diff --git a/kitty/gl.h b/kitty/gl.h
index fcf964033..b10459d6c 100644
--- a/kitty/gl.h
+++ b/kitty/gl.h
@@ -607,10 +607,13 @@ static PyObject*
 replace_or_create_buffer(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int usage, buftype;
     unsigned long size, prev_sz, target;
+    void *data = NULL;
     PyObject *address;
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "kkkO!ii", &target, &size, &prev_sz, &PyLong_Type, &address, &usage, &buftype)) return NULL;
-    void *data = PyLong_AsVoidPtr(address);
-    if (data == NULL) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Not a valid data pointer"); return NULL; }
+    if (size) {
+        data = PyLong_AsVoidPtr(address);
+        if (data == NULL) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Not a valid data pointer"); return NULL; }
+    }
     glBindBuffer(buftype, target); 
     if (prev_sz == 0 || prev_sz != size) glBufferData(buftype, size, data, usage); 
     else glBufferSubData(buftype, 0, size, data);
@@ -619,6 +622,23 @@ replace_or_create_buffer(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static PyObject* 
+MapBuffer(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int target, access;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ii", &target, &access)) return NULL;
+    void *address = glMapBuffer(target, access);
+    if (address == NULL) { SET_GL_ERR; return NULL; }
+    return PyLong_FromVoidPtr(address);
+}
+
+static PyObject* 
+UnmapBuffer(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int target;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "i", &target)) return NULL;
+    if (!glUnmapBuffer(target)) { SET_GL_ERR; return NULL; }
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
 static PyObject* 
 TexParameteri(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int target, name, param;
@@ -810,8 +830,9 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     GLC(GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S); GLC(GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T);
     GLC(GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT);
     GLC(GL_R8); GLC(GL_RED); GLC(GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE); GLC(GL_R32UI); GLC(GL_RGB32UI); GLC(GL_RGBA);
-    GLC(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER); GLC(GL_STATIC_DRAW); GLC(GL_STREAM_DRAW);
-    GLC(GL_SRC_ALPHA); GLC(GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
+    GLC(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER); GLC(GL_STATIC_DRAW); GLC(GL_STREAM_DRAW); GLC(GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW);
+    GLC(GL_SRC_ALPHA); GLC(GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA); 
+    GLC(GL_WRITE_ONLY); GLC(GL_READ_ONLY); GLC(GL_READ_WRITE);
     GLC(GL_BLEND); GLC(GL_FLOAT); GLC(GL_UNSIGNED_INT); GLC(GL_ARRAY_BUFFER); GLC(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER);
     return 1;
 }
@@ -873,6 +894,8 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     METH(AttachShader, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(BindTexture, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(TexParameteri, METH_VARARGS) \
+    METH(MapBuffer, METH_VARARGS) \
+    METH(UnmapBuffer, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(PixelStorei, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(BindBuffer, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(BindBufferBase, METH_VARARGS) \
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.py b/kitty/shaders.py
index bbbf54ddd..b476deaa8 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.py
+++ b/kitty/shaders.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 import sys
 from collections import namedtuple
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from ctypes import addressof, sizeof
+from ctypes import addressof, c_char, sizeof
 from functools import lru_cache
 
 from .fast_data_types import (
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from .fast_data_types import (
     GL_TEXTURE0, GL_TEXTURE_2D_ARRAY, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER,
     GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_TRUE,
     GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, GL_VERTEX_SHADER,
-    ITALIC, copy_image_sub_data, get_uniform_block_offsets,
+    GL_WRITE_ONLY, ITALIC, copy_image_sub_data, get_uniform_block_offsets,
     get_uniform_block_size, glActiveTexture, glAttachShader, glBindBuffer,
     glBindBufferBase, glBindTexture, glBindVertexArray, glCompileShader,
     glCopyImageSubData, glCreateProgram, glCreateShader, glDeleteBuffer,
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@ from .fast_data_types import (
     glEnableVertexAttribArray, glGenBuffers, glGenTextures, glGenVertexArrays,
     glGetAttribLocation, glGetBufferSubData, glGetIntegerv,
     glGetProgramInfoLog, glGetProgramiv, glGetShaderInfoLog, glGetShaderiv,
-    glGetUniformBlockIndex, glGetUniformLocation, glLinkProgram, glPixelStorei,
-    glShaderSource, glTexParameteri, glTexStorage3D, glTexSubImage3D,
-    glUseProgram, glVertexAttribDivisor, glVertexAttribPointer,
-    render_dirty_sprites, replace_or_create_buffer, sprite_map_current_layout,
-    sprite_map_increment, sprite_map_set_layout, sprite_map_set_limits, sprite_map_free
+    glGetUniformBlockIndex, glGetUniformLocation, glLinkProgram, glMapBuffer,
+    glPixelStorei, glShaderSource, glTexParameteri, glTexStorage3D,
+    glTexSubImage3D, glUnmapBuffer, glUseProgram, glVertexAttribDivisor,
+    glVertexAttribPointer, render_dirty_sprites, replace_or_create_buffer,
+    sprite_map_current_layout, sprite_map_free, sprite_map_increment,
+    sprite_map_set_layout, sprite_map_set_limits
 )
 from .fonts.render import render_cell
 from .utils import safe_print
@@ -98,6 +99,19 @@ class BufferManager:  # {{{
         yield
         self.unbind(buf_id)
 
+    @contextmanager
+    def mapped_buffer(self, buf_sz, buf_id, usage=GL_STREAM_DRAW, access=GL_WRITE_ONLY):
+        prev_sz = self.sizes.get(buf_id, 0)
+        buf_type = self.types[buf_id]
+        if prev_sz != buf_sz:
+            replace_or_create_buffer(buf_id, buf_sz, 0, 0, usage, buf_type)
+            self.sizes[buf_id] = buf_sz
+            self.ctypes_types[buf_id] = c_char
+        with self.bound_buffer(buf_id):
+            address = glMapBuffer(buf_type, access)
+            yield address
+            glUnmapBuffer(buf_type)
+
 
 buffer_manager = BufferManager()
 # }}}