diff --git a/kitty/simd-string.c b/kitty/simd-string.c
index 182a0517e..8e4c3c0d5 100644
--- a/kitty/simd-string.c
+++ b/kitty/simd-string.c
@@ -123,3 +123,18 @@ uint8_t*
 find_either_of_two_bytes(uint8_t *haystack, const size_t sz, const uint8_t a, const uint8_t b) {
     return find_either_of_two_bytes_simd(haystack, sz, a, b);
 }
+
+static const uint8_t*
+find_start_of_two_ranges_simple(const uint8_t *haystack, const size_t sz, const uint8_t a1, const uint8_t a2, const uint8_t a3, const uint8_t a4) {
+    ByteLoader it; byte_loader_init(&it, haystack, sz);
+    while (it.num_left) {
+        const uint8_t ch = byte_loader_next(&it);
+        if ((a1 <= ch && ch <= a2) || (a3 <= ch && ch <= a4)) return haystack + sz - it.num_left - 1;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+uint8_t*
+find_start_of_two_ranges(uint8_t *haystack, const size_t sz, const uint8_t a1, const uint8_t a2, const uint8_t a3, const uint8_t a4) {
+    return (uint8_t*)find_start_of_two_ranges_simple(haystack, sz, a1, a2, a3, a4);
+}
diff --git a/kitty/simd-string.h b/kitty/simd-string.h
index 74f373f51..9da140137 100644
--- a/kitty/simd-string.h
+++ b/kitty/simd-string.h
@@ -25,3 +25,9 @@ uint8_t byte_loader_next(ByteLoader *self);
 // be readable. Returns pointer to first position in haystack that contains
 // either of the two chars or NULL if not found.
 uint8_t* find_either_of_two_bytes(uint8_t *haystack, const size_t sz, const uint8_t a, const uint8_t b);
+
+// Requires haystack[sz] to be writable and 7 bytes to the left of haystack to
+// be readable. Returns pointer to first position in haystack that contains
+// a char that is in [a1, a2] or [a2, a3]
+uint8_t*
+find_start_of_two_ranges(uint8_t *haystack, const size_t sz, const uint8_t a1, const uint8_t a2, const uint8_t a3, const uint8_t a4);
diff --git a/kitty/vt-parser.c b/kitty/vt-parser.c
index 4492c70f9..af1c5abcf 100644
--- a/kitty/vt-parser.c
+++ b/kitty/vt-parser.c
@@ -272,14 +272,26 @@ dispatch_normal_mode_byte(PS *self, uint8_t ch) {
 }
 
 static void
-consume_normal(PS *self) {
-    const unsigned sz = self->read.sz - self->read.pos;
-    ByteLoader b; byte_loader_init(&b, self->buf + self->read.pos, sz);
-    while (b.num_left && self->vte_state == VTE_NORMAL) {
-        uint8_t ch = byte_loader_next(&b);
-        dispatch_normal_mode_byte(self, ch);
+dispatch_printable_ascii(PS *self, const size_t sz) {
+    for (const size_t limit = self->read.pos + sz; self->read.pos < limit; self->read.pos++) {
+        REPORT_DRAW(self->buf[self->read.pos]);
+        screen_draw(self->screen, self->buf[self->read.pos], true);
     }
-    self->read.pos += sz - b.num_left;
+}
+
+static void
+consume_normal(PS *self) {
+    do {
+        if (self->utf8.state == UTF8_ACCEPT) {
+            size_t sz = self->read.sz - self->read.pos;
+            uint8_t *p = find_start_of_two_ranges(self->buf + self->read.pos, sz, 0, 31, 0x7f, 0xff);
+            if (p != NULL) sz = p - (self->buf + self->read.pos);
+            if (sz) dispatch_printable_ascii(self, sz);
+            else dispatch_normal_mode_byte(self, self->buf[self->read.pos++]);
+        } else {
+            dispatch_normal_mode_byte(self, self->buf[self->read.pos++]);
+        }
+    } while (self->read.pos < self->read.sz && self->vte_state == VTE_NORMAL);
 }
 // }}}