diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index fe340a68e..fc70ec178 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class Boss(Thread):
         self.queue_action(self.initialize)
         self.profile = args.profile
         self.window, self.opts = window, opts
-        self.screen = Screen(self)
+        self.screen = Screen(self, 24, 80, opts.scrollback_lines)
         self.char_grid = CharGrid(self.screen, opts, window_width, window_height)
         self.read_bytes = partial(read_bytes_dump, print) if args.dump_commands else read_bytes
         self.write_buf = memoryview(b'')
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ class Boss(Thread):
     def apply_opts_to_screen(self):
         self.char_grid.apply_opts(self.opts)
         self.char_grid.dirty_everything()
+        self.screen.change_scrollback_size(self.opts.scrollback_lines)
 
     def render(self):
         if self.pending_title_change is not None:
diff --git a/kitty/line-buf.c b/kitty/line-buf.c
index 0ff69573d..4f9150350 100644
--- a/kitty/line-buf.c
+++ b/kitty/line-buf.c
@@ -367,8 +367,8 @@ static PyMethodDef methods[] = {
 };
 
 static PyMemberDef members[] = {
-    {"xnum", T_UINT, offsetof(LineBuf, xnum), 0, "xnum"},
-    {"ynum", T_UINT, offsetof(LineBuf, ynum), 0, "ynum"},
+    {"xnum", T_UINT, offsetof(LineBuf, xnum), READONLY, "xnum"},
+    {"ynum", T_UINT, offsetof(LineBuf, ynum), READONLY, "ynum"},
     {NULL}  /* Sentinel */
 };
 
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index fc214dd33..4bc19fd47 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ static PyObject*
 new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
     Screen *self;
     PyObject *callbacks = Py_None;
-    unsigned int columns=80, lines=24;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|OII", &callbacks, &lines, &columns)) return NULL;
+    unsigned int columns=80, lines=24, scrollback=0;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|OIII", &callbacks, &lines, &columns, &scrollback)) return NULL;
 
     self = (Screen *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
     if (self != NULL) {
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject UNUSED *kwds) {
         self->main_linebuf = alloc_linebuf(lines, columns); self->alt_linebuf = alloc_linebuf(lines, columns);
         self->linebuf = self->main_linebuf;
         self->change_tracker = alloc_change_tracker(lines, columns);
-        self->historybuf = alloc_historybuf(lines, columns);
+        self->historybuf = alloc_historybuf(MAX(scrollback, lines), columns);
         self->tabstops = PyMem_Calloc(self->columns, sizeof(bool));
         if (self->cursor == NULL || self->main_linebuf == NULL || self->alt_linebuf == NULL || self->change_tracker == NULL || self->tabstops == NULL || self->historybuf == NULL) {
             Py_CLEAR(self); return NULL;
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static bool screen_resize(Screen *self, unsigned int lines, unsigned int columns
 
     bool is_main = self->linebuf == self->main_linebuf;
     int cursor_y = -1;
-    HistoryBuf *nh = realloc_hb(self->historybuf, lines, columns);
+    HistoryBuf *nh = realloc_hb(self->historybuf, self->historybuf->ynum, columns);
     if (nh == NULL) return false;
     Py_CLEAR(self->historybuf); self->historybuf = nh;
     LineBuf *n = realloc_lb(self->main_linebuf, lines, columns, &cursor_y, self->historybuf);
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ static bool screen_resize(Screen *self, unsigned int lines, unsigned int columns
 }
 
 static bool screen_change_scrollback_size(Screen *self, unsigned int size) {
-    return historybuf_resize(self->historybuf, size);
+    if (size != self->historybuf->ynum) return historybuf_resize(self->historybuf, size);
+    return true;
 }
 
 
@@ -1015,7 +1016,7 @@ static PyObject*
 change_scrollback_size(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
     unsigned int count = 1; 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|I", &count)) return NULL; 
-    if (!screen_change_scrollback_size(self, MAX(100, count))) return NULL;
+    if (!screen_change_scrollback_size(self, MAX(self->lines, count))) return NULL;
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
@@ -1094,13 +1095,14 @@ static PyMethodDef methods[] = {
 
 static PyMemberDef members[] = {
     {"callbacks", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, callbacks), 0, "callbacks"},
-    {"cursor", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, cursor), 0, "cursor"},
-    {"linebuf", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, linebuf), 0, "linebuf"},
-    {"lines", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, lines), 0, "lines"},
-    {"columns", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, columns), 0, "columns"},
-    {"margin_top", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, margin_top), 0, "margin_top"},
-    {"margin_bottom", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, margin_bottom), 0, "margin_bottom"},
-    {"current_charset", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, current_charset), 0, "current_charset"},
+    {"cursor", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, cursor), READONLY, "cursor"},
+    {"linebuf", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, linebuf), READONLY, "linebuf"},
+    {"historybuf", T_OBJECT_EX, offsetof(Screen, historybuf), READONLY, "historybuf"},
+    {"lines", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, lines), READONLY, "lines"},
+    {"columns", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, columns), READONLY, "columns"},
+    {"margin_top", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, margin_top), READONLY, "margin_top"},
+    {"margin_bottom", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, margin_bottom), READONLY, "margin_bottom"},
+    {"current_charset", T_UINT, offsetof(Screen, current_charset), READONLY, "current_charset"},
     {NULL}
 };
  
diff --git a/kitty_tests/__init__.py b/kitty_tests/__init__.py
index 9e1d518c7..643a10626 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/__init__.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/__init__.py
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class BaseTest(TestCase):
 
     ae = TestCase.assertEqual
 
-    def create_screen(self, cols=5, lines=5):
-        return Screen(None, lines, cols)
+    def create_screen(self, cols=5, lines=5, scrollback=5):
+        return Screen(None, lines, cols, scrollback)
 
     def assertEqualAttributes(self, c1, c2):
         x1, y1, c1.x, c1.y = c1.x, c1.y, 0, 0
diff --git a/kitty_tests/screen.py b/kitty_tests/screen.py
index d75b6ed0d..733210650 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/screen.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/screen.py
@@ -232,3 +232,17 @@ class TestScreen(BaseTest):
         self.ae(str(s.line(0)), ' ' * 5)
         for i in range(1, 5):
             self.ae(str(s.line(i)), '12345')
+
+    def test_resize(self):
+        s = self.create_screen(scrollback=6)
+        s.draw(''.join([str(i) * s.columns for i in range(s.lines)]).encode('utf-8'))
+        s.resize(3, 10)
+        self.ae(str(s.line(0)), '0'*5 + '1'*5)
+        self.ae(str(s.line(1)), '2'*5 + '3'*5)
+        self.ae(str(s.line(2)), '4'*5 + ' '*5)
+        s.resize(5, 1)
+        self.ae(str(s.line(0)), '4')
+        hb = s.historybuf
+        for i in range(s.lines):
+            self.ae(str(hb.line(i)), '3')
+        self.ae(str(hb.line(5)), '2')