diff --git a/kittens/hints/main.py b/kittens/hints/main.py
index 1c79b7809..eb47a4516 100644
--- a/kittens/hints/main.py
+++ b/kittens/hints/main.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from kitty.utils import (
 from ..tui.handler import Handler, result_handler
 from ..tui.loop import Loop
 from ..tui.operations import faint, styled
+from ..tui.utils import report_unhandled_error
 
 
 @lru_cache()
@@ -117,6 +118,8 @@ def render(text: str, current_input: str, all_marks: Sequence[Mark], ignore_mark
 
 class Hints(Handler):
 
+    overlay_ready_report_needed = True
+
     def __init__(self, text: str, all_marks: Sequence[Mark], index_map: Dict[int, Mark], args: HintsCLIOptions):
         self.text, self.index_map = text, index_map
         self.alphabet = args.alphabet or DEFAULT_HINT_ALPHABET
@@ -159,7 +162,6 @@ class Hints(Handler):
     def initialize(self) -> None:
         self.init_terminal_state()
         self.draw_screen()
-        self.cmd.overlay_ready()
 
     def on_text(self, text: str, in_bracketed_paste: bool = False) -> None:
         changed = False
@@ -513,11 +515,7 @@ def run(args: HintsCLIOptions, text: str, extra_cli_args: Sequence[str] = ()) ->
                 m.index = largest_index - m.index + offset
         index_map = {m.index: m for m in all_marks}
     except Exception:
-        import traceback
-        traceback.print_exc()
-        input('Press Enter to quit.')
-        raise SystemExit(1)
-
+        report_unhandled_error()
     return run_loop(args, text, all_marks, index_map, extra_cli_args)
 
 
@@ -678,9 +676,7 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
     text = ''
     if sys.stdin.isatty():
         if '--help' not in args and '-h' not in args:
-            print('You must pass the text to be hinted on STDIN', file=sys.stderr)
-            input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
-            return None
+            report_unhandled_error('You must pass the text to be hinted on STDIN')
     else:
         text = sys.stdin.buffer.read().decode('utf-8')
         sys.stdin = open(os.ctermid())
@@ -688,18 +684,14 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         opts, items = parse_hints_args(args[1:])
     except SystemExit as e:
         if e.code != 0:
-            print(e.args[0], file=sys.stderr)
-            input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
+            report_unhandled_error(e.args[0])
         return None
     if items and not (opts.customize_processing or opts.type == 'linenum'):
-        print('Extra command line arguments present: {}'.format(' '.join(items)), file=sys.stderr)
-        input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
+        report_unhandled_error('Extra command line arguments present: {}'.format(' '.join(items)))
     try:
         return run(opts, text, items)
     except Exception:
-        import traceback
-        traceback.print_exc()
-        input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
+        report_unhandled_error()
     return None
 
 
@@ -753,7 +745,7 @@ def linenum_handle_result(args: List[str], data: Dict[str, Any], target_window_i
             }[action])(*cmd)
 
 
-@result_handler(type_of_input='screen-ansi', has_ready_notification=True)
+@result_handler(type_of_input='screen-ansi', has_ready_notification=Handler.overlay_ready_report_needed)
 def handle_result(args: List[str], data: Dict[str, Any], target_window_id: int, boss: BossType) -> None:
     if data['customize_processing']:
         m = load_custom_processor(data['customize_processing'])
diff --git a/kittens/tui/handler.py b/kittens/tui/handler.py
index 312a96c1a..ebf1d2569 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/handler.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/handler.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class Handler:
     use_alternate_screen = True
     mouse_tracking = MouseTracking.none
     terminal_io_ended = False
+    overlay_ready_report_needed = False
 
     def _initialize(
         self,
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ class HandleResult:
 def result_handler(
     type_of_input: Optional[str] = None,
     no_ui: bool = False,
-    has_ready_notification: bool = False
+    has_ready_notification: bool = Handler.overlay_ready_report_needed
 ) -> Callable[[Callable[..., Any]], HandleResult]:
 
     def wrapper(impl: Callable[..., Any]) -> HandleResult:
diff --git a/kittens/tui/loop.py b/kittens/tui/loop.py
index 3ea9b22f2..4d2d62aec 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/loop.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/loop.py
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ class Loop:
         else:
             self.asyncio_loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
         self.return_code = 0
+        self.overlay_ready_reported = False
         self.optional_actions = optional_actions
         self.read_buf = ''
         self.decoder = codecs.getincrementaldecoder('utf-8')('ignore')
@@ -435,6 +436,8 @@ class Loop:
         self.asyncio_loop.set_exception_handler(handle_exception)
         handler._initialize(self._get_screen_size(), term_manager, schedule_write, self, debug, image_manager)
         with handler:
+            if handler.overlay_ready_report_needed:
+                handler.cmd.overlay_ready()
             self.asyncio_loop.add_reader(
                     tty_fd, self._read_ready, handler, tty_fd)
             self.asyncio_loop.add_writer(
@@ -467,9 +470,12 @@ class Loop:
 
             term_manager.extra_finalize = b''.join(self.write_buf).decode('utf-8')
             if tb is not None:
+                report_overlay_ready = handler.overlay_ready_report_needed and not self.overlay_ready_reported
                 self.return_code = 1
                 if not handler.terminal_io_ended:
-                    self._report_error_loop(tb, term_manager)
+                    self._report_error_loop(tb, term_manager, report_overlay_ready)
 
-    def _report_error_loop(self, tb: str, term_manager: TermManager) -> None:
-        self.loop_impl(UnhandledException(tb), term_manager)
+    def _report_error_loop(self, tb: str, term_manager: TermManager, overlay_ready_report_needed: bool) -> None:
+        handler = UnhandledException(tb)
+        handler.overlay_ready_report_needed = overlay_ready_report_needed
+        self.loop_impl(handler, term_manager)
diff --git a/kittens/tui/utils.py b/kittens/tui/utils.py
index 15ed4efa2..c8262a310 100644
--- a/kittens/tui/utils.py
+++ b/kittens/tui/utils.py
@@ -48,3 +48,17 @@ def human_size(
     from math import log
     exponent = min(int(log(size, 1024)), len(unit_list) - 1)
     return format_number(size / 1024**exponent, max_num_of_decimals) + sep + unit_list[exponent]
+
+
+def report_unhandled_error(msg: str = '') -> None:
+    ' Report an unhandled exception also sending the overlay ready message to ensure kitten is visible '
+    from .operations import overlay_ready
+    print(end=overlay_ready())
+    if msg:
+        print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
+    cls, e, tb = sys.exc_info()
+    if not isinstance(e, (SystemExit, KeyboardInterrupt)):
+        import traceback
+        traceback.print_exc()
+    input('Press Enter to quit.')
+    raise SystemExit(1)
diff --git a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
index 6738b6836..adbf60861 100644
--- a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
+++ b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from ..tui.operations import (
     clear_screen, colored, cursor, faint, set_line_wrapping, set_window_title,
     sgr, styled
 )
+from ..tui.utils import report_unhandled_error
 
 HEX, NAME, EMOTICONS, FAVORITES = 'HEX', 'NAME', 'EMOTICONS', 'FAVORITES'
 favorites_path = os.path.join(config_dir, 'unicode-input-favorites.conf')
@@ -567,8 +568,7 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> Optional[str]:
         cli_opts, items = parse_unicode_input_args(args[1:])
     except SystemExit as e:
         if e.code != 0:
-            print(e.args[0], file=sys.stderr)
-            input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
+            report_unhandled_error(e.args[0])
         return None
 
     loop = Loop()