diff --git a/kitty/line.c b/kitty/line.c
index c2212c71f..fd97c6655 100644
--- a/kitty/line.c
+++ b/kitty/line.c
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ left_shift(Line *self, PyObject *args) {
 }
  
 void 
-line_set_char(Line *self, unsigned int at, uint32_t ch, unsigned int width, Cursor *cursor) {
+line_set_char(Line *self, unsigned int at, uint32_t ch, unsigned int width, Cursor *cursor, bool is_second) {
     char_type attrs;
     if (cursor == NULL) {
         attrs = (((self->cells[at].ch >> ATTRS_SHIFT) & ~WIDTH_MASK) | (width & WIDTH_MASK)) << ATTRS_SHIFT;
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ line_set_char(Line *self, unsigned int at, uint32_t ch, unsigned int width, Curs
     }
     self->cells[at].ch = (ch & CHAR_MASK) | attrs;
     self->cells[at].cc = 0;
-    if (CHAR_IS_BLANK(ch)) { clear_sprite_position(self->cells[at]); }
+    if (!is_second && CHAR_IS_BLANK(ch)) { clear_sprite_position(self->cells[at]); }
     else set_sprite_position_at(at);
 }
 
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ set_char(Line *self, PyObject *args) {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Out of bounds");
         return NULL;
     }
-    line_set_char(self, at, ch, width, cursor);
+    line_set_char(self, at, ch, width, cursor, false);
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
diff --git a/kitty/lineops.h b/kitty/lineops.h
index 63fc4ec8f..b522b3718 100644
--- a/kitty/lineops.h
+++ b/kitty/lineops.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ xlimit_for_line(Line *line) {
 PyObject* line_text_at(char_type, combining_type);
 void line_clear_text(Line *self, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, int ch);
 void line_apply_cursor(Line *self, Cursor *cursor, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, bool clear_char);
-void line_set_char(Line *, unsigned int , uint32_t , unsigned int , Cursor *);
+void line_set_char(Line *, unsigned int , uint32_t , unsigned int , Cursor *, bool);
 void line_right_shift(Line *, unsigned int , unsigned int );
 void line_add_combining_char(Line *, uint32_t , unsigned int );
 index_type line_url_start_at(Line *self, index_type x);
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 8b54689c9..1bad5c864 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -280,10 +280,10 @@ screen_draw(Screen *self, uint32_t och) {
         if (self->modes.mIRM) {
             line_right_shift(self->linebuf->line, self->cursor->x, char_width);
         }
-        line_set_char(self->linebuf->line, self->cursor->x, ch, char_width, self->cursor);
+        line_set_char(self->linebuf->line, self->cursor->x, ch, char_width, self->cursor, false);
         self->cursor->x++;
         if (char_width == 2) {
-            line_set_char(self->linebuf->line, self->cursor->x, 0, 0, self->cursor);
+            line_set_char(self->linebuf->line, self->cursor->x, 0, 0, self->cursor, true);
             self->cursor->x++;
         }
         self->is_dirty = true;