diff --git a/kitty/animation.c b/kitty/animation.c
index af0cbff80..264d43da7 100644
--- a/kitty/animation.c
+++ b/kitty/animation.c
@@ -5,33 +5,143 @@
  * Distributed under terms of the GPL3 license.
  */
 
-#include "animation.h"
-#include <stdbool.h>
 #include "data-types.h"
+#define ANIMATION_INTERNAL_API
+
+typedef struct easing_curve_parameters {
+    size_t count;
+    double extra0, extra1, extra2, extra3;
+    const double *params, *positions;
+} easing_curve_parameters;
+
+typedef double(*easing_curve)(easing_curve_parameters*, double);
+
+typedef struct animation_function {
+    easing_curve_parameters params;
+    easing_curve curve;
+    double y_at_start, y_size;
+} animation_function;
+
+
+typedef struct Animation {
+    animation_function *functions;
+    size_t count, capacity;
+} Animation;
+
+
+#include "animation.h"
+
+Animation*
+alloc_animation(void) {
+    return calloc(1, sizeof(Animation));
+}
+
+bool
+animation_is_valid(const Animation* a) { return a != NULL && a->count > 0; }
+
+Animation*
+free_animation(Animation *a) {
+    if (a) {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < a->count; i++) free((void*)a->functions[i].params.params);
+        free(a->functions);
+        free(a);
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
 
 static double
 unit_value(double x) { return MAX(0., MIN(x, 1.)); }
 
-double
-linear_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters p, double val) {
-    for (size_t i = p.count - 1; i-- > 0;) if (p.positions[i] <= val) return p.params[i];
-    return p.params[0];
+static double
+linear_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters *p, double val) {
+    double start_pos = 0, stop_pos = 1, start_val = 0, stop_val = 1;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < p->count; i++) {
+        if (p->positions[i] >= val) {
+            stop_pos = p->positions[i];
+            stop_val = p->params[i];
+            if (i > 0) {
+                start_val = p->params[i-1];
+                start_pos = p->positions[i-1];
+            }
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    double frac = (val - start_pos) / (stop_pos - start_pos);
+    return start_val + frac * (stop_val - start_val);
 }
 
-double
-cubic_bezier_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters p, double t) {
+static double
+cubic_bezier_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters *p, double t) {
     const double u = 1. - t, uu = u * u, uuu = uu * u, tt = t * t, ttt = tt * t;
     // p0 is start, p3 is end. p1, p2 are control points
-    return uuu * p.params[0] + 3 * uu * t * p.params[1] + 3 * u * tt * p.params[2] + ttt * p.params[3];
+    return uuu * p->extra0 + 3 * uu * t * p->extra1 + 3 * u * tt * p->extra2 + ttt * p->extra3;
+}
+
+static double
+step_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters *p, double t) {
+    size_t val_bucket = (size_t)(t * p->count);
+    return p->params[MIN(val_bucket, p->count - 1)];
 }
 
 double
 apply_easing_curve(const Animation *a, double val) {
-    if (a->first_half.curve) {
-        if (a->second_half.curve) {
-            if (val <= 0.5) return unit_value(a->first_half.curve(a->first_half.params, 2 * val));
-            return unit_value(a->second_half.curve(a->second_half.params, 2 * (val - 0.5)));
-        } else return unit_value(a->first_half.curve(a->first_half.params, val));
-    } else return (val <= 0.5) ? 1. : 0.;
+    val = unit_value(val);
+    if (!a->count) return val;
+    size_t idx = MIN((size_t)(val * a->count), a->count - 1);
+    animation_function *f = a->functions + idx;
+    double ans = f->curve(&f->params, val);
+    return f->y_at_start + unit_value(ans) * f->y_size;
 }
 
+static animation_function*
+init_function(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, easing_curve curve, size_t count) {
+    ensure_space_for(a, functions, animation_function, a->count + 1, capacity, 4, false);
+    animation_function *f = a->functions + a->count++;
+    zero_at_ptr(f);
+    f->y_at_start = y_at_start; f->y_size = y_at_end - y_at_start; f->curve = curve;
+    if (count) {
+        double *p = calloc(count*2, sizeof(double));
+        if (!p) fatal("Out of memory");
+        f->params.params = p;
+        f->params.positions = p + count;
+        f->params.count = 0;
+    }
+    return f;
+}
+
+void
+add_cubic_bezier_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, double start, double p1, double p2, double end) {
+    animation_function *f = init_function(a, y_at_start, y_at_end, cubic_bezier_easing_curve, 4);
+    f->params.extra0 = start; f->params.extra1 = p1; f->params.extra2 = p2; f->params.extra3 = end;
+}
+
+void
+add_linear_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, size_t count, const double *params, const double *positions) {
+    animation_function *f = init_function(a, y_at_start, y_at_end, linear_easing_curve, count);
+    const size_t sz = count * sizeof(double);
+    memcpy((void*)f->params.params, params, sz); memcpy((void*)f->params.positions, positions, sz);
+}
+
+void
+add_steps_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, size_t count, EasingStep step) {
+    animation_function *f = init_function(a, y_at_start, y_at_end, step_easing_curve, count + 2);
+    double jump_size = 1. / count, val = 0.;
+    f->params.count = count;
+    double *params = (double*)f->params.params;
+    switch (step) {
+        case EASING_STEP_START:
+            val = jump_size;
+            f->params.count = count - 1;
+            break;
+        case EASING_STEP_END: break;
+        case EASING_STEP_NONE:
+            f->params.count = count - 1;
+            break;
+        case EASING_STEP_BOTH:
+            jump_size = 1. / (count + 1);
+            val = jump_size;
+            f->params.count = count + 1;
+            break;
+    }
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < f->params.count; i++, val += jump_size) params[i] = val;
+}
diff --git a/kitty/animation.h b/kitty/animation.h
index d21261dd7..9d831fa7e 100644
--- a/kitty/animation.h
+++ b/kitty/animation.h
@@ -8,21 +8,16 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
-typedef struct easing_curve_parameters {
-    size_t count;
-    const double *params, *positions;
-} easing_curve_parameters;
-
-typedef double(*easing_curve)(easing_curve_parameters, double);
-
-typedef struct Animation {
-    struct {
-        easing_curve_parameters params;
-        easing_curve curve;
-    } first_half, second_half;
-} Animation;
-
-double linear_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters, double);
-double cubic_bezier_easing_curve(easing_curve_parameters, double);
+typedef enum { EASING_STEP_START, EASING_STEP_END, EASING_STEP_NONE, EASING_STEP_BOTH } EasingStep;
+#ifndef ANIMATION_INTERNAL_API
+typedef struct {int x;} *Animation;
+#endif
+Animation* alloc_animation(void);
 double apply_easing_curve(const Animation *a, double t /* must be between 0 and 1*/);
+bool animation_is_valid(const Animation *a);
+void add_cubic_bezier_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, double start, double p1, double p2, double end);
+void add_linear_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, size_t count, const double *params, const double *positions);
+void add_steps_animation(Animation *a, double y_at_start, double y_at_end, size_t count, EasingStep step);
+Animation* free_animation(Animation *a);
diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index e214d8de3..7b09eda32 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include "screen.h"
 #include "fonts.h"
 #include "monotonic.h"
-#include "animation.h"
 #include <termios.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -676,11 +675,11 @@ collect_cursor_info(CursorRenderInfo *ans, Window *w, monotonic_t now, OSWindow
     bool cursor_blinking = OPT(cursor_blink_interval) > 0 && !cursor->non_blinking && os_window->is_focused && (OPT(cursor_stop_blinking_after) == 0 || time_since_start_blink <= OPT(cursor_stop_blinking_after));
     ans->opacity = 1;
     if (cursor_blinking) {
-        if (OPT(animation.cursor).first_half.curve) {
+        if (animation_is_valid(OPT(animation.cursor))) {
             monotonic_t den = OPT(cursor_blink_interval) * 2;
             monotonic_t time_into_cycle = time_since_start_blink % den;
             double frac_into_cycle = (double)time_into_cycle / (double)den;
-            ans->opacity = (float)apply_easing_curve(&OPT(animation.cursor), frac_into_cycle);
+            ans->opacity = (float)apply_easing_curve(OPT(animation.cursor), frac_into_cycle);
             set_maximum_wait(ms_to_monotonic_t(75));
         } else {
             monotonic_t n = time_since_start_blink / OPT(cursor_blink_interval);
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index ce6176575..3b88d18fc 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@
 #define LIKELY(x)    __builtin_expect (!!(x), 1)
 #define UNLIKELY(x)  __builtin_expect (!!(x), 0)
 #define MAX(x, y) __extension__ ({ \
-    __typeof__ (x) a = (x); __typeof__ (y) b = (y); \
-        a > b ? a : b;})
+    __typeof__ (x) __a__ = (x); __typeof__ (y) __b__ = (y); \
+        __a__ > __b__ ? __a__ : __b__;})
 #define MIN(x, y) __extension__ ({ \
-    __typeof__ (x) a = (x); __typeof__ (y) b = (y); \
-        a < b ? a : b;})
+    __typeof__ (x) __a__ = (x); __typeof__ (y) __b__ = (y); \
+        __a__ < __b__ ? __a__ : __b__;})
 #define SWAP(x, y) do { __typeof__(x) _sw_ = y; y = x; x = _sw_; } while(0)
 #define xstr(s) str(s)
 #define str(s) #s
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index ebcc58b00..c8f379c5b 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -1462,6 +1462,7 @@ finalize(void) {
     F(background_image); F(bell_path); F(bell_theme); F(default_window_logo);
 #undef F
     Py_CLEAR(options_object);
+    free_animation(OPT(animation.cursor));
     // we leak the texture here since it is not guaranteed
     // that freeing the texture will work during shutdown and
     // the GPU driver should take care of it when the OpenGL context is
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 8039c7227..010ccaa44 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ typedef struct {
             hb_feature_t *features;
         } *entries;
     } font_features;
-    struct { Animation cursor; } animation;
+    struct { Animation *cursor; } animation;
 } Options;
 
 typedef struct WindowLogoRenderData {