diff --git a/kitty/core_text.m b/kitty/core_text.m
index 906a9ab55..d3ae0962b 100644
--- a/kitty/core_text.m
+++ b/kitty/core_text.m
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ find_substitute_face(CFStringRef str, CTFontRef old_font) {
 PyObject*
 create_fallback_face(PyObject *base_face, Cell* cell, bool UNUSED bold, bool UNUSED italic) {
     CTFace *self = (CTFace*)base_face;
-    char text[128] = {0};
+    char text[256] = {0};
     cell_as_utf8(cell, true, text, ' ');
     CFStringRef str = CFStringCreateWithCString(NULL, text, kCFStringEncodingUTF8);
     if (str == NULL) return PyErr_NoMemory();
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index 2f0c62443..d5dcc0924 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 typedef unsigned long long id_type;
 typedef uint32_t char_type;
 typedef uint32_t color_type;
-typedef uint32_t combining_type;
+typedef uint16_t combining_type;
 typedef uint32_t pixel;
 typedef unsigned int index_type;
 typedef uint16_t sprite_index;
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ typedef enum MouseShapes { BEAM, HAND, ARROW } MouseShape;
 #define REVERSE_SHIFT 6
 #define STRIKE_SHIFT 7
 #define COL_MASK 0xFFFFFFFF
-#define CC_MASK 0xFFFF
 #define CC_SHIFT 16
 #define UTF8_ACCEPT 0
 #define UTF8_REJECT 1
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ typedef struct {
     attrs_type attrs;
     // The following are only needed on the CPU, not the GPU
     char_type ch;
-    combining_type cc;
+    combining_type cc[2];
 } Cell;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/kitty/fonts.c b/kitty/fonts.c
index d5f32d30d..28a5620ac 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts.c
+++ b/kitty/fonts.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 static GPUSpriteTracker sprite_tracker = {0};
 static hb_buffer_t *harfbuzz_buffer = NULL;
-static char_type shape_buffer[2048] = {0};
+static char_type shape_buffer[4096] = {0};
 
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -327,10 +327,8 @@ face_has_codepoint(PyObject* face, char_type cp) {
 static inline bool
 has_cell_text(Font *self, Cell *cell) {
     if (!face_has_codepoint(self->face, cell->ch)) return false;
-    if (cell->cc) {
-        if (!face_has_codepoint(self->face, cell->cc & CC_MASK)) return false;
-        char_type cc = cell->cc >> 16;
-        if (cc && !face_has_codepoint(self->face, cc)) return false;
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc) && cell->cc[i]; i++) {
+        if (!face_has_codepoint(self->face, cell->cc[i])) return false;
     }
     return true;
 }
@@ -494,14 +492,12 @@ load_hb_buffer(Cell *first_cell, index_type num_cells) {
     hb_buffer_clear_contents(harfbuzz_buffer);
     while (num_cells) {
         attrs_type prev_width = 0;
-        for (num = 0; num_cells && num < sizeof(shape_buffer)/sizeof(shape_buffer[0]) - 20; first_cell++, num_cells--) {
+        for (num = 0; num_cells && num < arraysz(shape_buffer) - 20 - arraysz(first_cell->cc); first_cell++, num_cells--) {
             if (prev_width == 2) { prev_width = 0; continue; }
             shape_buffer[num++] = first_cell->ch;
             prev_width = first_cell->attrs & WIDTH_MASK;
-            if (first_cell->cc) {
-                shape_buffer[num++] = first_cell->cc & CC_MASK;
-                combining_type cc2 = first_cell->cc >> 16;
-                if (cc2) shape_buffer[num++] = cc2 & CC_MASK;
+            for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(first_cell->cc) && first_cell->cc[i]; i++) {
+                shape_buffer[num++] = first_cell->cc[i];
             }
         }
         hb_buffer_add_utf32(harfbuzz_buffer, shape_buffer, num, 0, num);
@@ -580,7 +576,7 @@ static GroupState group_state = {0};
 static inline unsigned int
 num_codepoints_in_cell(Cell *cell) {
     unsigned int ans = 1;
-    if (cell->cc) ans += ((cell->cc >> CC_SHIFT) & CC_MASK) ? 2 : 1;
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc) && cell->cc[i]; i++) ans++;
     return ans;
 }
 
@@ -657,14 +653,8 @@ check_cell_consumed(CellData *cell_data, Cell *last_cell) {
             case 0:
                 cell_data->current_codepoint = cell_data->cell->ch;
                 break;
-            case 1:
-                cell_data->current_codepoint = cell_data->cell->cc & CC_MASK;
-                break;
-            case 2:
-                cell_data->current_codepoint = (cell_data->cell->cc >> CC_SHIFT) & CC_MASK;
-                break;
             default:
-                cell_data->current_codepoint = 0;
+                cell_data->current_codepoint = cell_data->cell->cc[cell_data->codepoints_consumed - 1];
                 break;
         }
     }
@@ -1053,12 +1043,11 @@ get_fallback_font(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     PyObject *text;
     int bold, italic;
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Upp", &text, &bold, &italic)) return NULL;
-    static Py_UCS4 char_buf[16];
-    if (!PyUnicode_AsUCS4(text, char_buf, sizeof(char_buf)/sizeof(char_buf[0]), 1)) return NULL;
     Cell cell = {0};
+    static Py_UCS4 char_buf[2 + arraysz(cell.cc)];
+    if (!PyUnicode_AsUCS4(text, char_buf, arraysz(char_buf), 1)) return NULL;
     cell.ch = char_buf[0];
-    if (PyUnicode_GetLength(text) > 1) cell.cc |= char_buf[1] & CC_MASK;
-    if (PyUnicode_GetLength(text) > 2) cell.cc |= (char_buf[2] & CC_MASK) << 16;
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i + 1 < PyUnicode_GetLength(text) && i < arraysz(cell.cc); i++) cell.cc[i] = char_buf[i + 1];
     if (bold) cell.attrs |= 1 << BOLD_SHIFT;
     if (italic) cell.attrs |= 1 << ITALIC_SHIFT;
     ssize_t ans = fallback_font(&cell);
diff --git a/kitty/line.c b/kitty/line.c
index df05c21de..c2dc70e03 100644
--- a/kitty/line.c
+++ b/kitty/line.c
@@ -35,15 +35,13 @@ line_length(Line *self) {
 }
 
 PyObject*
-line_text_at(char_type ch, combining_type cc) {
+cell_text(Cell *cell) {
     PyObject *ans;
-    if (LIKELY(cc == 0)) {
-        ans = PyUnicode_FromKindAndData(PyUnicode_4BYTE_KIND, &ch, 1);
-    } else {
-        Py_UCS4 buf[3];
-        buf[0] = ch; buf[1] = cc & CC_MASK; buf[2] = cc >> 16;
-        ans = PyUnicode_FromKindAndData(PyUnicode_4BYTE_KIND, buf, buf[2] ? 3 : 2);
-    }
+    unsigned num = 1;
+    static Py_UCS4 buf[arraysz(cell->cc) + 1];
+    buf[0] = cell->ch;
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc) && cell->cc[i]; i++) buf[num++] = cell->cc[i];
+    ans = PyUnicode_FromKindAndData(PyUnicode_4BYTE_KIND, buf, num);
     return ans;
 }
 
@@ -160,7 +158,7 @@ static PyObject*
 text_at(Line* self, Py_ssize_t xval) {
 #define text_at_doc "[x] -> Return the text in the specified cell"
     if ((unsigned)xval >= self->xnum) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError, "Column number out of bounds"); return NULL; }
-    return line_text_at(self->cells[xval].ch, self->cells[xval].cc);
+    return cell_text(self->cells + xval);
 }
 
 size_t
@@ -168,13 +166,7 @@ cell_as_unicode(Cell *cell, bool include_cc, Py_UCS4 *buf, char_type zero_char)
     size_t n = 1;
     buf[0] = cell->ch ? cell->ch : zero_char;
     if (include_cc) {
-        char_type cc = cell->cc;
-        Py_UCS4 cc1 = cc & CC_MASK, cc2;
-        if (cc1) {
-            buf[1] = cc1; n++;
-            cc2 = cc >> 16;
-            if (cc2) { buf[2] = cc2; n++; }
-        }
+        for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc) && cell->cc[i]; i++) buf[n++] = cell->cc[i];
     }
     return n;
 }
@@ -183,13 +175,7 @@ size_t
 cell_as_utf8(Cell *cell, bool include_cc, char *buf, char_type zero_char) {
     size_t n = encode_utf8(cell->ch ? cell->ch : zero_char, buf);
     if (include_cc) {
-        char_type cc = cell->cc;
-        Py_UCS4 cc1 = cc & CC_MASK, cc2;
-        if (cc1) {
-            n += encode_utf8(cc1, buf + n);
-            cc2 = cc >> 16;
-            if (cc2) { n += encode_utf8(cc2, buf + n); }
-        }
+        for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc) && cell->cc[i]; i++) n += encode_utf8(cell->cc[i], buf + n);
     }
     buf[n] = 0;
     return n;
@@ -202,7 +188,7 @@ unicode_in_range(Line *self, index_type start, index_type limit, bool include_cc
     static Py_UCS4 buf[4096];
     if (leading_char) buf[n++] = leading_char;
     char_type previous_width = 0;
-    for(index_type i = start; i < limit && n < sizeof(buf)/sizeof(buf[0]) - 4; i++) {
+    for(index_type i = start; i < limit && n < arraysz(buf) - 2 - arraysz(self->cells->cc); i++) {
         char_type ch = self->cells[i].ch;
         if (ch == 0) {
             if (previous_width == 2) { previous_width = 0; continue; };
@@ -263,12 +249,8 @@ line_as_ansi(Line *self, Py_UCS4 *buf, index_type buflen) {
         t = prev_cursor; prev_cursor = cursor; cursor = t;
         if (*sgr) WRITE_SGR(sgr);
         WRITE_CH(ch);
-        char_type cc = self->cells[pos].cc;
-        Py_UCS4 cc1 = cc & CC_MASK;
-        if (cc1) {
-            WRITE_CH(cc1);
-            cc1 = cc >> 16;
-            if (cc1) { WRITE_CH(cc1); }
+        for(unsigned c = 0; c < arraysz(self->cells[pos].cc) && self->cells[pos].cc[c]; c++) {
+            WRITE_CH(self->cells[pos].cc[c]);
         }
         previous_width = attrs & WIDTH_MASK;
     }
@@ -317,10 +299,12 @@ width(Line *self, PyObject *val) {
 
 void
 line_add_combining_char(Line *self, uint32_t ch, unsigned int x) {
-    if (!self->cells[x].ch) return;  // dont allow adding combining chars to a null cell
-    combining_type c = self->cells[x].cc;
-    if (c & CC_MASK) self->cells[x].cc = (c & CC_MASK) | ( (ch & CC_MASK) << CC_SHIFT );
-    else self->cells[x].cc = ch & CC_MASK;
+    Cell *cell = self->cells + x;
+    if (!cell->ch) return;  // dont allow adding combining chars to a null cell
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < arraysz(cell->cc); i++) {
+        if (!cell->cc[i]) { cell->cc[i] = (combining_type)ch; return; }
+    }
+    cell->cc[arraysz(cell->cc) - 1] = (combining_type)ch;
 }
 
 static PyObject*
@@ -370,7 +354,7 @@ set_text(Line* self, PyObject *args) {
         self->cells[i].fg = fg;
         self->cells[i].bg = bg;
         self->cells[i].decoration_fg = dfg;
-        self->cells[i].cc = 0;
+        memset(self->cells[i].cc, 0, sizeof(self->cells[i].cc));
     }
 
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
@@ -402,7 +386,7 @@ line_clear_text(Line *self, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, char_type ch) {
     attrs_type width = ch ? 1 : 0;
 #define PREFIX \
     for (index_type i = at; i < MIN(self->xnum, at + num); i++) { \
-        self->cells[i].ch = ch; self->cells[i].cc = 0; \
+        self->cells[i].ch = ch; memset(self->cells[i].cc, 0, sizeof(self->cells[i].cc)); \
         self->cells[i].attrs = (self->cells[i].attrs & ATTRS_MASK_WITHOUT_WIDTH) | width; \
     }
     if (CHAR_IS_BLANK(ch)) {
@@ -432,7 +416,7 @@ line_apply_cursor(Line *self, Cursor *cursor, unsigned int at, unsigned int num,
     for (index_type i = at; i < self->xnum && i < at + num; i++) {
         if (clear_char) {
             self->cells[i].ch = BLANK_CHAR;
-            self->cells[i].cc = 0;
+            memset(self->cells[i].cc, 0, sizeof(self->cells[i].cc));
             self->cells[i].attrs = attrs;
             clear_sprite_position(self->cells[i]);
         } else {
@@ -507,7 +491,7 @@ line_set_char(Line *self, unsigned int at, uint32_t ch, unsigned int width, Curs
         self->cells[at].decoration_fg = cursor->decoration_fg & COL_MASK;
     }
     self->cells[at].ch = ch;
-    self->cells[at].cc = 0;
+    memset(self->cells[at].cc, 0, sizeof(self->cells[at].cc));
 }
 
 static PyObject*
diff --git a/kitty/lineops.h b/kitty/lineops.h
index 6e67247a6..741ecaea8 100644
--- a/kitty/lineops.h
+++ b/kitty/lineops.h
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ xlimit_for_line(Line *line) {
     return xlimit;
 }
 
-PyObject* line_text_at(char_type, combining_type);
 void line_clear_text(Line *self, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, char_type 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 *, bool);