diff --git a/kitty/core_text.m b/kitty/core_text.m
index 12994e4df..59d700c3d 100644
--- a/kitty/core_text.m
+++ b/kitty/core_text.m
@@ -703,7 +703,8 @@ static CTFontRef nerd_font(CGFloat sz) {
 
 static void
 finalize(void) {
-    free(ft_buffer.buf); free(buffers.render_buf); free(buffers.glyphs); free(buffers.boxes); free(buffers.positions);
+    free(ft_buffer.buf); ft_buffer.buf = NULL; ft_buffer.capacity = 0;
+    free(buffers.render_buf); free(buffers.glyphs); free(buffers.boxes); free(buffers.positions);
     memset(&buffers, 0, sizeof(struct RenderBuffers));
     if (all_fonts_collection_data) CFRelease(all_fonts_collection_data);
     if (window_title_font) CFRelease(window_title_font);
diff --git a/kitty/text-cache.c b/kitty/text-cache.c
index fea92d273..f0cbcbd13 100644
--- a/kitty/text-cache.c
+++ b/kitty/text-cache.c
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ tc_first_char_at_index(const TextCache *self, char_type idx) {
 void
 tc_chars_at_index(const TextCache *self, char_type idx, ListOfChars *ans) {
     if (self->array.count > idx) {
+        ensure_space_for_chars(ans, self->array.items[idx].count);
         ans->count = self->array.items[idx].count;
-        ensure_space_for_chars(ans, ans->count);
         memcpy(ans->chars, self->array.items[idx].chars, sizeof(ans->chars[0]) * ans->count);
     } else {
         ans->count = 0;
diff --git a/kitty/text-cache.h b/kitty/text-cache.h
index a9f336ad4..d3245fa42 100644
--- a/kitty/text-cache.h
+++ b/kitty/text-cache.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ ensure_space_for_chars(ListOfChars *lc, size_t count) {
         lc->capacity = count + LIST_OF_CHARS_STACK_SIZE;
         void *chars = malloc(lc->capacity * sizeof(lc->chars[0]));
         if (!chars) fatal("Out of memory allocating LCChars char space");
-        memcpy(chars, lc->chars, lc->count * sizeof(lc->chars[0]));
+        memcpy(chars, lc->chars, MIN(lc->count, LIST_OF_CHARS_STACK_SIZE) * sizeof(lc->chars[0]));
         lc->chars = chars;
     }
 }