diff --git a/src/color.c b/src/color.c
index 74a157b7..4bb1b426 100644
--- a/src/color.c
+++ b/src/color.c
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ void check_the_multis(linestruct *line)
 
 		/* There is a mismatch, so something changed: repaint. */
 		refresh_needed = TRUE;
+		perturbed = TRUE;
 		return;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cut.c b/src/cut.c
index 6f2e1407..55eff63f 100644
--- a/src/cut.c
+++ b/src/cut.c
@@ -435,9 +435,19 @@ void ingraft_buffer(linestruct *topline)
 /* Meld a copy of the given buffer into the current file buffer. */
 void copy_from_buffer(linestruct *somebuffer)
 {
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	size_t threshold = openfile->edittop->lineno + editwinrows - 1;
+#endif
 	linestruct *the_copy = copy_buffer(somebuffer);
 
 	ingraft_buffer(the_copy);
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	if (openfile->current->lineno > threshold || ISSET(SOFTWRAP))
+		recook = TRUE;
+	else
+		perturbed = TRUE;
+#endif
 }
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
@@ -509,6 +519,9 @@ void do_snip(bool marked, bool until_eof, bool append)
 
 	set_modified();
 	refresh_needed = TRUE;
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	perturbed = TRUE;
+#endif
 }
 
 /* Move text from the current buffer into the cutbuffer. */
diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index e13c3030..60b94b11 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -836,12 +836,14 @@ void read_file(FILE *f, int fd, const char *filename, bool undoable)
 	report_size = TRUE;
 
 	/* If we inserted less than a screenful, don't center the cursor. */
-	if (undoable && less_than_a_screenful(was_lineno, was_leftedge))
+	if (undoable && less_than_a_screenful(was_lineno, was_leftedge)) {
 		focusing = FALSE;
+		perturbed = TRUE;
 #ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
-	else if (undoable)
-		precalc_multicolorinfo();
+	} else if (undoable) {
+		recook = TRUE;
 #endif
+	}
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
 	if (undoable)
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index 4bb7535c..a3c90fe7 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -203,6 +203,10 @@ bool have_palette = FALSE;
 		/* Whether the colors for the current syntax have been initialized. */
 bool rescind_colors = FALSE;
 		/* Becomes TRUE when NO_COLOR is set in the environment. */
+bool perturbed = FALSE;
+		/* Whether the multiline-coloring situation has changed. */
+bool recook = FALSE;
+		/* Whether the multidata should be recalculated. */
 #endif
 
 int currmenu = MMOST;
diff --git a/src/move.c b/src/move.c
index fcb791f9..3db49c92 100644
--- a/src/move.c
+++ b/src/move.c
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ void to_last_line(void)
 	openfile->current_y = editwinrows - 1;
 
 	refresh_needed = TRUE;
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
 	focusing = FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -222,6 +225,9 @@ void to_para_end(void)
 		openfile->current_x = strlen(openfile->current->data);
 
 	edit_redraw(was_current, CENTERING);
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
 }
 #endif /* ENABLE_JUSTIFY */
 
@@ -263,6 +269,9 @@ void to_next_block(void)
 
 	openfile->current_x = 0;
 	edit_redraw(was_current, CENTERING);
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
 }
 
 /* Move to the previous word. */
diff --git a/src/prototypes.h b/src/prototypes.h
index c43981af..0708ded0 100644
--- a/src/prototypes.h
+++ b/src/prototypes.h
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ extern syntaxtype *syntaxes;
 extern char *syntaxstr;
 extern bool have_palette;
 extern bool rescind_colors;
+extern bool perturbed;
+extern bool recook;
 #endif
 
 extern bool refresh_needed;
diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 5b68192d..88c81b8f 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ void tidy_up_after_search(void)
 	if (openfile->mark)
 		refresh_needed = TRUE;
 #endif
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
 }
 
 /* Prepare the prompt and ask the user what to search for.  Keep looping
@@ -657,6 +660,10 @@ ssize_t do_replace_loop(const char *needle, bool whole_word_only,
 			free(openfile->current->data);
 			openfile->current->data = altered;
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+			check_the_multis(openfile->current);
+			refresh_needed = FALSE;
+#endif
 			set_modified();
 			as_an_at = TRUE;
 			numreplaced++;
@@ -790,6 +797,11 @@ void goto_line_and_column(ssize_t line, ssize_t column, bool retain_answer,
 	if (line < 1)
 		line = 1;
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	if (line > openfile->edittop->lineno + editwinrows - 1 || ISSET(SOFTWRAP))
+		recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
+
 	/* Iterate to the requested line. */
 	for (openfile->current = openfile->filetop; line > 1 &&
 				openfile->current != openfile->filebot; line--)
@@ -994,6 +1006,10 @@ void go_to_and_confirm(linestruct *line)
 		openfile->current_x = 0;
 		edit_redraw(was_current, CENTERING);
 		statusbar(_("Jumped to anchor"));
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+		if (line->lineno > was_current->lineno)
+			recook |= perturbed;
+#endif
 	} else if (openfile->current->has_anchor)
 		statusline(REMARK, _("This is the only anchor"));
 	else
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index d8f51fb1..b49229f2 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -665,6 +665,13 @@ void do_undo(void)
 
 	openfile->totsize = u->wassize;
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	if (u->type <= REPLACE)
+		check_the_multis(openfile->current);
+	else if (u->type == INSERT)
+		perturbed = TRUE;
+#endif
+
 	/* When at the point where the buffer was last saved, unset "Modified". */
 	if (openfile->current_undo == openfile->last_saved) {
 		openfile->modified = FALSE;
@@ -825,6 +832,13 @@ void do_redo(void)
 
 	openfile->totsize = u->newsize;
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+	if (u->type <= REPLACE)
+		check_the_multis(openfile->current);
+	else if (u->type == INSERT)
+		recook = TRUE;
+#endif
+
 	/* When at the point where the buffer was last saved, unset "Modified". */
 	if (openfile->current_undo == openfile->last_saved) {
 		openfile->modified = FALSE;
diff --git a/src/winio.c b/src/winio.c
index 7b3809cf..7d46aa51 100644
--- a/src/winio.c
+++ b/src/winio.c
@@ -2596,9 +2596,9 @@ void draw_row(int row, const char *converted, linestruct *line, size_t from_col)
 			/* Assume nothing gets painted until proven otherwise below. */
 			line->multidata[varnish->id] = NOTHING;
 
-			/* Apart from the first row, check the multidata of the preceding line:
+			/* Check the multidata of the preceding line:
 			 * it tells us about the situation so far, and thus what to do here. */
-			if (row > 0 && start_line != NULL && start_line->multidata != NULL) {
+			if (start_line != NULL && start_line->multidata != NULL) {
 				if (start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == WHOLELINE ||
 						start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == STARTSHERE)
 					goto seek_an_end;
@@ -2606,56 +2606,9 @@ void draw_row(int row, const char *converted, linestruct *line, size_t from_col)
 						start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == ENDSHERE ||
 						start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == JUSTONTHIS)
 					goto step_two;
-			}
-
-			/* The preceding line has no precalculated multidata.
-			 * So, do some backtracking to find out what to paint. */
-
-			/* First step: see if there is a line before current that
-			 * matches 'start' and is not complemented by an 'end'. */
-			while (start_line != NULL && regexec(varnish->start,
-						start_line->data, 1, &startmatch, 0) == REG_NOMATCH) {
-				/* There is no start on this line; but if there is an end,
-				 * there is no need to look for starts on earlier lines. */
-				if (regexec(varnish->end, start_line->data, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
-					goto step_two;
-				start_line = start_line->prev;
-			}
-
-			/* If no start was found, skip to the next step. */
-			if (start_line == NULL)
+			} else
 				goto step_two;
 
-			/* If the start has been qualified as an end earlier, believe it. */
-			if (start_line->multidata != NULL &&
-						(start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == ENDSHERE ||
-						start_line->multidata[varnish->id] == JUSTONTHIS))
-				goto step_two;
-
-			/* Maybe there is an end on that same line?  If yes, maybe
-			 * there is another start after it?  And so on, until EOL. */
-			while (TRUE) {
-				/* Begin searching for an end after the start match. */
-				index += startmatch.rm_eo;
-				/* If there is no end after this last start, good. */
-				if (regexec(varnish->end, start_line->data + index, 1, &endmatch,
-								(index == 0) ? 0 : REG_NOTBOL) == REG_NOMATCH)
-					break;
-				/* Begin searching for a new start after the end match. */
-				index += endmatch.rm_eo;
-				/* If both start and end match are mere anchors, advance. */
-				if (startmatch.rm_so == startmatch.rm_eo &&
-								endmatch.rm_so == endmatch.rm_eo) {
-					if (start_line->data[index] == '\0')
-						goto step_two;
-					index = step_right(start_line->data, index);
-				}
-				/* If there is no later start on this line, next step. */
-				if (regexec(varnish->start, start_line->data + index,
-								1, &startmatch, REG_NOTBOL) == REG_NOMATCH)
-					goto step_two;
-			}
-
   seek_an_end:
 			/* If there is no end on this line, paint whole line, and be done. */
 			if (regexec(varnish->end, line->data, 1, &endmatch, 0) == REG_NOMATCH) {
@@ -3356,6 +3309,12 @@ void edit_refresh(void)
 	/* When needed and useful, initialize the colors for the current syntax. */
 	if (openfile->syntax && !have_palette && !ISSET(NO_SYNTAX) && has_colors())
 		prepare_palette();
+
+	if (recook) {
+		precalc_multicolorinfo();
+		perturbed = FALSE;
+		recook = FALSE;
+	}
 #endif
 
 	/* If the current line is out of view, get it back on screen. */