diff --git a/fdm.c b/fdm.c
index 4592a9e8..9d14dca8 100644
--- a/fdm.c
+++ b/fdm.c
@@ -21,11 +21,17 @@ struct handler {
     bool deleted;
 };
 
+struct hook {
+    fdm_hook_t callback;
+    void *callback_data;
+};
+
 struct fdm {
     int epoll_fd;
     bool is_polling;
     tll(struct handler *) fds;
     tll(struct handler *) deferred_delete;
+    tll(struct hook) hooks;
 };
 
 struct fdm *
@@ -43,6 +49,7 @@ fdm_init(void)
         .is_polling = false,
         .fds = tll_init(),
         .deferred_delete = tll_init(),
+        .hooks = tll_init(),
     };
     return fdm;
 }
@@ -56,11 +63,16 @@ fdm_destroy(struct fdm *fdm)
     if (tll_length(fdm->fds) > 0)
         LOG_WARN("FD list not empty");
 
+    if (tll_length(fdm->hooks) > 0)
+        LOG_WARN("hook list not empty");
+
     assert(tll_length(fdm->fds) == 0);
     assert(tll_length(fdm->deferred_delete) == 0);
+    assert(tll_length(fdm->hooks) == 0);
 
     tll_free(fdm->fds);
     tll_free(fdm->deferred_delete);
+    tll_free(fdm->hooks);
     close(fdm->epoll_fd);
     free(fdm);
 }
@@ -195,6 +207,37 @@ fdm_event_del(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events)
     return false;
 }
 
+bool
+fdm_hook_add(struct fdm *fdm, fdm_hook_t hook, void *data)
+{
+#if defined(_DEBUG)
+    tll_foreach(fdm->hooks, it) {
+        if (it->item.callback == hook) {
+            LOG_ERR("hook=%p already registered", hook);
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
+    tll_push_back(fdm->hooks, ((struct hook){hook, data}));
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool
+fdm_hook_del(struct fdm *fdm, fdm_hook_t hook)
+{
+    tll_foreach(fdm->hooks, it) {
+        if (it->item.callback != hook)
+            continue;
+
+        tll_remove(fdm->hooks, it);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    LOG_WARN("hook=%p not registered, hook", hook);
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool
 fdm_poll(struct fdm *fdm)
 {
@@ -204,6 +247,12 @@ fdm_poll(struct fdm *fdm)
         return false;
     }
 
+    tll_foreach(fdm->hooks, it) {
+        LOG_DBG("executing hook %p(fdm=%p, data=%p)",
+                it->item.callback, fdm, it->item.callback_data);
+        it->item.callback(fdm, it->item.callback_data);
+    }
+
     struct epoll_event events[tll_length(fdm->fds)];
 
     int r = epoll_wait(fdm->epoll_fd, events, tll_length(fdm->fds), -1);
diff --git a/fdm.h b/fdm.h
index 62d73ded..62f7616f 100644
--- a/fdm.h
+++ b/fdm.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 struct fdm;
 
 typedef bool (*fdm_handler_t)(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data);
+typedef void (*fdm_hook_t)(struct fdm *fdm, void *data);
 
 struct fdm *fdm_init(void);
 void fdm_destroy(struct fdm *fdm);
@@ -16,4 +17,7 @@ bool fdm_del_no_close(struct fdm *fdm, int fd);
 bool fdm_event_add(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events);
 bool fdm_event_del(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events);
 
+bool fdm_hook_add(struct fdm *fdm, fdm_hook_t hook, void *data);
+bool fdm_hook_del(struct fdm *fdm, fdm_hook_t hook);
+
 bool fdm_poll(struct fdm *fdm);
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..1f58fd05 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)
 {
@@ -156,7 +211,7 @@ static const struct wp_presentation_feedback_listener presentation_feedback_list
     .discarded = &discarded,
 };
 
-struct font *
+static struct font *
 attrs_to_font(const struct terminal *term, const struct attributes *attrs)
 {
     int idx = attrs->italic << 1 | attrs->bold;
@@ -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..e12a914e 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -283,8 +283,10 @@ struct terminal {
     bool visual_focus;
 
     struct {
-        int scrollback_lines;
+        bool refresh_needed;  /* Terminal needs to be re-rendered, as soon-as-possible */
+        int scrollback_lines; /* Number of scrollback lines, from conf (TODO: move out from render struct?) */
 
+        /* Render threads + synchronization primitives */
         struct {
             size_t count;
             sem_t start;
@@ -303,7 +305,7 @@ struct terminal {
             struct cell *cell; /* For easy access to content */
         } last_cursor;
 
-        bool pending;
+        bool pending;                /* Need to re-render again, after next frame-callback */
         struct buffer *last_buf;     /* Buffer we rendered to last time */
         bool was_flashing;           /* Flash was active last time we rendered */
         bool was_searching;