diff --git a/500fake-screen.mu b/500fake-screen.mu
index 59b312e2..a78d7868 100644
--- a/500fake-screen.mu
+++ b/500fake-screen.mu
@@ -608,7 +608,6 @@ fn convert-graphemes-to-pixels _screen: (addr screen) {
         # this is a situation where fake screens aren't faithful to real screens; we don't support overlap between graphemes and raw pixels
         compare tmp, 0
         break-if-=
-        abort "bb"
         var g: grapheme
         copy-to g, tmp
         var tmp/eax: int <- screen-color-at screen, x, y
diff --git a/hest-life.mu b/hest-life.mu
index e2e4ca64..b9358587 100644
--- a/hest-life.mu
+++ b/hest-life.mu
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ fn main screen: (addr screen), keyboard: (addr keyboard), data-disk: (addr disk)
   var second-screen/edi: (addr screen) <- address second-buffer
   initialize-screen second-screen, 0x80, 0x30, 1/include-pixels
   render second-screen, env
+  convert-graphemes-to-pixels second-screen
   copy-pixels second-screen, screen
   {
     edit keyboard, env
@@ -36,7 +37,9 @@ fn main screen: (addr screen), keyboard: (addr keyboard), data-disk: (addr disk)
     {
       break-if-=
       step env
+      clear-screen second-screen
       render second-screen, env
+      convert-graphemes-to-pixels second-screen
       copy-pixels second-screen, screen
     }
     linger env