diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index ec44b8b3..e418b584 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 #include "fdm.h"
+#include "render.h"
 #include "server.h"
 #include "shm.h"
 #include "terminal.h"
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 
     struct fdm *fdm = NULL;
     struct wayland *wayl = NULL;
+    struct renderer *renderer = NULL;
     struct terminal *term = NULL;
     struct server *server = NULL;
     struct shutdown_context shutdown_ctx = {.term = &term, .exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE};
@@ -238,6 +240,9 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     if ((wayl = wayl_init(&conf, fdm)) == NULL)
         goto out;
 
+    if ((renderer = render_init(fdm, wayl)) == NULL)
+        goto out;
+
     if (!as_server && (term = term_init(
                            &conf, fdm, wayl, conf.term, "foot", cwd, argc, argv,
                            &term_shutdown_cb, &shutdown_ctx)) == NULL) {
@@ -276,6 +281,7 @@ out:
     term_destroy(term);
 
     shm_fini();
+    render_destroy(renderer);
     wayl_destroy(wayl);
     fdm_destroy(fdm);
 
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index d97da212..2da90187 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
 #define min(x, y) ((x) < (y) ? (x) : (y))
 #define max(x, y) ((x) > (y) ? (x) : (y))
 
+struct renderer {
+    struct fdm *fdm;
+    struct wayland *wayl;
+};
+
 static struct {
     size_t total;
     size_t zero;  /* commits presented in less than one frame interval */
@@ -29,6 +34,56 @@ static struct {
     size_t two;   /* commits presented in two or more frame intervals */
 } presentation_statistics = {0};
 
+static void
+fdm_hook_refresh_pending_terminals(struct fdm *fdm, void *data)
+{
+    struct renderer *renderer = data;
+    tll_foreach(renderer->wayl->terms, it) {
+        struct terminal *term = it->item;
+
+        if (!term->render.refresh_needed)
+            continue;
+
+        assert(term->window->is_configured);
+        term->render.refresh_needed = false;
+
+        if (term->window->frame_callback == NULL) {
+            LOG_INFO("rendering immediately");
+            grid_render(term);
+        } else {
+            LOG_INFO("setting pending");
+            term->render.pending = true;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+struct renderer *
+render_init(struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl)
+{
+    struct renderer *renderer = calloc(1, sizeof(*renderer));
+    *renderer = (struct renderer) {
+        .fdm = fdm,
+        .wayl = wayl,
+    };
+
+    if (!fdm_hook_add(fdm, &fdm_hook_refresh_pending_terminals, renderer)) {
+        LOG_ERR("failed to register FDM hook");
+        free(renderer);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return renderer;
+}
+
+void
+render_destroy(struct renderer *renderer)
+{
+    if (renderer == NULL)
+        return;
+
+    fdm_hook_del(renderer->fdm, &fdm_hook_refresh_pending_terminals);
+}
+
 static void __attribute__((destructor))
 log_presentation_statistics(void)
 {
@@ -1079,10 +1134,5 @@ render_set_title(struct terminal *term, const char *_title)
 void
 render_refresh(struct terminal *term)
 {
-    assert(term->window->is_configured);
-
-    if (term->window->frame_callback == NULL)
-        grid_render(term);
-    else
-        term->render.pending = true;
+    term->render.refresh_needed = true;
 }
diff --git a/render.h b/render.h
index ad6b6578..74d9b456 100644
--- a/render.h
+++ b/render.h
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "terminal.h"
+#include "fdm.h"
+#include "wayland.h"
 
-struct font *attrs_to_font(
-    const struct terminal *term, const struct attributes *attrs);
+struct renderer;
+struct renderer *render_init(struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl);
+void render_destroy(struct renderer *renderer);
 
 void grid_render(struct terminal *term);
 void render_resize(struct terminal *term, int width, int height);
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index 9d28ff41..fe33ff98 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ struct terminal {
     bool visual_focus;
 
     struct {
+        bool refresh_needed;
         int scrollback_lines;
 
         struct {