diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 0b024a2..fb5fb67 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@
 // Set global tab width for the editor here
 static const int tabwidth = 4;
 
-// Enable use of the "alternate screen" in the terminal
-static const int use_alternate_screen = 1; // use as bool (0 or 1)
-
 /* 
  * Values from 1 to 256 representing 256 color/8-bit pallate
  * see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code#8-bit
diff --git a/hermes.c b/hermes.c
index c47636a..ca01204 100644
--- a/hermes.c
+++ b/hermes.c
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ char *editorPrompt(char *prompt);
 // terminal
 // --------
 void die(const char *s) {
+  write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[m", 3);
   write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[2J", 4);
-  write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[H", 3);
   perror(s);
   write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\r", 1);
   exit(1);
@@ -126,14 +126,12 @@ void die(const char *s) {
 void quit() {
   write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[m", 3);
   write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[2J", 4);
-  write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[H", 3);
   exit(0);
 }
 
 void disableRawMode() {
   if (tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSAFLUSH, &E.orig_termios) == -1) 
     die("tcsetattr");
-  if (use_alternate_screen) write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[?47h", 6); // disable alt screen
 }
 
 void enableRawMode() {
@@ -1533,9 +1531,6 @@ void handleSigWinCh(int unused __attribute__((unused))) {
 // init
 // ----
 void initEditor() {
-  if (use_alternate_screen) {
-    write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\033[?47h", 6);
-  }
   E.mode           = CommandMode;
   E.rowoff         = 0;
   E.coloff         = 0;