diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index 117399110..995dff90c 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -564,8 +564,13 @@ simple_render_screen(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-static inline void
-render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int *active_window_id) {
+static inline bool
+prepare_to_render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int *active_window_id) {
+#define TD os_window->tab_bar_render_data
+    bool needs_render = false;
+    if (TD.screen && os_window->num_tabs > 1) {
+        if (send_cell_data_to_gpu(TD.vao_idx, 0, TD.xstart, TD.ystart, TD.dx, TD.dy, TD.screen, os_window)) needs_render = true;
+    }
     if (OPT(mouse_hide_wait) > 0 && now - os_window->last_mouse_activity_at > OPT(mouse_hide_wait)) hide_mouse(os_window);
     Tab *tab = os_window->tabs + os_window->active_tab;
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < tab->num_windows; i++) {
@@ -577,6 +582,7 @@ render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int *active_window_id
                     if (drag_scroll(w, os_window)) {
                         w->last_drag_scroll_at = now;
                         set_maximum_wait(0.02);
+                        needs_render = true;
                     } else w->last_drag_scroll_at = 0;
                 } else set_maximum_wait(now - w->last_drag_scroll_at);
             }
@@ -586,6 +592,23 @@ render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int *active_window_id
                 collect_cursor_info(&WD.screen->cursor_render_info, w, now, os_window);
                 update_window_title(w, os_window);
             } else WD.screen->cursor_render_info.is_visible = false;
+            if (send_cell_data_to_gpu(WD.vao_idx, WD.gvao_idx, WD.xstart, WD.ystart, WD.dx, WD.dy, WD.screen, os_window)) needs_render = true;
+            if (WD.screen->start_visual_bell_at != 0) needs_render = true;
+        }
+    }
+    return needs_render;
+}
+
+static inline void
+render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int active_window_id) {
+    Tab *tab = os_window->tabs + os_window->active_tab;
+    BorderRects *br = &tab->border_rects;
+    draw_borders(br->vao_idx, br->num_border_rects, br->rect_buf, br->is_dirty, os_window->viewport_width, os_window->viewport_height);
+    if (TD.screen && os_window->num_tabs > 1) draw_cells(TD.vao_idx, 0, TD.xstart, TD.ystart, TD.dx, TD.dy, TD.screen, os_window, true);
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < tab->num_windows; i++) {
+        Window *w = tab->windows + i;
+        if (w->visible && WD.screen) {
+            bool is_active_window = i == tab->active_window;
             draw_cells(WD.vao_idx, WD.gvao_idx, WD.xstart, WD.ystart, WD.dx, WD.dy, WD.screen, os_window, is_active_window);
             if (is_active_window && WD.screen->cursor_render_info.is_visible && (!WD.screen->cursor_render_info.is_focused || WD.screen->cursor_render_info.shape != CURSOR_BLOCK)) {
                 draw_cursor(&WD.screen->cursor_render_info, os_window->is_focused);
@@ -596,7 +619,12 @@ render_os_window(OSWindow *os_window, double now, unsigned int *active_window_id
             }
         }
     }
+    swap_window_buffers(os_window);
+    br->is_dirty = false;
+    os_window->last_active_tab = os_window->active_tab; os_window->last_num_tabs = os_window->num_tabs; os_window->last_active_window_id = active_window_id;
+    os_window->focused_at_last_render = os_window->is_focused;
 #undef WD
+#undef TD
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -606,26 +634,22 @@ render(double now) {
         set_maximum_wait(OPT(repaint_delay) - time_since_last_render);
         return;
     }
-#define TD w->tab_bar_render_data
 
     for (size_t i = 0; i < global_state.num_os_windows; i++) {
         OSWindow *w = global_state.os_windows + i;
         if (!w->num_tabs || !should_os_window_be_rendered(w)) continue;
+        bool needs_render = w->is_focused;
         make_os_window_context_current(w);
         if (w->viewport_size_dirty) {
             w->clear_count = 0;
             update_surface_size(w->viewport_width, w->viewport_height, w->offscreen_texture_id);
             w->viewport_size_dirty = false;
+            needs_render = true;
         }
         unsigned int active_window_id = 0;
-        Tab *active_tab = w->tabs + w->active_tab;
-        BorderRects *br = &active_tab->border_rects;
-        draw_borders(br->vao_idx, br->num_border_rects, br->rect_buf, br->is_dirty, w->viewport_width, w->viewport_height);
-        if (TD.screen && w->num_tabs > 1) draw_cells(TD.vao_idx, 0, TD.xstart, TD.ystart, TD.dx, TD.dy, TD.screen, w, true);
-        render_os_window(w, now, &active_window_id);
-        swap_window_buffers(w);
-        w->last_active_tab = w->active_tab; w->last_num_tabs = w->num_tabs; w->last_active_window_id = active_window_id;
-        br->is_dirty = false;
+        if (prepare_to_render_os_window(w, now, &active_window_id)) needs_render = true;
+        if (w->last_active_window_id != active_window_id || w->last_active_tab != w->active_tab || w->focused_at_last_render != w->is_focused) needs_render = true;
+        if (needs_render) render_os_window(w, now, active_window_id);
     }
     last_render_at = now;
 #undef TD
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 8705090ce..2bfe336f1 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -252,11 +252,12 @@ cell_update_uniform_block(ssize_t vao_idx, Screen *screen, int uniform_buffer, G
     unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, uniform_buffer); rd = NULL;
 }
 
-static inline void
+static inline bool
 cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GLfloat dx, GLfloat dy) {
     size_t sz;
     CELL_BUFFERS;
     void *address;
+    bool changed = false;
 
     ensure_sprite_map();
 
@@ -265,6 +266,7 @@ cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloa
         address = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(vao_idx, sz, cell_data_buffer, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY);
         screen_update_cell_data(screen, address, sz);
         unmap_vao_buffer(vao_idx, cell_data_buffer); address = NULL;
+        changed = true;
     }
 
     if (screen_is_selection_dirty(screen)) {
@@ -272,6 +274,7 @@ cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloa
         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 (gvao_idx && grman_update_layers(screen->grman, screen->scrolled_by, xstart, ystart, dx, dy, screen->columns, screen->lines)) {
@@ -279,13 +282,9 @@ cell_prepare_to_render(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, GLfloa
         GLfloat *a = alloc_and_map_vao_buffer(gvao_idx, sz, 0, GL_STREAM_DRAW, GL_WRITE_ONLY);
         for (size_t i = 0; i < screen->grman->count; i++, a += 16) memcpy(a, screen->grman->render_data[i].vertices, sizeof(screen->grman->render_data[0].vertices));
         unmap_vao_buffer(gvao_idx, 0); a = NULL;
+        changed = true;
     }
-    bool inverted = screen_invert_colors(screen);
-
-    cell_update_uniform_block(vao_idx, screen, uniform_buffer, xstart, ystart, dx, dy, &screen->cursor_render_info, inverted);
-
-    bind_vao_uniform_buffer(vao_idx, uniform_buffer, cell_program_layouts[CELL_PROGRAM].render_data.index);
-    bind_vertex_array(vao_idx);
+    return changed;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -412,17 +411,32 @@ set_cell_uniforms(float current_inactive_text_alpha) {
     }
 }
 
-void
-draw_cells(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GLfloat dx, GLfloat dy, Screen *screen, OSWindow *os_window, bool is_active_window) {
+bool
+send_cell_data_to_gpu(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GLfloat dx, GLfloat dy, Screen *screen, OSWindow *os_window) {
+    bool changed = false;
     if (os_window->clear_count < 2) {
         os_window->clear_count++;
 #define C(shift) (((GLfloat)((OPT(background) >> shift) & 0xFF)) / 255.0f)
         glClearColor(C(16), C(8), C(0), os_window->is_semi_transparent ? OPT(background_opacity) : 1.0f);
 #undef C
         glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
+        changed = true;
     }
+    if (cell_prepare_to_render(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, xstart, ystart, dx, dy)) changed = true;
+    return changed;
+
+}
+
+void
+draw_cells(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GLfloat dx, GLfloat dy, Screen *screen, OSWindow *os_window, bool is_active_window) {
+    CELL_BUFFERS;
+    bool inverted = screen_invert_colors(screen);
+
+    cell_update_uniform_block(vao_idx, screen, uniform_buffer, xstart, ystart, dx, dy, &screen->cursor_render_info, inverted);
+
+    bind_vao_uniform_buffer(vao_idx, uniform_buffer, cell_program_layouts[CELL_PROGRAM].render_data.index);
+    bind_vertex_array(vao_idx);
 
-    cell_prepare_to_render(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, xstart, ystart, dx, dy);
     float current_inactive_text_alpha = screen->cursor_render_info.is_focused && is_active_window ? 1.0 : OPT(inactive_text_alpha);
     set_cell_uniforms(current_inactive_text_alpha);
     GLfloat w = (GLfloat)screen->columns * dx, h = (GLfloat)screen->lines * dy;
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index a0f3cd0b4..eb5d48071 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ typedef struct {
     double viewport_x_ratio, viewport_y_ratio;
     Tab *tabs;
     unsigned int active_tab, num_tabs, capacity, last_active_tab, last_num_tabs, last_active_window_id;
+    bool focused_at_last_render;
     ScreenRenderData tab_bar_render_data;
     bool is_focused;
     double cursor_blink_zero_time, last_mouse_activity_at;
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ void draw_borders(ssize_t vao_idx, unsigned int num_border_rects, BorderRect *re
 ssize_t create_cell_vao();
 ssize_t create_graphics_vao();
 ssize_t create_border_vao();
+bool send_cell_data_to_gpu(ssize_t, ssize_t, float, float, float, float, Screen *, OSWindow *);
 void draw_cells(ssize_t, ssize_t, float, float, float, float, Screen *, OSWindow *, bool);
 void draw_cursor(CursorRenderInfo *, bool);
 void update_surface_size(int, int, uint32_t);