diff --git a/terminal.cpp b/terminal.cpp
index c7155f9..d60412b 100644
--- a/terminal.cpp
+++ b/terminal.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ void Emulator::print( Parser::Print *act )
     this_cell->width = chwidth;
     fb.apply_renditions_to_current_cell();
 
-    fb.claim_overlap( fb.ds.get_cursor_row(), fb.ds.get_cursor_col() );
+    if ( chwidth == 2 ) { /* erase overlapped cell */
+      Cell *next = fb.get_cell( fb.ds.get_cursor_row(), fb.ds.get_cursor_col() + 1 );
+      if ( next ) {
+	next->reset();
+      }
+    }
 
     fb.ds.move_col( chwidth, true, true );
 
@@ -134,15 +139,11 @@ void Emulator::debug_printout( int fd )
   screen.append( "\033[H" );
 
   for ( int y = 0; y < fb.ds.get_height(); y++ ) {
-    for ( int x = 0; x < fb.ds.get_width(); x++ ) {
+    for ( int x = 0; x < fb.ds.get_width(); /* let charwidth handle advance */ ) {
       char curmove[ 32 ];
       snprintf( curmove, 32, "\033[%d;%dH\033[X", y + 1, x + 1 );
       screen.append( curmove );
       Cell *cell = fb.get_cell( y, x );
-      if ( cell->overlapping_cell ) continue;
-
-      assert( (cell->overlapped_cells.size() + 1 == (size_t)cell->width)
-	      || (x == fb.ds.get_width() - 1) );
 
       /* print renditions */
       screen.append( "\033[0" );
@@ -171,6 +172,8 @@ void Emulator::debug_printout( int fd )
 	snprintf( utf8, 8, "%lc", *i );
 	screen.append( utf8 );
       }
+
+      x += cell->width;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/terminalframebuffer.cpp b/terminalframebuffer.cpp
index b0c5212..0a6a82b 100644
--- a/terminalframebuffer.cpp
+++ b/terminalframebuffer.cpp
@@ -5,18 +5,14 @@
 using namespace Terminal;
 
 Cell::Cell()
-  : overlapping_cell( NULL ),
-    contents(),
-    overlapped_cells(),
+  : contents(),
     fallback( false ),
     width( 1 ),
     renditions()
 {}
 
 Cell::Cell( const Cell &x )
-  : overlapping_cell( x.overlapping_cell ),
-    contents( x.contents ),
-    overlapped_cells( x.overlapped_cells ),
+  : contents( x.contents ),
     fallback( x.fallback ),
     width( x.width ),
     renditions( x.renditions )
@@ -24,9 +20,7 @@ Cell::Cell( const Cell &x )
 
 Cell & Cell::operator=( const Cell &x )
 {
-  overlapping_cell = x.overlapping_cell;
   contents = x.contents;
-  overlapped_cells = x.overlapped_cells;
   fallback = x.fallback;
   width = x.width;
   renditions = x.renditions;
@@ -44,18 +38,6 @@ void Cell::reset( void )
   fallback = false;
   width = 1;
   renditions.clear();
-
-  if ( overlapping_cell ) {
-    assert( overlapped_cells.size() == 0 );
-  } else {
-    for ( std::vector<Cell *>::iterator i = overlapped_cells.begin();
-	  i != overlapped_cells.end();
-	  i++ ) {
-      (*i)->overlapping_cell = NULL;
-      (*i)->reset();
-    }
-    overlapped_cells.clear();
-  }
 }
 
 DrawState::DrawState( int s_width, int s_height )
@@ -183,20 +165,6 @@ Cell *Framebuffer::get_combining_cell( void )
   return &rows[ ds.get_combining_char_row() ].cells[ ds.get_combining_char_col() ];
 }
 
-void Framebuffer::claim_overlap( int row, int col )
-{
-  Cell *the_cell = &rows[ row ].cells[ col ];
-
-  for ( int i = col + 1; i < col + the_cell->width; i++ ) {
-    if ( i < ds.get_width() ) {
-      Cell *next_cell = get_cell( row, i );
-      next_cell->reset();
-      the_cell->overlapped_cells.push_back( next_cell );
-      next_cell->overlapping_cell = the_cell;
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 void DrawState::set_tab( void )
 {
   tabs[ cursor_col ] = true;
@@ -319,3 +287,8 @@ void Framebuffer::delete_line( int row )
   rows.erase( rows.begin() + row );
   rows.insert( rows.begin() + ds.get_scrolling_region_bottom_row(), Row( ds.get_width() ) );
 }
+
+void Row::insert_cell( int col )
+{
+  cells.insert( cells.begin() + col, Cell() );
+}
diff --git a/terminalframebuffer.hpp b/terminalframebuffer.hpp
index 112befd..5471892 100644
--- a/terminalframebuffer.hpp
+++ b/terminalframebuffer.hpp
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@
 namespace Terminal {
   class Cell {
   public:
-    Cell *overlapping_cell;
     std::vector<wchar_t> contents;
-    std::vector<Cell *> overlapped_cells;
     char fallback; /* first character is combining character */
     int width;
     std::vector<int> renditions; /* e.g., bold, blinking, etc. */
@@ -29,6 +27,9 @@ namespace Terminal {
     std::vector<Cell> cells;
 
     Row( size_t s_width );
+
+    void insert_cell( int col );
+    void delete_cell( int col );
   };
 
   class SavedCursor {
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ namespace Terminal {
     Cell *get_combining_cell( void );
 
     void apply_renditions_to_current_cell( void );
-    void claim_overlap( int row, int col );
+
     void insert_line( int before_row );
     void delete_line( int row );
   };