diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 64a73f599..34b3d25ec 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -1725,7 +1725,7 @@ text_for_range(Screen *self, const Selection *sel, bool insert_newlines) {
     iteration_data(self, sel, &idata, -self->historybuf->count, false);
     PyObject *ans = PyTuple_New(idata.y_limit - idata.y);
     if (!ans) return NULL;
-    for (int i = 0, y = idata.y; y < idata.y_limit; y++, i++) {
+    for (int i = 0, y = idata.y; y < idata.y_limit && y < (int)self->lines; y++, i++) {
         Line *line = range_line_(self, y);
         XRange xr = xrange_for_iteration(&idata, y, line);
         char leading_char = (i > 0 && insert_newlines && !line->continued) ? '\n' : 0;