diff --git a/src/screen.C b/src/screen.C
index 51c7b410..8fdfad9d 100644
--- a/src/screen.C
+++ b/src/screen.C
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ rxvt_term::scr_reset ()
 
       int common_col = min (prev_ncol, ncol);
 
+      // resize swap_buf, blank drawn_buf
       for (int row = min (nrow, prev_nrow); row--; )
         {
           scr_blank_screen_mem (drawn_buf [row], DEFAULT_RSTYLE);
@@ -306,6 +307,7 @@ rxvt_term::scr_reset ()
       int pend = MOD (term_start + top_row  , prev_total_rows);
       int q    = total_rows; // rewrapped row
 
+#if ENABLE_FRILLS
       if ((rewrap_always || top_row) && !rewrap_never)
         {
           // Re-wrap lines. This is rather ugly, possibly because I am too dumb
@@ -387,36 +389,35 @@ rxvt_term::scr_reset ()
               scr_blank_line (*qline, qline->l, ncol - qline->l, DEFAULT_RSTYLE);
             }
           while (p != pend && q > 0);
-
-          term_start = total_rows - nrow;
-          top_row = q - term_start;
-
-          // make sure all terminal lines exist
-          while (top_row > 0)
-            scr_blank_screen_mem (ROW (--top_row), DEFAULT_RSTYLE);
         }
       else
+#endif
         {
-          // if no scrollback exists (yet), wing, instead of wrap
+          // wing, instead of wrap
+          screen.cur.row += nrow - prev_nrow;
 
-          for (int row = min (nrow, prev_nrow); row--; )
+          do
             {
-              line_t &src = prev_row_buf [MOD (term_start + row, prev_total_rows)];
-              line_t &dst = row_buf [row];
+              p = MOD (p - 1, prev_total_rows);
+              q--;
 
-              copy_line (dst, src);
+              copy_line (row_buf [q], prev_row_buf [p]);
             }
+          while (p != pend && q > 0);
+        }
 
-          for (int row = prev_nrow; row < nrow; row++)
-            scr_blank_screen_mem (row_buf [row], DEFAULT_RSTYLE);
+      term_start = total_rows - nrow;
+      top_row = q - term_start;
 
-          term_start = 0;
-        }
+      // make sure all terminal lines exist
+      while (top_row > 0)
+        scr_blank_screen_mem (ROW (--top_row), DEFAULT_RSTYLE);
 
       clamp_it (screen.cur.row, 0, nrow - 1);
       clamp_it (screen.cur.col, 0, ncol - 1);
     }
 
+  // ensure drawn_buf, swap_buf and terminal rows are all initialized
   for (int row = nrow; row--; )
     {
       if (!ROW       (row).valid ()) scr_blank_screen_mem (ROW       (row), DEFAULT_RSTYLE);