diff --git a/kitty/cursor_trail.c b/kitty/cursor_trail.c
index 97d1587e5..7540f830e 100644
--- a/kitty/cursor_trail.c
+++ b/kitty/cursor_trail.c
@@ -5,17 +5,40 @@ norm(float x, float y) {
     return sqrtf(x * x + y * y);
 }
 
+inline static bool
+get_cursor_edge(float *left, float *right, float *top, float *bottom, Window *w) {
+#define WD w->render_data
+    *left = WD.xstart + WD.screen->cursor_render_info.x * WD.dx;
+    *bottom = WD.ystart - (WD.screen->cursor_render_info.y + 1) * WD.dy;
+    switch (WD.screen->cursor->shape) {
+        case CURSOR_BLOCK:
+            *right = *left + WD.dx;
+            *top = *bottom + WD.dy;
+            return true;
+        case CURSOR_BEAM:
+            *right = *left + WD.dx / WD.screen->cell_size.width * OPT(cursor_beam_thickness);
+            *top = *bottom + WD.dy;
+            return true;
+        case CURSOR_UNDERLINE:
+            *right = *left + WD.dx;
+            *top = *bottom + WD.dy / WD.screen->cell_size.height * OPT(cursor_underline_thickness);
+            return true;
+        case CURSOR_HOLLOW:
+            // TODO - implement
+        default:
+            return false;
+    }
+}
+
 bool
 update_cursor_trail(CursorTrail *ct, Window *w, monotonic_t now) {
-#define WD w->render_data
     // the trail corners move towards the cursor corner at a speed proportional to their distance from the cursor corner.
     // equivalent to exponential ease out animation.
     static const int ci[4][2] = {{1, 0}, {1, 1}, {0, 1}, {0, 0}};
     float cursor_edge_x[2], cursor_edge_y[2];
-    cursor_edge_x[0] = WD.xstart + WD.screen->cursor_render_info.x * WD.dx;
-    cursor_edge_x[1] = cursor_edge_x[0] + WD.dx;
-    cursor_edge_y[0] = WD.ystart - WD.screen->cursor_render_info.y * WD.dy;
-    cursor_edge_y[1] = cursor_edge_y[0] - WD.dy;
+    if (!get_cursor_edge(cursor_edge_x, cursor_edge_x + 1, cursor_edge_y, cursor_edge_y + 1, w)) {
+        return false;
+    }
 
     // todo - make these configurable
     // the decay time for the trail to reach 1/1024 of its distance from the cursor corner
@@ -54,5 +77,6 @@ update_cursor_trail(CursorTrail *ct, Window *w, monotonic_t now) {
             return true;
         }
     }
+#undef WD
     return false;
 }