diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 7c54b96d3..b9d637a56 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ class Boss:
         tm = TabManager(os_window_id, self.opts, self.args, startup_session)
         self.os_window_map[os_window_id] = tm
 
+    def new_os_window(self, *args):
+        sw = self.args_to_special_window(args) if args else None
+        startup_session = create_session(self.opts, special_window=sw)
+        self.add_os_window(startup_session)
+
     def add_child(self, window):
         self.child_monitor.add_child(window.id, window.child.pid, window.child.child_fd, window.screen)
         self.window_id_map[window.id] = window
diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index 56f34ea48..06ec4c635 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ render(double now) {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < global_state.num_os_windows; i++) {
         OSWindow *w = global_state.os_windows + i;
         if (!w->num_tabs || !should_os_window_be_rendered(w)) continue;
+        make_os_window_context_current(w);
         if (w->viewport_size_dirty) {
             update_surface_size(w->viewport_width, w->viewport_height);
             w->viewport_size_dirty = false;
diff --git a/kitty/gl.h b/kitty/gl.h
index 43d6202b7..2fbc8bee8 100644
--- a/kitty/gl.h
+++ b/kitty/gl.h
@@ -44,18 +44,23 @@ check_for_gl_error(const char *name, void UNUSED *funcptr, int UNUSED len_args,
     }
 }
 
+static bool glad_loaded = false;
+
 void
 gl_init() {
-    if (!init_glad((GLADloadproc) glfwGetProcAddress, global_state.debug_gl)) {
-        fatal("Loading the OpenGL library failed");
-    }
-    glad_set_post_callback(check_for_gl_error);
+    if (!glad_loaded) {
+        if (!init_glad((GLADloadproc) glfwGetProcAddress, global_state.debug_gl)) {
+            fatal("Loading the OpenGL library failed");
+        }
+        glad_set_post_callback(check_for_gl_error);
 #define ARB_TEST(name) \
-    if (!GLAD_GL_ARB_##name) { \
-        fatal("The OpenGL driver on this system is missing the required extension: ARB_%s", #name); \
-    }
-    ARB_TEST(texture_storage);
+        if (!GLAD_GL_ARB_##name) { \
+            fatal("The OpenGL driver on this system is missing the required extension: ARB_%s", #name); \
+        }
+        ARB_TEST(texture_storage);
 #undef ARB_TEST
+        glad_loaded = true;
+    }
     glEnable(GL_BLEND);
 }
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 446d1c810..afbdb4851 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ set_default_window_icon(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static GLFWwindow *current_os_window_ctx = NULL;
+
+void 
+make_os_window_context_current(OSWindow *w) {
+    if (w->handle != current_os_window_ctx) {
+        current_os_window_ctx = w->handle;
+        glfwMakeContextCurrent(w->handle);
+    }
+}
+
 static PyObject*
 create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int width, height;
@@ -240,10 +250,11 @@ create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
         glfw_window = glfwCreateWindow(640, 400, title, NULL, global_state.num_os_windows ? global_state.os_windows[0].handle : NULL);
     }
     if (glfw_window == NULL) { PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Failed to create GLFWwindow"); return NULL; }
+    glfwMakeContextCurrent(glfw_window);
+    current_os_window_ctx = glfw_window;
+    glfwSwapInterval(0);  // a value of 1 makes mouse selection laggy
+    gl_init();
     if (is_first_window) { 
-        glfwMakeContextCurrent(glfw_window);
-        gl_init();
-        glfwSwapInterval(0);  // a value of 1 makes mouse selection laggy
         PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallFunction(load_programs, NULL);
         if (ret == NULL) return NULL;
         Py_DECREF(ret);
diff --git a/kitty/kitty.conf b/kitty/kitty.conf
index b03db6b4e..a8aec53fa 100644
--- a/kitty/kitty.conf
+++ b/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -244,7 +244,8 @@ map ctrl+shift+h         show_scrollback
 
 # Window management
 map ctrl+shift+enter    new_window 
-map ctrl+shift+w        close_window
+map ctrl+shift+n        new_os_window 
+map ctrl+shift+m        close_window
 map ctrl+shift+]        next_window
 map ctrl+shift+[        previous_window
 map ctrl+shift+f        move_window_forward
diff --git a/kitty/session.py b/kitty/session.py
index 96df6254e..aa8249a93 100644
--- a/kitty/session.py
+++ b/kitty/session.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ class Session:
             cmd = None
         self.tabs[-1].windows.append(cmd)
 
+    def add_special_window(self, sw):
+        self.tabs[-1].windows.append(sw)
+
     def focus(self):
         self.active_tab_idx = max(0, len(self.tabs) - 1)
         self.tabs[-1].active_window_idx = max(0, len(self.tabs[-1].windows) - 1)
@@ -82,12 +85,12 @@ def parse_session(raw, opts):
     return ans
 
 
-def create_session(opts, args):
-    if args.session:
+def create_session(opts, args=None, special_window=None):
+    if args and args.session:
         with open(args.session) as f:
             return parse_session(f.read(), opts)
     ans = Session()
-    if args.window_layout:
+    if args and args.window_layout:
         if args.window_layout not in opts.enabled_layouts:
             opts.enabled_layouts.insert(0, args.window_layout)
         current_layout = args.window_layout
@@ -95,6 +98,9 @@ def create_session(opts, args):
         current_layout = opts.enabled_layouts[0] if opts.enabled_layouts else 'tall'
     ans.add_tab(opts)
     ans.tabs[-1].layout = current_layout
-    cmd = args.args or [shell_path]
-    ans.add_window(cmd)
+    if special_window is None:
+        cmd = args.args if args and args.args else [shell_path]
+        ans.add_window(cmd)
+    else:
+        ans.add_special_window(special_window)
     return ans
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 7a8aefedb..0b036db0e 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ extern GlobalState global_state;
 void gl_init();
 void remove_vao(ssize_t vao_idx);
 bool remove_os_window(id_type os_window_id);
+void make_os_window_context_current(OSWindow *w);
 void remove_os_window_reference(OSWindow *w);
 void mark_os_window_for_close(OSWindow* w, bool yes);
 void update_os_window_viewport(OSWindow *window, bool);
diff --git a/kitty/tabs.py b/kitty/tabs.py
index cab29f04e..49efd56b0 100644
--- a/kitty/tabs.py
+++ b/kitty/tabs.py
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@ from .utils import color_as_int
 from .window import Window, calculate_gl_geometry
 
 TabbarData = namedtuple('TabbarData', 'title is_active is_last')
+SpecialWindowInstance = namedtuple('SpecialWindow', 'cmd stdin override_title')
 
 
 def SpecialWindow(cmd, stdin=None, override_title=None):
-    return (cmd, stdin, override_title)
+    return SpecialWindowInstance(cmd, stdin, override_title)
 
 
 class Tab:  # {{{
@@ -58,7 +59,10 @@ class Tab:  # {{{
 
     def startup(self, session_tab):
         for cmd in session_tab.windows:
-            self.new_window(cmd=cmd)
+            if isinstance(cmd, (SpecialWindowInstance,)):
+                self.new_special_window(cmd)
+            else:
+                self.new_window(cmd=cmd)
         self.set_active_window_idx(session_tab.active_window_idx)
 
     @property