diff --git a/kitty/screen.py b/kitty/screen.py
index 9769d63d7..4b6129f33 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.py
+++ b/kitty/screen.py
@@ -132,8 +132,9 @@ class Screen(QObject):
         self.lines, self.columns = lines, columns
         self.linebuf[:] = rewrap_lines(old_lines, self.columns)
         if (len(self.linebuf) > self.lines):
-            self.tophistorybuf.extend(self.linebuf[:len(self.linebuf) - self.line])
-            del self.linebuf[:len(self.linebuf) - self.line]
+            extra = len(self.linebuf) - self.lines
+            self.tophistorybuf.extend(self.linebuf[:extra])
+            del self.linebuf[:extra]
         while len(self.linebuf) < self.lines:
             self.linebuf.append(Line(self.columns))
         extra = len(self.linebuf) - self.lines