diff --git a/src/client.cc b/src/client.cc
index 09a9cff3..a77ac917 100644
--- a/src/client.cc
+++ b/src/client.cc
@@ -146,25 +146,29 @@ void Client::change_buffer(Buffer& buffer)
 
 void Client::redraw_ifn()
 {
-    DisplayLine mode_line = generate_mode_line();
-    const bool buffer_changed = context().window().timestamp() != context().buffer().timestamp();
-    const bool mode_line_changed = mode_line.atoms() != m_mode_line.atoms();
-    const bool status_line_changed = m_status_line.atoms() != m_pending_status_line.atoms();
-    if (buffer_changed or status_line_changed or mode_line_changed)
+    Face default_face = get_face("Default");
+
+    if (context().window().timestamp() != context().buffer().timestamp())
+    {
+        CharCoord dimensions = context().ui().dimensions();
+        if (dimensions == CharCoord{0,0})
+            return;
+        context().window().set_dimensions(dimensions);
+        context().window().update_display_buffer(context());
+
+        context().ui().draw(context().window().display_buffer(), default_face);
+    }
+
+    DisplayLine mode_line = generate_mode_line();
+    if (m_status_line.atoms() != m_pending_status_line.atoms() or
+        mode_line.atoms() != m_mode_line.atoms())
     {
-        if (buffer_changed)
-        {
-            CharCoord dimensions = context().ui().dimensions();
-            if (dimensions == CharCoord{0,0})
-                return;
-            context().window().set_dimensions(dimensions);
-            context().window().update_display_buffer(context());
-        }
         m_mode_line = std::move(mode_line);
         m_status_line = m_pending_status_line;
-        context().ui().draw(context().window().display_buffer(),
-                            m_status_line, m_mode_line);
+
+        context().ui().draw_status(m_status_line, m_mode_line, default_face);
     }
+
     context().ui().refresh();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.hh b/src/display_buffer.hh
index 9d264279..35381058 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.hh
+++ b/src/display_buffer.hh
@@ -149,13 +149,9 @@ public:
     void optimize();
     void compute_range();
 
-    void set_default_face(const Face& face) { m_default_face = face; }
-    const Face& default_face() const { return m_default_face; }
-
 private:
     LineList m_lines;
     BufferRange m_range;
-    Face m_default_face;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index f2b5a310..2f36ce91 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ public:
     void info_show(StringView, StringView, CharCoord, Face, InfoStyle) override {}
     void info_hide() override {}
 
-    void draw(const DisplayBuffer&, const DisplayLine&, const DisplayLine&) override {}
+    void draw(const DisplayBuffer&, const Face&) override {}
+    void draw_status(const DisplayLine&, const DisplayLine&, const Face&) override {}
     CharCoord dimensions() override { return {24,80}; }
     bool is_key_available() override { return false; }
     Key  get_key() override { return Key::Invalid; }
diff --git a/src/ncurses_ui.cc b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
index 7ea51ef2..7f7dbcba 100644
--- a/src/ncurses_ui.cc
+++ b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
@@ -368,10 +368,8 @@ void NCursesUI::draw_line(const DisplayLine& line, CharCount col_index,
 }
 
 void NCursesUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                     const DisplayLine& status_line,
-                     const DisplayLine& mode_line)
+                     const Face& default_face)
 {
-    const Face& default_face = display_buffer.default_face();
     wbkgdset(m_window, COLOR_PAIR(get_color_pair(default_face)));
 
     check_resize();
@@ -393,6 +391,13 @@ void NCursesUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
         waddch(m_window, '~');
     }
 
+    m_dirty = true;
+}
+
+void NCursesUI::draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
+                            const DisplayLine& mode_line,
+                            const Face& default_face)
+{
     int status_line_pos = m_status_on_top ? 0 : (int)m_dimensions.line;
     wmove(m_window, status_line_pos, 0);
     wclrtoeol(m_window);
diff --git a/src/ncurses_ui.hh b/src/ncurses_ui.hh
index 5227c4be..a98550c6 100644
--- a/src/ncurses_ui.hh
+++ b/src/ncurses_ui.hh
@@ -22,11 +22,14 @@ public:
     NCursesUI& operator=(const NCursesUI&) = delete;
 
     void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-              const DisplayLine& status_line,
-              const DisplayLine& mode_line) override;
+              const Face& default_face) override;
 
-    bool   is_key_available() override;
-    Key    get_key() override;
+    void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
+                     const DisplayLine& mode_line,
+                     const Face& default_face) override;
+
+    bool is_key_available() override;
+    Key  get_key() override;
 
     void menu_show(ConstArrayView<String> items,
                    CharCoord anchor, Face fg, Face bg,
diff --git a/src/remote.cc b/src/remote.cc
index 61434c38..af5c850f 100644
--- a/src/remote.cc
+++ b/src/remote.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ enum class RemoteUIMsg
     InfoShow,
     InfoHide,
     Draw,
+    DrawStatus,
     Refresh,
     SetOptions
 };
@@ -123,7 +124,6 @@ public:
 
     void write(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer)
     {
-        write(display_buffer.default_face());
         write(display_buffer.lines());
     }
 
@@ -226,7 +226,6 @@ template<>
 DisplayBuffer read<DisplayBuffer>(int socket)
 {
     DisplayBuffer db;
-    db.set_default_face(read<Face>(socket));
     db.lines() = read_vector<DisplayLine>(socket);
     return db;
 }
@@ -263,8 +262,11 @@ public:
     void info_hide() override;
 
     void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-              const DisplayLine& status_line,
-              const DisplayLine& mode_line) override;
+              const Face& default_face) override;
+
+    void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
+                     const DisplayLine& mode_line,
+                     const Face& default_face) override;
 
     void refresh() override;
 
@@ -344,14 +346,23 @@ void RemoteUI::info_hide()
 }
 
 void RemoteUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                    const DisplayLine& status_line,
-                    const DisplayLine& mode_line)
+                    const Face& default_face)
 {
     Message msg(m_socket_watcher.fd());
     msg.write(RemoteUIMsg::Draw);
     msg.write(display_buffer);
+    msg.write(default_face);
+}
+
+void RemoteUI::draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
+                           const DisplayLine& mode_line,
+                           const Face& default_face)
+{
+    Message msg(m_socket_watcher.fd());
+    msg.write(RemoteUIMsg::DrawStatus);
     msg.write(status_line);
     msg.write(mode_line);
+    msg.write(default_face);
 }
 
 void RemoteUI::refresh()
@@ -510,9 +521,16 @@ void RemoteClient::process_next_message()
     case RemoteUIMsg::Draw:
     {
         auto display_buffer = read<DisplayBuffer>(socket);
+        auto default_face = read<Face>(socket);
+        m_ui->draw(display_buffer, default_face);
+        break;
+    }
+    case RemoteUIMsg::DrawStatus:
+    {
         auto status_line = read<DisplayLine>(socket);
         auto mode_line = read<DisplayLine>(socket);
-        m_ui->draw(display_buffer, status_line, mode_line);
+        auto default_face = read<Face>(socket);
+        m_ui->draw_status(status_line, mode_line, default_face);
         break;
     }
     case RemoteUIMsg::Refresh:
diff --git a/src/user_interface.hh b/src/user_interface.hh
index 92aae13e..5f87d58b 100644
--- a/src/user_interface.hh
+++ b/src/user_interface.hh
@@ -53,8 +53,12 @@ public:
     virtual void info_hide() = 0;
 
     virtual void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                      const DisplayLine& status_line,
-                      const DisplayLine& mode_line) = 0;
+                      const Face& default_face) = 0;
+
+    virtual void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
+                             const DisplayLine& mode_line,
+                             const Face& default_face) = 0;
+
     virtual CharCoord dimensions() = 0;
     virtual bool is_key_available() = 0;
     virtual Key  get_key() = 0;
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index 0cacdad2..18ca03cc 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 #include "assert.hh"
 #include "context.hh"
-#include "face_registry.hh"
 #include "highlighter.hh"
 #include "hook_manager.hh"
 #include "client.hh"
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ void Window::update_display_buffer(const Context& context)
     kak_assert(&buffer() == &context.buffer());
     scroll_to_keep_selection_visible_ifn(context);
 
-    m_display_buffer.set_default_face(get_face("Default"));
     DisplayBuffer::LineList& lines = m_display_buffer.lines();
     lines.clear();