diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index 98c83604b..83c02dd31 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -824,6 +824,7 @@ close_all_windows() {
 
 static inline bool
 process_pending_closes(ChildMonitor *self) {
+    global_state.has_pending_closes = false;
     bool has_open_windows = false;
     for (size_t w = global_state.num_os_windows; w > 0; w--) {
         OSWindow *os_window = global_state.os_windows + w - 1;
@@ -906,7 +907,8 @@ process_global_state(void *data) {
 #endif
     }
     report_reaped_pids();
-    bool has_open_windows = process_pending_closes(self);
+    bool has_open_windows = true;
+    if (global_state.has_pending_closes) has_open_windows = process_pending_closes(self);
     if (has_open_windows) {
         if (maximum_wait >= 0) {
             if (maximum_wait == 0) request_tick_callback();
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 36bdc3c1b..e27fc2457 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ blank_os_window(OSWindow *w) {
 static void
 window_close_callback(GLFWwindow* window) {
     if (!set_callback_window(window)) return;
+    global_state.has_pending_closes = true;
     request_tick_callback();
     global_state.callback_os_window = NULL;
 }
@@ -713,8 +714,10 @@ application_quit_requested() {
 
 void
 request_application_quit() {
-    if (application_quit_canary)
+    if (application_quit_canary) {
+        global_state.has_pending_closes = true;
         glfwSetWindowShouldClose(application_quit_canary, true);
+    }
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -913,6 +916,7 @@ wakeup_main_loop() {
 
 void
 mark_os_window_for_close(OSWindow* w, bool yes) {
+    global_state.has_pending_closes = true;
     glfwSetWindowShouldClose(w->handle, yes);
 }
 
@@ -988,26 +992,6 @@ set_primary_selection(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-static PyObject*
-os_window_should_close(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
-    int q = -1001;
-    id_type os_window_id;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "K|i", &os_window_id, &q)) return NULL;
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < global_state.num_os_windows; i++) {
-        OSWindow *w = global_state.os_windows + i;
-        if (w->id == os_window_id) {
-            if (q == -1001) {
-                if (should_os_window_close(w)) Py_RETURN_TRUE;
-                Py_RETURN_FALSE;
-            }
-            glfwSetWindowShouldClose(w->handle, q ? GLFW_TRUE : GLFW_FALSE);
-            Py_RETURN_NONE;
-        }
-    }
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "no such OSWindow");
-    return NULL;
-}
-
 static PyObject*
 os_window_swap_buffers(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     id_type os_window_id;
@@ -1167,7 +1151,6 @@ static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
     METHODB(toggle_fullscreen, METH_NOARGS),
     METHODB(change_os_window_state, METH_VARARGS),
     METHODB(glfw_window_hint, METH_VARARGS),
-    METHODB(os_window_should_close, METH_VARARGS),
     METHODB(os_window_swap_buffers, METH_VARARGS),
     METHODB(get_primary_selection, METH_NOARGS),
     METHODB(x11_display, METH_NOARGS),
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 569397128..84862ec07 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ typedef struct {
     bool is_wayland;
     bool has_render_frames;
     bool debug_gl, debug_font_fallback;
-    bool has_pending_resizes;
+    bool has_pending_resizes, has_pending_closes;
     bool in_sequence_mode;
     bool tab_bar_hidden;
     double font_sz_in_pts;