diff --git a/output.go b/output.go
index 8ba68b5..1c91935 100644
--- a/output.go
+++ b/output.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func (o *outputBuffer) flush(cells []Cell, width, height int) {
 	}
 
 	w := &o.buf
+	start := w.Len()
 
 	for y := 0; y < height; y++ {
 		rowStart := y * width
@@ -194,7 +195,10 @@ func (o *outputBuffer) flush(cells []Cell, width, height int) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	w.Write(csiSGR0)
+	// A frame that changed no cell writes nothing, the reset included
+	if w.Len() > start {
+		w.Write(csiSGR0)
+	}
 	o.lastValid = false
 }
 
diff --git a/terminal_test.go b/terminal_test.go
index 6686f3b..f85298e 100644
--- a/terminal_test.go
+++ b/terminal_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,18 @@ func TestEachCellIsOneColumn(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A frame that changes no cell writes nothing, so drawing an idle screen
+// again costs the terminal no bytes
+func TestUnchangedFrameWritesNothing(t *testing.T) {
+	o := newOutputBuffer(ColorMode256)
+	frame := []Cell{{Rune: 'a'}, {Rune: 'é'}}
+	o.flush(frame, len(frame), 1)
+	o.buf.Reset()
+	if o.flush(frame, len(frame), 1); o.buf.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unchanged frame wrote %q", o.buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
 // A paste arrives as one event, whatever reads split it into: an escape
 // inside it is text even when a poll times out on it, and a paste the
 // terminal never ends ends when input pauses, whether reads time out or
diff --git a/tui/border.go b/tui/border.go
index 6cf8eb4..8657912 100644
--- a/tui/border.go
+++ b/tui/border.go
@@ -149,10 +149,7 @@ func (r Region) Divider(y int, label string, line LineType, fg color.RGB) {
 			text = Truncate(text, r.W-2)
 			textLen = RuneLen(text)
 		}
-		startX := (r.W - textLen) / 2
-		for i, ch := range text {
-			r.Cell(startX+i, y, ch, fg, color.RGB{}, terminal.AttrBold)
-		}
+		r.Text((r.W-textLen)/2, y, text, fg, color.RGB{}, terminal.AttrBold)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/tui/dialog.go b/tui/dialog.go
index fb9d633..c1cef39 100644
--- a/tui/dialog.go
+++ b/tui/dialog.go
@@ -225,11 +225,7 @@ func (r Region) ConfirmDialog(state *ConfirmState, opts ConfirmOpts) Region {
 			yesBg = style.ButtonFocusBg
 		}
 	}
-	for i, ch := range yesLabel {
-		if buttonX+i < content.W {
-			content.Cell(buttonX+i, buttonY, ch, yesFg, yesBg, terminal.AttrNone)
-		}
-	}
+	content.Text(buttonX, buttonY, yesLabel, yesFg, yesBg, terminal.AttrNone)
 
 	// No button
 	noX := buttonX + yesW + buttonGap
@@ -239,11 +235,7 @@ func (r Region) ConfirmDialog(state *ConfirmState, opts ConfirmOpts) Region {
 		noFg = style.ButtonFocusFg
 		noBg = style.ButtonFocusBg
 	}
-	for i, ch := range noLabel {
-		if noX+i < content.W {
-			content.Cell(noX+i, buttonY, ch, noFg, noBg, terminal.AttrNone)
-		}
-	}
+	content.Text(noX, buttonY, noLabel, noFg, noBg, terminal.AttrNone)
 
 	return content.Sub(0, 0, content.W, buttonY-1)
 }
@@ -317,11 +309,7 @@ func (r Region) AlertDialog(opts AlertOpts) Region {
 	buttonW := RuneLen(buttonLabel)
 	buttonX := (content.W - buttonW) / 2
 
-	for i, ch := range buttonLabel {
-		if buttonX+i < content.W {
-			content.Cell(buttonX+i, buttonY, ch, style.ButtonFocusFg, style.ButtonFocusBg, terminal.AttrNone)
-		}
-	}
+	content.Text(buttonX, buttonY, buttonLabel, style.ButtonFocusFg, style.ButtonFocusBg, terminal.AttrNone)
 
 	return content.Sub(0, 0, content.W, buttonY-1)
 }
diff --git a/tui/form.go b/tui/form.go
index 4feeaff..b91bc3c 100644
--- a/tui/form.go
+++ b/tui/form.go
@@ -164,12 +164,7 @@ func (r Region) Form(state *FormState, opts FormOpts) int {
 
 		// Label
 		label := field.Label + ":"
-		for j, ch := range label {
-			if j >= labelW || j >= r.W {
-				break
-			}
-			r.Cell(j, y, ch, style.LabelFg, style.Bg, terminal.AttrNone)
-		}
+		r.Sub(0, y, labelW, 1).Text(0, 0, label, style.LabelFg, style.Bg, terminal.AttrNone)
 
 		// Field area
 		fieldX := labelW
diff --git a/tui/modal.go b/tui/modal.go
index b44be58..0db855b 100644
--- a/tui/modal.go
+++ b/tui/modal.go
@@ -36,10 +36,7 @@ func (r Region) Modal(opts ModalOpts) Region {
 			title = Truncate(title, r.W-4)
 			titleLen = RuneLen(title)
 		}
-		x := (r.W - titleLen) / 2
-		for i, ch := range title {
-			r.Cell(x+i, 0, ch, opts.TitleFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
-		}
+		r.Text((r.W-titleLen)/2, 0, title, opts.TitleFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
 	}
 
 	// Hint right-aligned on top edge
@@ -54,12 +51,7 @@ func (r Region) Modal(opts ModalOpts) Region {
 		if x < r.W/2 {
 			x = r.W / 2
 		}
-		for i, ch := range hint {
-			if x+i >= r.W-1 {
-				break
-			}
-			r.Cell(x+i, 0, ch, opts.HintFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrNone)
-		}
+		r.Sub(0, 0, r.W-1, 1).Text(x, 0, hint, opts.HintFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrNone)
 	}
 
 	// Return content region
diff --git a/tui/pane.go b/tui/pane.go
index d211b7d..ac1e065 100644
--- a/tui/pane.go
+++ b/tui/pane.go
@@ -33,13 +33,7 @@ func (r Region) Pane(opts PaneOpts) Region {
 		if RuneLen(title) > r.W-4 {
 			title = Truncate(title, r.W-4)
 		}
-		x := 2
-		for i, ch := range title {
-			if x+i >= r.W-1 {
-				break
-			}
-			r.Cell(x+i, 0, ch, opts.TitleFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
-		}
+		r.Text(2, 0, title, opts.TitleFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
 	}
 
 	// Content region is everything inside the border. The title sits ON the border row.
diff --git a/tui/progress_overlay.go b/tui/progress_overlay.go
index 45184e6..ed4f7d5 100644
--- a/tui/progress_overlay.go
+++ b/tui/progress_overlay.go
@@ -194,10 +194,7 @@ func (r Region) ProgressOverlay(opts ProgressOverlayOpts) Region {
 			title = Truncate(title, overlayW-4)
 			titleLen = RuneLen(title)
 		}
-		titleX := (overlayW - titleLen) / 2
-		for i, ch := range title {
-			overlay.Cell(titleX+i, 0, ch, opts.AccentFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
-		}
+		overlay.Text((overlayW-titleLen)/2, 0, title, opts.AccentFg, opts.Bg, terminal.AttrBold)
 	}
 
 	// Content area
diff --git a/tui/tab.go b/tui/tab.go
index dd0b996..b0be4ff 100644
--- a/tui/tab.go
+++ b/tui/tab.go
@@ -64,13 +64,7 @@ func (r Region) TabBar(y int, titles []string, active int, opts TabBarOpts) []Ta
 			r.Cell(x+j, y, ' ', style.Fg, style.Bg, style.Attr)
 		}
 
-		titleStart := x + opts.Padding
-		for j, ch := range title {
-			if titleStart+j >= r.W {
-				break
-			}
-			r.Cell(titleStart+j, y, ch, style.Fg, style.Bg, style.Attr)
-		}
+		r.TextStyled(x+opts.Padding, y, title, style)
 
 		for j := 0; j < opts.Padding; j++ {
 			pos := x + opts.Padding + RuneLen(title) + j
diff --git a/tui/table.go b/tui/table.go
index bdbec8b..6450f61 100644
--- a/tui/table.go
+++ b/tui/table.go
@@ -171,11 +171,7 @@ func (r Region) renderTableRow(y int, cells []string, widths []int, aligns []Ali
 			startX = x
 		}
 
-		for j, ch := range text {
-			if startX+j < r.W {
-				r.Cell(startX+j, y, ch, style.Fg, style.Bg, style.Attr)
-			}
-		}
+		r.TextStyled(startX, y, text, style)
 
 		x += w
 
diff --git a/tui/textfield.go b/tui/textfield.go
index 0c0eb30..b86fce0 100644
--- a/tui/textfield.go
+++ b/tui/textfield.go
@@ -108,12 +108,7 @@ func (r Region) TextField(state *TextFieldState, opts TextFieldOpts) int {
 		if RuneLen(placeholder) > viewportW {
 			placeholder = Truncate(placeholder, viewportW)
 		}
-		for i, ch := range placeholder {
-			if x+i >= contentX+contentW {
-				break
-			}
-			r.Cell(x+i, contentY, ch, style.PlaceholderFg, style.TextBg, terminal.AttrDim)
-		}
+		r.Text(x, contentY, placeholder, style.PlaceholderFg, style.TextBg, terminal.AttrDim)
 	} else {
 		// Scroll indicators
 		if state.Scroll > 0 && x > contentX {
diff --git a/tui/widget_test.go b/tui/widget_test.go
index 386d9e5..d42ea42 100644
--- a/tui/widget_test.go
+++ b/tui/widget_test.go
@@ -467,3 +467,37 @@ func TestWindowShowsTheRowsInView(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	r.Sub(8, 0, 4, 3).Window(10, &v, MonoTheme.Text, content) // no columns, past the right edge
 }
+
+// A label is drawn a column a rune, so one holding runes of more than a byte
+// keeps them together: each widget draws s as many times as it is given it
+func TestLabelsKeepTheirRunesTogether(t *testing.T) {
+	const s = "● é · ñ"
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		name string
+		n    int
+		draw func(r Region)
+	}{
+		{"pane", 1, func(r Region) { r.Pane(PaneOpts{Title: s}) }},
+		{"modal", 2, func(r Region) { r.Modal(ModalOpts{Title: s, Hint: s}) }},
+		{"divider", 1, func(r Region) { r.Divider(0, s, LineSingle, color.RGB{}) }},
+		{"tabs", 2, func(r Region) { r.TabBar(0, []string{s, s}, 0, DefaultTabBarOpts()) }},
+		{"table", 2, func(r Region) { r.Table([]string{s}, [][]string{{s}}, TableOpts{}) }},
+		{"form", 1, func(r Region) { r.Form(NewFormState(s), FormOpts{}) }},
+		{"field", 1, func(r Region) { r.TextField(NewTextFieldState(""), TextFieldOpts{Placeholder: s}) }},
+		{"confirm", 4, func(r Region) {
+			r.ConfirmDialog(NewConfirmState(true), ConfirmOpts{Title: s, Message: s, YesLabel: s, NoLabel: s})
+		}},
+		{"alert", 3, func(r Region) { r.AlertDialog(AlertOpts{Title: s, Message: s, Button: s}) }},
+		{"progress", 1, func(r Region) { r.ProgressOverlay(DefaultProgressOpts(s, "", ProgressSpinner)) }},
+	} {
+		r := canvas(48, 14, MonoTheme)
+		c.draw(r)
+		rows := make([]string, r.H)
+		for y := range rows {
+			rows[y] = row(r, y)
+		}
+		if got := strings.Count(strings.Join(rows, "\n"), s); got != c.n {
+			t.Errorf("%s: %d of %d, rows %q", c.name, got, c.n, rows)
+		}
+	}
+}