+
+void savepoints_init(SavepointBuffer *self) {
+    self->end_of_data = self->buf;
+    self->start_of_data = self->buf;
+}
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 9bc5d7bfa..418f700c5 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
         if (self->cursor == NULL || self->main_linebuf == NULL || self->alt_linebuf == NULL || self->change_tracker == NULL || self->tabstops == NULL) {
             Py_CLEAR(self); return NULL;
         }
+        savepoints_init(&self->main_savepoints); savepoints_init(&self->alt_savepoints);
     }
     return (PyObject*) self;
 }