diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
index d8f7c78bf..2abcb7223 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ deletethread(void*)
 			originwindow(i, i->r.min, view->r.max);
 		}
 		freeimage(i);
+		flushimage(display, 1);
 		free(s);
 	}
 }
@@ -850,9 +851,6 @@ sweep(void)
 	r.max = p;
 	oi = nil;
 	while(mouse->buttons == 4){
-		readmouse(mousectl);
-		if(mouse->buttons != 4 && mouse->buttons != 0)
-			break;
 		if(!eqpt(mouse->xy, p)){
 			p = onscreen(mouse->xy);
 			r = canonrect(Rpt(p0, p));
@@ -864,9 +862,9 @@ sweep(void)
 				oi = i;
 				border(i, r, Selborder, sizecol, ZP);
 				draw(i, insetrect(r, Selborder), cols[BACK], nil, ZP);
-				flushimage(display, 1);
 			}
 		}
+		readmouse(mousectl);
 	}
 	if(mouse->buttons != 0)
 		goto Rescue;
@@ -939,12 +937,10 @@ drag(Window *w)
 	d = subpt(w->screenr.max, w->screenr.min);
 	op = subpt(mouse->xy, dm);
 	drawborder(Rect(op.x, op.y, op.x+d.x, op.y+d.y), 1);
-	flushimage(display, 1);
 	while(mouse->buttons==4){
 		p = subpt(mouse->xy, dm);
 		if(!eqpt(p, op)){
 			drawborder(Rect(p.x, p.y, p.x+d.x, p.y+d.y), 1);
-			flushimage(display, 1);
 			op = p;
 		}
 		readmouse(mousectl);
@@ -954,7 +950,6 @@ drag(Window *w)
 	cornercursor(w, mouse->xy, 1);
 	moveto(mousectl, mouse->xy);	/* force cursor update; ugly */
 	menuing = FALSE;
-	flushimage(display, 1);
 	if(mouse->buttons!=0 || !goodrect(r)){
 		while(mouse->buttons)
 			readmouse(mousectl);
@@ -1050,14 +1045,12 @@ bandsize(Window *w)
 		r = whichrect(w->screenr, p, which);
 		if(!eqrect(r, or) && goodrect(r)){
 			drawborder(r, 1);
-			flushimage(display, 1);
 			or = r;
 		}
 		readmouse(mousectl);
 	}
 	p = mouse->xy;
 	drawborder(or, 0);
-	flushimage(display, 1);
 	wsetcursor(w, 1);
 	if(mouse->buttons!=0 || !goodrect(or)){
 		while(mouse->buttons)
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
index 72a8286f5..6bf3fe90b 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ winctl(void *arg)
 	Stringpair pair;
 	Wctlmesg wcm;
 	Completion *cr;
-	char *kbdq[8], *kbds;
+	char *kbdq[32], *kbds;
 	int kbdqr, kbdqw;
 
 	w = arg;
@@ -1032,7 +1032,6 @@ wselect(Window *w)
 	if(q0==q1 && selectq==w->q0){
 		wdoubleclick(w, &q0, &q1);
 		wsetselect(w, q0, q1);
-		flushimage(display, 1);
 		x = w->mc.xy.x;
 		y = w->mc.xy.y;
 		/* stay here until something interesting happens */
@@ -1072,7 +1071,6 @@ wselect(Window *w)
 	}else
 		clickwin = nil;
 	wsetselect(w, q0, q1);
-	flushimage(display, 1);
 	while(w->mc.buttons){
 		w->mc.msec = 0;
 		b = w->mc.buttons;
@@ -1089,7 +1087,6 @@ wselect(Window *w)
 			}
 		}
 		wscrdraw(w);
-		flushimage(display, 1);
 		while(w->mc.buttons == b)
 			readmouse(&w->mc);
 		clickwin = nil;
@@ -1414,6 +1411,7 @@ wclosewin(Window *w)
 		/* move it off-screen to hide it, in case client is slow in letting it go */
 		MOVEIT originwindow(i, i->r.min, view->r.max);
 		freeimage(i);
+		flushimage(display, 1);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/libdraw/alloc.c b/sys/src/libdraw/alloc.c
index 90289a6aa..28caaac02 100644
--- a/sys/src/libdraw/alloc.c
+++ b/sys/src/libdraw/alloc.c
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ _allocimage(Image *ai, Display *d, Rectangle r, ulong chan, int repl, ulong col,
 		return nil;
 	}
 
-	/* flush pending data so we don't get error allocating the image */
-	flushimage(d, 0);
 	a = bufimage(d, 1+4+4+1+4+1+4*4+4*4+4);
 	if(a == nil)
 		goto Error;
@@ -74,8 +72,6 @@ _allocimage(Image *ai, Display *d, Rectangle r, ulong chan, int repl, ulong col,
 	BPLONG(a+39, clipr.max.x);
 	BPLONG(a+43, clipr.max.y);
 	BPLONG(a+47, col);
-	if(flushimage(d, 0) < 0)
-		goto Error;
 
 	if(ai != nil)
 		i = ai;
@@ -207,7 +203,6 @@ _freeimage1(Image *i)
 	if(i == nil || i->display == nil)
 		return 0;
 	d = i->display;
-	flushimage(d, 0);
 	if(i->screen != nil){
 		w = d->windows;
 		if(w == i)
@@ -226,9 +221,6 @@ _freeimage1(Image *i)
 		return -1;
 	a[0] = 'f';
 	BPLONG(a+1, i->id);
-	if(flushimage(d, i->screen!=nil) < 0)
-		return -1;
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/src/libdraw/window.c b/sys/src/libdraw/window.c
index b4dc7fad9..2b6702e72 100644
--- a/sys/src/libdraw/window.c
+++ b/sys/src/libdraw/window.c
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ originwindow(Image *w, Point log, Point scr)
 	uchar *b;
 	Point delta;
 
-	flushimage(w->display, 0);
 	b = bufimage(w->display, 1+4+2*4+2*4);
 	if(b == nil)
 		return 0;
@@ -211,8 +210,6 @@ originwindow(Image *w, Point log, Point scr)
 	BPLONG(b+9, log.y);
 	BPLONG(b+13, scr.x);
 	BPLONG(b+17, scr.y);
-	if(flushimage(w->display, 1) < 0)
-		return -1;
 	delta = subpt(log, w->r.min);
 	w->r = rectaddpt(w->r, delta);
 	w->clipr = rectaddpt(w->clipr, delta);
diff --git a/sys/src/libframe/frselect.c b/sys/src/libframe/frselect.c
index f5955e42b..0f4c66348 100644
--- a/sys/src/libframe/frselect.c
+++ b/sys/src/libframe/frselect.c
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ frselect(Frame *f, Mousectl *mc)	/* when called, button 1 is down */
 		}
 		if(scrled)
 			(*f->scroll)(f, 0);
-		flushimage(f->display, 1);
 		if(!scrled)
 			readmouse(mc);
 		mp = mc->xy;