diff --git a/kitty/develop_gl.py b/kitty/develop_gl.py
index 53b8606f5..7e7b951c5 100644
--- a/kitty/develop_gl.py
+++ b/kitty/develop_gl.py
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2016, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 import glfw
-import OpenGL.GL as gl
 import sys
+import ctypes
 
 from kitty.shaders import ShaderProgram, GL_VERSION, Sprites
 from kitty.fonts import set_font_family, cell_size
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Renderer:
         self.sprites.do_layout(cell_width, cell_height)
         self.sprites.ensure_state()
         self.screen_geometry = sg = calculate_vertices(cell_width, cell_height, self.w, self.h)
-        data = (gl.GLuint * (sg.xnum * sg.ynum * 9))()
+        data = (ctypes.c_uint * (sg.xnum * sg.ynum * 9))()
         for i in range(0, len(data), 9):
             idx = i // 9
             c = '%d' % (idx % 10)
diff --git a/kitty/gl.h b/kitty/gl.h
index 657137200..950c3bbfe 100644
--- a/kitty/gl.h
+++ b/kitty/gl.h
@@ -142,6 +142,16 @@ Clear(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *val) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static PyObject* 
+DrawArrays(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int mode, first;
+    unsigned int count;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "iiI", &mode, &first, &count)) return NULL;
+    glDrawArrays(mode, first, count);
+    CHECK_ERROR;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+ 
 static PyObject* 
 DrawArraysInstanced(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int mode, first;
@@ -477,6 +487,31 @@ DeleteTexture(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *val) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
  
+static PyObject* 
+BlendFunc(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int s, d;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ii", &s, &d)) return NULL;
+    glBlendFunc(s, d);
+    CHECK_ERROR;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+static PyObject* 
+Enable(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *val) {
+    long x = PyLong_AsLong(val);
+    glEnable(x);
+    CHECK_ERROR;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+static PyObject* 
+Disable(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *val) {
+    long x = PyLong_AsLong(val);
+    glDisable(x);
+    CHECK_ERROR;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
 int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
 #define GLC(x) if (PyModule_AddIntConstant(module, #x, x) != 0) { PyErr_NoMemory(); return 0; }
     GLC(GL_VERSION);
@@ -501,6 +536,8 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     GLC(GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT);
     GLC(GL_R8); GLC(GL_RED); GLC(GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE); GLC(GL_RGB32UI);
     GLC(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER); GLC(GL_STATIC_DRAW);
+    GLC(GL_SRC_ALPHA); GLC(GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
+    GLC(GL_BLEND);
     return 1;
 }
 
@@ -534,10 +571,13 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     METH(BindVertexArray, METH_O) \
     METH(DeleteProgram, METH_O) \
     METH(DeleteShader, METH_O) \
+    METH(Enable, METH_O) \
+    METH(Disable, METH_O) \
     METH(GetProgramInfoLog, METH_O) \
     METH(GetShaderInfoLog, METH_O) \
     METH(ActiveTexture, METH_O) \
     METH(DrawArraysInstanced, METH_VARARGS) \
+    METH(DrawArrays, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(CreateProgram, METH_NOARGS) \
     METH(AttachShader, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(BindTexture, METH_VARARGS) \
@@ -549,4 +589,5 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     METH(CopyImageSubData, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(TexSubImage3D, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(BufferData, METH_VARARGS) \
+    METH(BlendFunc, METH_VARARGS) \