diff --git a/kitty/config_data.py b/kitty/config_data.py
index 2d69a3220..8251430a9 100644
--- a/kitty/config_data.py
+++ b/kitty/config_data.py
@@ -305,9 +305,19 @@ o('cursor_stop_blinking_after', 15.0, option_type=positive_float)
 
 g('scrollback')  # {{{
 
-o('scrollback_lines', 2000, option_type=positive_int, long_text=_('''
+
+def scrollback_lines(x):
+    x = int(x)
+    if x < 0:
+        x = 2 ** 32 - 1
+    return x
+
+
+o('scrollback_lines', 2000, option_type=scrollback_lines, long_text=_('''
 Number of lines of history to keep in memory for scrolling back. Memory is allocated
-on demand.'''))
+on demand. Negative numbers are (effectively) infinite scrollback. Note that using
+very large scrollback is not recommended a it can slow down resizing of the terminal
+and also use large amounts of RAM.'''))
 
 o('scrollback_pager', 'less --chop-long-lines --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS +INPUT_LINE_NUMBER', option_type=to_cmdline, long_text=_('''
 Program with which to view scrollback in a new window. The scrollback buffer is
diff --git a/kitty/history.c b/kitty/history.c
index 9a77da866..09c7c0d60 100644
--- a/kitty/history.c
+++ b/kitty/history.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "II", &ynum, &xnum)) return NULL;
 
-    if (xnum * ynum == 0) {
+    if (xnum == 0 || ynum == 0) {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Cannot create an empty history buffer");
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
         add_segment(self);
         self->line = alloc_line();
         self->line->xnum = xnum;
-        for(index_type y = 0; y < self->ynum; y++) {
-            clear_chars_in_line(cpu_lineptr(self, y), gpu_lineptr(self, y), self->xnum, BLANK_CHAR);
-        }
     }
 
     return (PyObject*)self;
@@ -164,7 +161,7 @@ line(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *val) {
 
 static PyObject*
 __str__(HistoryBuf *self) {
-    PyObject *lines = PyTuple_New(self->ynum);
+    PyObject *lines = PyTuple_New(self->count);
     if (lines == NULL) return PyErr_NoMemory();
     for (index_type i = 0; i < self->count; i++) {
         init_line(self, index_of(self, i), self->line);
@@ -225,7 +222,7 @@ static PyObject*
 dirty_lines(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *a UNUSED) {
 #define dirty_lines_doc "dirty_lines() -> Line numbers of all lines that have dirty text."
     PyObject *ans = PyList_New(0);
-    for (index_type i = 0; i < self->ynum; i++) {
+    for (index_type i = 0; i < self->count; i++) {
         if (*attrptr(self, i) & TEXT_DIRTY_MASK) {
             PyList_Append(ans, PyLong_FromUnsignedLong(i));
         }