diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 955bd680f..daf51038c 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -303,7 +303,11 @@ static void
 draw_all_cells(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen) {
     bind_program(CELL_PROGRAM); 
     glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns); 
-    if (screen->grman->count) draw_graphics(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen->grman->render_data, 0, screen->grman->count);
+    if (screen->grman->count) {
+        glEnable(GL_BLEND);
+        draw_graphics(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen->grman->render_data, 0, screen->grman->count);
+        glDisable(GL_BLEND);
+    }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -311,6 +315,7 @@ draw_cells_interleaved(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen) {
     bind_program(CELL_BACKGROUND_PROGRAM); 
     glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns); 
     glEnable(GL_BLEND);
+    glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
 
     if (screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs) draw_graphics(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen->grman->render_data, 0, screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs);
 
@@ -318,7 +323,6 @@ draw_cells_interleaved(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen) {
     glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns); 
 
     bind_program(CELL_FOREGROUND_PROGRAM); 
-    glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA);
     glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns); 
 
     if (screen->grman->num_of_positive_refs) draw_graphics(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen->grman->render_data, screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs, screen->grman->num_of_positive_refs);