diff --git a/kitty/line-buf.c b/kitty/line-buf.c
index 434d813d9..b0372436e 100644
--- a/kitty/line-buf.c
+++ b/kitty/line-buf.c
@@ -326,6 +326,15 @@ is_continued(LineBuf *self, PyObject *val) {
     Py_RETURN_FALSE;
 }
 
+unsigned int
+linebuf_continued_lines_count(LineBuf *self, index_type stop_at_line) {
+    unsigned int count = 0;
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < self->ynum && i < stop_at_line; i++)
+      if (self->line_attrs[i] & CONTINUED_MASK) count++;
+
+    return count;
+}
+
 void
 linebuf_insert_lines(LineBuf *self, unsigned int num, unsigned int y, unsigned int bottom) {
     index_type i;
diff --git a/kitty/lineops.h b/kitty/lineops.h
index 6c58f61dd..63a0d2c34 100644
--- a/kitty/lineops.h
+++ b/kitty/lineops.h
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ void linebuf_clear(LineBuf *, char_type ch);
 void linebuf_index(LineBuf* self, index_type top, index_type bottom);
 void linebuf_reverse_index(LineBuf *self, index_type top, index_type bottom);
 void linebuf_clear_line(LineBuf *self, index_type y);
+unsigned int linebuf_continued_lines_count(LineBuf *, index_type);
 void linebuf_insert_lines(LineBuf *self, unsigned int num, unsigned int y, unsigned int bottom);
 void linebuf_delete_lines(LineBuf *self, index_type num, index_type y, index_type bottom);
 void linebuf_add_line_to_top(LineBuf *, Line *);