diff --git a/kitty/history.c b/kitty/history.c
index 05398fc59..5a9b9c1e8 100644
--- a/kitty/history.c
+++ b/kitty/history.c
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ as_text(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *args) {
     GetLineWrapper glw = {.self=self};
     glw.line.xnum = self->xnum;
     ANSIBuf output = {0};
-    PyObject *ans = as_text_generic(args, &glw, get_line_wrapper, self->count, self->xnum, &output);
+    PyObject *ans = as_text_generic(args, &glw, get_line_wrapper, self->count, &output);
     free(output.buf);
     return ans;
 }
diff --git a/kitty/line-buf.c b/kitty/line-buf.c
index a5f46ff77..1a2cb4904 100644
--- a/kitty/line-buf.c
+++ b/kitty/line-buf.c
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ get_line(void *x, int y) {
 static PyObject*
 as_text(LineBuf *self, PyObject *args) {
     ANSIBuf output = {0};
-    PyObject* ans = as_text_generic(args, self, get_line, self->ynum, self->xnum, &output);
+    PyObject* ans = as_text_generic(args, self, get_line, self->ynum, &output);
     free(output.buf);
     return ans;
 }
diff --git a/kitty/line.c b/kitty/line.c
index bf9ddf8eb..932f967f4 100644
--- a/kitty/line.c
+++ b/kitty/line.c
@@ -762,21 +762,16 @@ mark_text_in_line(PyObject *marker, Line *line) {
 }
 
 PyObject*
-as_text_generic(PyObject *args, void *container, get_line_func get_line, index_type lines, index_type columns, ANSIBuf *ansibuf) {
+as_text_generic(PyObject *args, void *container, get_line_func get_line, index_type lines, ANSIBuf *ansibuf) {
     PyObject *callback;
     int as_ansi = 0, insert_wrap_markers = 0;
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|pp", &callback, &as_ansi, &insert_wrap_markers)) return NULL;
     PyObject *ret = NULL, *t = NULL;
-    Py_UCS4 *buf = NULL;
     PyObject *nl = PyUnicode_FromString("\n");
     PyObject *cr = PyUnicode_FromString("\r");
     PyObject *sgr_reset = PyUnicode_FromString("\x1b[m");
     const GPUCell *prev_cell = NULL;
     if (nl == NULL || cr == NULL) goto end;
-    if (as_ansi) {
-        buf = malloc(sizeof(Py_UCS4) * columns * 100);
-        if (buf == NULL) { PyErr_NoMemory(); goto end; }
-    }
     for (index_type y = 0; y < lines; y++) {
         Line *line = get_line(container, y);
         if (!line->continued && y > 0) {
@@ -811,7 +806,7 @@ as_text_generic(PyObject *args, void *container, get_line_func get_line, index_t
         }
     }
 end:
-    Py_CLEAR(nl); Py_CLEAR(cr); Py_CLEAR(sgr_reset); free(buf);
+    Py_CLEAR(nl); Py_CLEAR(cr); Py_CLEAR(sgr_reset);
     if (PyErr_Occurred()) return NULL;
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
diff --git a/kitty/lineops.h b/kitty/lineops.h
index 3cd4b9cfc..5f350d283 100644
--- a/kitty/lineops.h
+++ b/kitty/lineops.h
@@ -110,4 +110,4 @@ void historybuf_refresh_sprite_positions(HistoryBuf *self);
 void historybuf_clear(HistoryBuf *self);
 void mark_text_in_line(PyObject *marker, Line *line);
 bool line_has_mark(Line *, attrs_type mark);
-PyObject* as_text_generic(PyObject *args, void *container, get_line_func get_line, index_type lines, index_type columns, ANSIBuf *ansibuf);
+PyObject* as_text_generic(PyObject *args, void *container, get_line_func get_line, index_type lines, ANSIBuf *ansibuf);
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 767702f9b..a7fa9888f 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -2030,17 +2030,17 @@ static Line* get_range_line(void *x, int y) { return range_line_(x, y); }
 
 static PyObject*
 as_text(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
-    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_visual_line, self->lines, self->columns, &self->as_ansi_buf);
+    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_visual_line, self->lines, &self->as_ansi_buf);
 }
 
 static PyObject*
 as_text_non_visual(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
-    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_range_line, self->lines, self->columns, &self->as_ansi_buf);
+    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_range_line, self->lines, &self->as_ansi_buf);
 }
 
 static inline PyObject*
 as_text_generic_wrapper(Screen *self, PyObject *args, get_line_func get_line) {
-    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_line, self->lines, self->columns, &self->as_ansi_buf);
+    return as_text_generic(args, self, get_line, self->lines, &self->as_ansi_buf);
 }
 
 static PyObject*