diff --git a/grid.c b/grid.c
index d2905a93..4ccb27ac 100644
--- a/grid.c
+++ b/grid.c
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ grid_reflow(struct grid *grid, int new_rows, int new_cols,
             }                                                           \
         } while(0)
 
+#define print_spacer() \
+        do { \
+            new_row->cells[new_col_idx].wc = CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER;      \
+            new_row->cells[new_col_idx].attrs = old_cell->attrs;        \
+            new_row->cells[new_col_idx].attrs.clean = 1;                \
+        } while (0)
+
         /*
          * Keep track of empty cells. If the old line ends with a
          * string of empty cells, we don't need to, nor do we want to,
@@ -222,12 +229,19 @@ grid_reflow(struct grid *grid, int new_rows, int new_cols,
             /* Multi-column characters are never cut in half */
             assert(c + width <= old_cols);
 
-            for (int i = 0; i < empty_count + width; i++) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < empty_count + 1; i++) {
                 const struct cell *old_cell = &old_row->cells[c - empty_count + i];
 
+                if (old_cell->wc == CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER)
+                    continue;
+
                 /* Out of columns on current row in new grid? */
-                if (new_col_idx + max(1, wcwidth(old_cell->wc)) > new_cols)
+                if (new_col_idx + max(1, wcwidth(old_cell->wc)) > new_cols) {
+                    /* Pad to end-of-line with spacers, then line-wrap */
+                    for (;new_col_idx < new_cols; new_col_idx++)
+                        print_spacer();
                     line_wrap();
+                }
 
                 assert(new_row != NULL);
                 assert(new_col_idx >= 0);
@@ -247,6 +261,14 @@ grid_reflow(struct grid *grid, int new_rows, int new_cols,
                     }
                 }
                 new_col_idx++;
+
+                /* For multi-column characters, insert spacers in the
+                 * subsequent cells */
+                for (size_t i = 0; i < width - 1; i++) {
+                    assert(new_col_idx < new_cols);
+                    print_spacer();
+                    new_col_idx++;
+                }
             }
 
             c += width - 1;
@@ -258,6 +280,7 @@ grid_reflow(struct grid *grid, int new_rows, int new_cols,
             line_wrap();
         }
 
+#undef print_spacer
 #undef line_wrap
     }
 
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 99ca03e3..a049ca05 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -408,10 +408,10 @@ render_cell(struct terminal *term, pixman_image_t *pix,
     if (cell->wc != 0) {
         wchar_t base = cell->wc;
 
-        if (base >= COMB_CHARS_LO &&
-            base < (COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count))
+        if (base >= CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO &&
+            base < (CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count))
         {
-            composed = &term->composed[base - COMB_CHARS_LO];
+            composed = &term->composed[base - CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO];
             base = composed->base;
         }
 
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ render_cell(struct terminal *term, pixman_image_t *pix,
     if (has_cursor && term->cursor_style == CURSOR_BLOCK && term->kbd_focus)
         draw_cursor(term, cell, font, pix, &fg, &bg, x, y, cell_cols);
 
-    if (cell->wc == 0 || cell->attrs.conceal)
+    if (cell->wc == 0 || cell->wc == CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER || cell->attrs.conceal)
         goto draw_cursor;
 
     pixman_image_t *clr_pix = pixman_image_create_solid_fill(&fg);
diff --git a/selection.c b/selection.c
index cd3780a7..f460607a 100644
--- a/selection.c
+++ b/selection.c
@@ -134,9 +134,9 @@ foreach_selected_normal(
              c <= (r == end_row ? end_col : term->cols - 1);
              c++)
         {
+            if (row->cells[c].wc == CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER)
+                continue;
             cb(term, row, &row->cells[c], c, data);
-            c += max(1, wcwidth(row->cells[c].wc)) - 1;
-            assert(c < term->cols);
         }
 
         start_col = 0;
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ foreach_selected_block(
         assert(row != NULL);
 
         for (int c = top_left.col; c <= bottom_right.col; c++) {
+            if (row->cells[c].wc == CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER)
+                continue;
             cb(term, row, &row->cells[c], c, data);
-            c += max(1, wcwidth(row->cells[c].wc)) - 1;
-            assert(c < term->cols);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -273,22 +273,7 @@ extract_one(struct terminal *term, struct row *row, struct cell *cell,
         /* New row - determine if we should insert a newline or not */
 
         if (term->selection.kind == SELECTION_NORMAL) {
-            int width = max(1, wcwidth(cell->wc));
-
-            if (width > 1) {
-                /* Heuristict to handle force-wrapped multi-column
-                 * characters */
-
-                /*
-                 * TODO: maybe we should print a placeholder value to
-                 * the empty cells at the end of the line when
-                 * force-wrapping? Then extract() could simply skip
-                 * those cells
-                 */
-                ctx->empty_count -= min(width, ctx->empty_count);
-            }
-
-            else if (ctx->last_row->linebreak ||
+            if (ctx->last_row->linebreak ||
                 ctx->empty_count > 0 ||
                 cell->wc == 0)
             {
@@ -321,8 +306,9 @@ extract_one(struct terminal *term, struct row *row, struct cell *cell,
 
     assert(ctx->idx + 1 <= ctx->size);
 
-    if (cell->wc >= COMB_CHARS_LO && cell->wc < (COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count)) {
-        const struct composed *composed = &term->composed[cell->wc - COMB_CHARS_LO];
+    if (cell->wc >= CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO &&
+        cell->wc < (CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count)) {
+        const struct composed *composed = &term->composed[cell->wc - CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO];
 
         ctx->buf[ctx->idx++] = composed->base;
 
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index eda311da..40bfbc90 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -2387,33 +2387,39 @@ print_insert(struct terminal *term, int width)
         row->cells[i].attrs.clean = 0;
 }
 
+static void
+print_spacer(struct terminal *term, int col)
+{
+    struct row *row = term->grid->cur_row;
+    struct cell *cell = &row->cells[col];
+
+    cell->wc = CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER;
+    cell->attrs = term->vt.attrs;
+    cell->attrs.clean = 0;
+}
+
 void
 term_print(struct terminal *term, wchar_t wc, int width)
 {
     if (unlikely(width <= 0))
         return;
 
-    if (unlikely(width > 1) &&
+    print_linewrap(term);
+    print_insert(term, width);
+
+    if (unlikely(width > 1) && likely(term->auto_margin) &&
         term->grid->cursor.point.col + width > term->cols)
     {
         /* Multi-column character that doesn't fit on current line -
-         * force a line wrap */
+         * pad with spacers */
+        for (size_t i = term->grid->cursor.point.col; i < term->cols; i++)
+            print_spacer(term, i);
+
+        /* And force a line-wrap */
         term->grid->cursor.lcf = 1;
-
-        /*
-         * TODO: should we insert place holder values in the remaining
-         * cells?  This would allow e.g. text extraction to simply
-         * skip these, instead of trying to recognize a sequence of
-         * empty cells at the end of the line followed by a
-         * multi-column character...
-         *
-         * Might also make text reflow easier, or even more correct.
-         */
+        print_linewrap(term);
     }
 
-    print_linewrap(term);
-    print_insert(term, width);
-
     sixel_overwrite_at_cursor(term, width);
 
     /* *Must* get current cell *after* linewrap+insert */
@@ -2429,10 +2435,7 @@ term_print(struct terminal *term, wchar_t wc, int width)
     /* Advance cursor the 'additional' columns while dirty:ing the cells */
     for (int i = 1; i < width && term->grid->cursor.point.col < term->cols - 1; i++) {
         term->grid->cursor.point.col++;
-
-        struct cell *cell = &row->cells[term->grid->cursor.point.col];
-        cell->wc = 0;
-        cell->attrs.clean = 0;
+        print_spacer(term, term->grid->cursor.point.col);
     }
 
     /* Advance cursor */
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index 4d1cceff..68259160 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ struct attributes {
 };
 static_assert(sizeof(struct attributes) == 8, "bad size");
 
+#define CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO    0x40000000ul
+#define CELL_COMB_CHARS_HI    0x400ffffful
+#define CELL_MULT_COL_SPACER  0x40100000ul
+
 struct cell {
     wchar_t wc;
     struct attributes attrs;
@@ -216,8 +220,6 @@ struct terminal {
     struct grid alt;
     struct grid *grid;
 
-    #define COMB_CHARS_LO 0x40000000ul
-    #define COMB_CHARS_HI 0x400ffffful
     size_t composed_count;
     struct composed *composed;
 
diff --git a/vt.c b/vt.c
index 8d9d6cfa..618611c6 100644
--- a/vt.c
+++ b/vt.c
@@ -550,9 +550,9 @@ action_utf8_print(struct terminal *term, wchar_t wc)
         }
 
         const struct composed *composed =
-            (base >= COMB_CHARS_LO &&
-             base < (COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count))
-            ? &term->composed[base - COMB_CHARS_LO]
+            (base >= CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO &&
+             base < (CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count))
+            ? &term->composed[base - CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO]
             : NULL;
 
         if (composed != NULL)
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ action_utf8_print(struct terminal *term, wchar_t wc)
                 if (cc->combining[wanted_count - 1] != wc)
                     continue;
 
-                term_print(term, COMB_CHARS_LO + i, base_width);
+                term_print(term, CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO + i, base_width);
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -648,12 +648,12 @@ action_utf8_print(struct terminal *term, wchar_t wc)
                 new_cc.combining[i] = composed->combining[i];
             new_cc.combining[wanted_count - 1] = wc;
 
-            if (term->composed_count < COMB_CHARS_HI) {
+            if (term->composed_count < CELL_COMB_CHARS_HI) {
                 term->composed_count++;
                 term->composed = realloc(term->composed, term->composed_count * sizeof(term->composed[0]));
                 term->composed[term->composed_count - 1] = new_cc;
 
-                term_print(term, COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count - 1, base_width);
+                term_print(term, CELL_COMB_CHARS_LO + term->composed_count - 1, base_width);
                 return;
             } else {
                 /* We reached our maximum number of allowed composed