diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index ed2419fb8..a9b9b2ac7 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -406,10 +406,8 @@ class Boss:
             args = shlex.split(cmdline) if cmdline else []
             if '--program' not in cmdline:
                 args.extend(('--program', self.opts.open_url_with))
-            if type_of_input in ('text', 'history'):
-                data = (w.buffer_as_text if type_of_input == 'history' else w.as_text)().encode('utf-8')
-            elif type_of_input in ('ansi', 'ansi-history'):
-                data = (w.buffer_as_ansi() if type_of_input == 'ansi-history' else w.as_text(as_ansi=True)).encode('utf-8')
+            if type_of_input in ('text', 'history', 'ansi', 'ansi-history'):
+                data = w.as_text(as_ansi='ansi' in type_of_input, add_history='history' in type_of_input).encode('utf-8')
             elif type_of_input == 'none':
                 data = None
             else:
@@ -494,9 +492,13 @@ class Boss:
             if arg == '@selection':
                 return w.text_for_selection()
             if arg == '@ansi':
-                return w.buffer_as_ansi()
+                return w.as_text(as_ansi=True, add_history=True)
             if arg == '@text':
-                return w.buffer_as_text()
+                return w.as_text(add_history=True)
+            if arg == '@screen':
+                return w.as_text()
+            if arg == '@ansi_screen':
+                return w.as_text(as_ansi=True)
 
         if args[0].startswith('@'):
             stdin = data_for_at(args[0]) or None
diff --git a/kitty/history.c b/kitty/history.c
index bd8bb0569..a6129e6a7 100644
--- a/kitty/history.c
+++ b/kitty/history.c
@@ -202,6 +202,18 @@ as_ansi(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *callback) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static inline Line*
+get_line(HistoryBuf *self, index_type y, Line *l) { init_line(self, y, l); return l; }
+
+static PyObject*
+as_text(HistoryBuf *self, PyObject *args) {
+    Line l = {.xnum=self->xnum};
+#define gl(self, y) get_line(self, y, &l);
+    as_text_generic(args, self, gl, self->count, self->xnum, callback, as_ansi);
+#undef gl
+}
+
+
 static PyObject*
 dirty_lines(HistoryBuf *self) {
 #define dirty_lines_doc "dirty_lines() -> Line numbers of all lines that have dirty text."
@@ -223,6 +235,7 @@ static PyMethodDef methods[] = {
     METHOD(change_num_of_lines, METH_O)
     METHOD(line, METH_O)
     METHOD(as_ansi, METH_O)
+    METHODB(as_text, METH_VARARGS),
     METHOD(dirty_lines, METH_NOARGS)
     METHOD(push, METH_VARARGS)
     METHOD(rewrap, METH_VARARGS)
diff --git a/kitty/kitty.conf b/kitty/kitty.conf
index de561a133..90baa2035 100644
--- a/kitty/kitty.conf
+++ b/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@ map ctrl+shift+0        tenth_window
 # map ctrl+shift+y      new_window less @selection
 #
 # You can even send the contents of the current screen + history buffer as stdin using
-# the placeholders @text (which is the plain text) and @ansi (which includes text styling escape codes)
+# the placeholders @text (which is the plain text) and @ansi (which includes text styling escape codes).
+# For only the current screen, use @screen or @ansi_screen.
 # For example, the following command opens the scrollback buffer in less in a new window.
 # map ctrl+shift+y      new_window @ansi less +G -R
 #
diff --git a/kitty/line-buf.c b/kitty/line-buf.c
index 7a881e16e..e5dee70e4 100644
--- a/kitty/line-buf.c
+++ b/kitty/line-buf.c
@@ -406,6 +406,18 @@ as_ansi(LineBuf *self, PyObject *callback) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static inline Line*
+get_line(LineBuf *self, index_type y) {
+    linebuf_init_line(self, y);
+    return self->line;
+}
+
+static PyObject*
+as_text(LineBuf *self, PyObject *args) {
+    as_text_generic(args, self, get_line, self->ynum, self->xnum, callback, as_ansi);
+}
+
+
 static PyObject*
 __str__(LineBuf *self) {
     PyObject *lines = PyTuple_New(self->ynum);
@@ -440,6 +452,7 @@ static PyMethodDef methods[] = {
     METHOD(rewrap, METH_VARARGS)
     METHOD(clear, METH_NOARGS)
     METHOD(as_ansi, METH_O)
+    METHODB(as_text, METH_VARARGS),
     METHOD(set_attribute, METH_VARARGS)
     METHOD(set_continued, METH_VARARGS)
     METHOD(dirty_lines, METH_NOARGS)
diff --git a/kitty/lineops.h b/kitty/lineops.h
index 520e9d252..4d18b7528 100644
--- a/kitty/lineops.h
+++ b/kitty/lineops.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ xlimit_for_line(Line *line) {
     return xlimit;
 }
 
+
 void line_clear_text(Line *self, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, char_type ch);
 void line_apply_cursor(Line *self, Cursor *cursor, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, bool clear_char);
 void line_set_char(Line *, unsigned int , uint32_t , unsigned int , Cursor *, bool);
@@ -79,3 +80,39 @@ void historybuf_mark_line_clean(HistoryBuf *self, index_type y);
 void historybuf_mark_line_dirty(HistoryBuf *self, index_type y);
 void historybuf_refresh_sprite_positions(HistoryBuf *self);
 void historybuf_clear(HistoryBuf *self);
+
+
+#define as_text_generic(args, container, get_line, lines, columns, callback, as_ansi) { \
+    PyObject *callback; \
+    int as_ansi = 0; \
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|p", &callback, &as_ansi)) return NULL; \
+    PyObject *ret = NULL, *t = NULL; \
+    Py_UCS4 *buf = NULL; \
+    PyObject *nl = PyUnicode_FromString("\n"); \
+    if (nl == NULL) goto end; \
+    if (as_ansi) { \
+        buf = malloc(sizeof(Py_UCS4) * columns * 100); \
+        if (buf == NULL) { PyErr_NoMemory(); goto end; } \
+    } \
+    for (index_type y = 0; y < lines; y++) { \
+        Line *line = get_line(container, y); \
+        if (!line->continued && y > 0) { \
+            ret = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(callback, nl, NULL); \
+            if (ret == NULL) goto end; \
+            Py_CLEAR(ret); \
+        } \
+        if (as_ansi) { \
+            index_type num = line_as_ansi(line, buf, columns * 100 - 2); \
+            t = PyUnicode_FromKindAndData(PyUnicode_4BYTE_KIND, buf, num); \
+        } else { \
+            t = PyObject_Str((PyObject*)line); \
+        } \
+        if (t == NULL) goto end; \
+        ret = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(callback, t, NULL); \
+        Py_DECREF(t); if (ret == NULL) goto end; Py_DECREF(ret); \
+    } \
+end: \
+    Py_CLEAR(nl); free(buf); \
+    if (PyErr_Occurred()) return NULL; \
+    Py_RETURN_NONE; \
+}
diff --git a/kitty/remote_control.py b/kitty/remote_control.py
index 33e86e8d8..4cce23873 100644
--- a/kitty/remote_control.py
+++ b/kitty/remote_control.py
@@ -387,8 +387,7 @@ def get_text(boss, window, payload):
     if payload['extent'] == 'selection':
         ans = window.text_for_selection()
     else:
-        f = window.buffer_as_ansi if payload['ansi'] else window.buffer_as_text
-        ans = f(add_history=payload['extent'] == 'all')
+        ans = window.as_text(as_ansi=bool(payload['ansi']), add_history=True)
     return ans
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 19aa364dc..ae2b3bf20 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -1454,37 +1454,7 @@ screen_open_url(Screen *self) {
 
 static PyObject*
 as_text(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
-    PyObject *callback, *ret = NULL, *t = NULL;
-    Py_UCS4 *buf = NULL;
-    int as_ansi = 0;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|p", &callback, &as_ansi)) return NULL;
-    PyObject *nl = PyUnicode_FromString("\n");
-    if (nl == NULL) goto end;
-    if (as_ansi) {
-        buf = malloc(sizeof(Py_UCS4) * self->columns * 100);
-        if (buf == NULL) { PyErr_NoMemory(); goto end; }
-    }
-    for (index_type y = 0; y < self->lines; y++) {
-        Line *line = visual_line_(self, y);
-        if (!line->continued && y > 0) {
-            ret = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(callback, nl, NULL);
-            if (ret == NULL) goto end;
-            Py_CLEAR(ret);
-        }
-        if (as_ansi) {
-            index_type num = line_as_ansi(line, buf, self->columns * 100 - 2);
-            t = PyUnicode_FromKindAndData(PyUnicode_4BYTE_KIND, buf, num);
-        } else {
-            t = PyObject_Str((PyObject*)line);
-        }
-        if (t == NULL) goto end;
-        ret = PyObject_CallFunctionObjArgs(callback, t, NULL);
-        Py_DECREF(t); if (ret == NULL) goto end; Py_DECREF(ret);
-    }
-end:
-    Py_CLEAR(nl); free(buf);
-    if (PyErr_Occurred()) return NULL;
-    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+    as_text_generic(args, self, visual_line_, self->lines, self->columns, callback, as_ansi);
 }
 
 static PyObject*
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 23b5ab24e..944360cbc 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -315,30 +315,19 @@ class Window:
             self.screen.reset_callbacks()
         self.screen = None
 
-    def buffer_as_ansi(self, add_history=True):
-        data = []
-        if add_history:
-            self.screen.historybuf.as_ansi(data.append)
-        self.screen.linebuf.as_ansi(data.append)
-        return ''.join(data)
-
-    def buffer_as_text(self, add_history=True):
-        ans = str(self.screen.linebuf).rstrip('\n')
-        if add_history:
-            h = str(self.screen.historybuf)
-            if h.strip():
-                ans = h + '\n' + ans
-        return ans
-
-    def as_text(self, as_ansi=False):
+    def as_text(self, as_ansi=False, add_history=False):
         lines = []
         self.screen.as_text(lines.append, as_ansi)
+        if add_history:
+            h = []
+            self.screen.historybuf.as_text(h.append, as_ansi)
+            lines = h + lines
         return ''.join(lines)
 
     # actions {{{
 
     def show_scrollback(self):
-        get_boss().display_scrollback(self, self.buffer_as_ansi().encode('utf-8'))
+        get_boss().display_scrollback(self, self.as_text(as_ansi=True, add_history=True).encode('utf-8'))
 
     def paste(self, text):
         if text and not self.destroyed: