diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 26c920017..042563aff 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ To update |kitty|, :doc:`follow the instructions <binary>`.
 
 - Update to using the Unicode 12 standard
 
+- Fix specifying initial window size in cells not working correctly on HiDPI
+  screens (:iss:`1444`)
+
 
 0.13.3 [2019-01-19]
 ------------------------------
diff --git a/kittens/panel/main.py b/kittens/panel/main.py
index 0421f4535..d3ea345e4 100644
--- a/kittens/panel/main.py
+++ b/kittens/panel/main.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def setup_x11_window(win_id):
 def initial_window_size_func(opts, *a):
     from kitty.fast_data_types import glfw_primary_monitor_size, set_smallest_allowed_resize
 
-    def initial_window_size(cell_width, cell_height, dpi_x, dpi_y):
+    def initial_window_size(cell_width, cell_height, dpi_x, dpi_y, xscale, yscale):
         monitor_width, monitor_height = glfw_primary_monitor_size()
         if args.edge in {'top', 'bottom'}:
             h = initial_window_size_func.height = cell_height * args.lines + 1
diff --git a/kitty/config.py b/kitty/config.py
index 4b72e7e17..3e1a78d22 100644
--- a/kitty/config.py
+++ b/kitty/config.py
@@ -528,13 +528,13 @@ def initial_window_size_func(opts, cached_values):
     w, w_unit = opts.initial_window_width
     h, h_unit = opts.initial_window_height
 
-    def get_window_size(cell_width, cell_height, dpi_x, dpi_y):
+    def get_window_size(cell_width, cell_height, dpi_x, dpi_y, xscale, yscale):
         if w_unit == 'cells':
-            width = cell_width * w + (dpi_x / 72) * (opts.window_margin_width + opts.window_padding_width) + 1
+            width = cell_width * w / xscale + (dpi_x / 72) * (opts.window_margin_width + opts.window_padding_width) + 1
         else:
             width = w
         if h_unit == 'cells':
-            height = cell_height * h + (dpi_y / 72) * (opts.window_margin_width + opts.window_padding_width) + 1
+            height = cell_height * h / yscale + (dpi_y / 72) * (opts.window_margin_width + opts.window_padding_width) + 1
         else:
             height = h
         return width, height
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 643338c38..452fb02f1 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -372,23 +372,28 @@ current_monitor(GLFWwindow *window) {
 #endif
 
 static inline void
-get_window_dpi(GLFWwindow *w, double *x, double *y) {
-    float xscale = 1, yscale = 1;
-    if (w) glfwGetWindowContentScale(w, &xscale, &yscale);
+get_window_content_scale(GLFWwindow *w, float *xscale, float *yscale, double *xdpi, double *ydpi) {
+    if (w) glfwGetWindowContentScale(w, xscale, yscale);
     else {
         GLFWmonitor *monitor = glfwGetPrimaryMonitor();
-        if (monitor) glfwGetMonitorContentScale(monitor, &xscale, &yscale);
+        if (monitor) glfwGetMonitorContentScale(monitor, xscale, yscale);
     }
     // check for zero or NaN values of xscale/yscale
-    if (!xscale || xscale != xscale) xscale = 1.0;
-    if (!yscale || yscale != yscale) yscale = 1.0;
+    if (!*xscale || *xscale != *xscale) *xscale = 1.0;
+    if (!*yscale || *yscale != *yscale) *yscale = 1.0;
 #ifdef __APPLE__
-    double factor = 72.0;
+    const double factor = 72.0;
 #else
-    double factor = 96.0;
+    const double factor = 96.0;
 #endif
-    *x = xscale * factor;
-    *y = yscale * factor;
+    *xdpi = *xscale * factor;
+    *ydpi = *yscale * factor;
+}
+
+static inline void
+get_window_dpi(GLFWwindow *w, double *x, double *y) {
+    float xscale = 1, yscale = 1;
+    get_window_content_scale(w, &xscale, &yscale, x, y);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -540,11 +545,11 @@ create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
 
     GLFWwindow *temp_window = glfwCreateWindow(640, 480, "temp", NULL, common_context);
     if (temp_window == NULL) { fatal("Failed to create GLFW temp window! This usually happens because of old/broken OpenGL drivers. kitty requires working OpenGL 3.3 drivers."); }
-
-    double dpi_x, dpi_y;
-    get_window_dpi(temp_window, &dpi_x, &dpi_y);
-    FONTS_DATA_HANDLE fonts_data = load_fonts_data(global_state.font_sz_in_pts, dpi_x, dpi_y);
-    PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallFunction(get_window_size, "IIdd", fonts_data->cell_width, fonts_data->cell_height, fonts_data->logical_dpi_x, fonts_data->logical_dpi_y);
+    float xscale, yscale;
+    double xdpi, ydpi;
+    get_window_content_scale(temp_window, &xscale, &yscale, &xdpi, &ydpi);
+    FONTS_DATA_HANDLE fonts_data = load_fonts_data(global_state.font_sz_in_pts, xdpi, ydpi);
+    PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallFunction(get_window_size, "IIddff", fonts_data->cell_width, fonts_data->cell_height, fonts_data->logical_dpi_x, fonts_data->logical_dpi_y, xscale, yscale);
     if (ret == NULL) return NULL;
     int width = PyLong_AsLong(PyTuple_GET_ITEM(ret, 0)), height = PyLong_AsLong(PyTuple_GET_ITEM(ret, 1));
     Py_CLEAR(ret);
@@ -609,7 +614,7 @@ create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
         OSWindow *q = global_state.os_windows + i;
         q->is_focused = q == w ? true : false;
     }
-    w->logical_dpi_x = dpi_x; w->logical_dpi_y = dpi_y;
+    w->logical_dpi_x = xdpi; w->logical_dpi_y = ydpi;
     w->fonts_data = fonts_data;
     w->shown_once = true;
     w->last_focused_counter = ++focus_counter;