diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 9bc6c6a6..cddf58c7 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ void Buffer::on_option_changed(const Option& option)
 
 void Buffer::run_hook_in_own_context(const String& hook_name, StringView param)
 {
-    InputHandler hook_handler({ *this, Selection{} });
+    InputHandler hook_handler({ *this, Selection{} }, Context::Flags::Transient);
     hooks().run_hook(hook_name, param, hook_handler.context());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client.cc b/src/client.cc
index c0c90336..69e1aaea 100644
--- a/src/client.cc
+++ b/src/client.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Client::Client(std::unique_ptr<UserInterface>&& ui,
                EnvVarMap env_vars,
                String name)
     : m_ui{std::move(ui)}, m_window{std::move(window)},
-      m_input_handler{std::move(selections),
+      m_input_handler{std::move(selections), Context::Flags::None,
                       std::move(name)},
       m_env_vars(env_vars)
 {
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 71c4e561..80dd696e 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -1032,7 +1032,8 @@ void context_wrap(const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context, Func func)
         for (auto& name : names)
         {
             Buffer& buffer = BufferManager::instance().get_buffer(name);
-            InputHandler input_handler{{ buffer, Selection{} }};
+            InputHandler input_handler{{ buffer, Selection{} },
+                                       Context::Flags::Transient};
             Context& c = input_handler.context();
 
             // Propagate user hooks disabled status to the temporary context
@@ -1056,7 +1057,9 @@ void context_wrap(const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context, Func func)
 
     if (parser.has_option("draft"))
     {
-        InputHandler input_handler(real_context->selections(), real_context->name());
+        InputHandler input_handler(real_context->selections(),
+                                   Context::Flags::Transient,
+                                   real_context->name());
         Context& c = input_handler.context();
 
         // We do not want this draft context to commit undo groups if the real one is
diff --git a/src/context.cc b/src/context.cc
index b88400dc..84b83405 100644
--- a/src/context.cc
+++ b/src/context.cc
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ Context::Context() = default;
 Context::~Context() = default;
 
 Context::Context(InputHandler& input_handler, SelectionList selections,
-                 String name)
+                 Flags flags, String name)
     : m_input_handler{&input_handler},
       m_selections{std::move(selections)},
+      m_flags(flags),
       m_name(std::move(name))
 {}
 
diff --git a/src/context.hh b/src/context.hh
index be602033..dd94fab9 100644
--- a/src/context.hh
+++ b/src/context.hh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "selection.hh"
 #include "optional.hh"
+#include "flags.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -56,9 +57,15 @@ private:
 class Context
 {
 public:
+    enum class Flags
+    {
+        None = 0,
+        Transient = 1,
+    };
+
     Context();
     Context(InputHandler& input_handler, SelectionList selections,
-            String name = "");
+            Flags flags, String name = "");
     ~Context();
 
     Context(const Context&) = delete;
@@ -120,6 +127,8 @@ public:
     Disableable& history_support() { return m_history_support; }
     const Disableable& history_support() const { return m_history_support; }
 
+    Flags flags() const { return m_flags; }
+
 private:
     void begin_edition();
     void end_edition();
@@ -127,6 +136,8 @@ private:
 
     friend struct ScopedEdition;
 
+    Flags m_flags;
+
     safe_ptr<InputHandler> m_input_handler;
     safe_ptr<Window>       m_window;
     safe_ptr<Client>       m_client;
@@ -145,6 +156,9 @@ private:
     Disableable m_history_support;
 };
 
+template<>
+struct WithBitOps<Context::Flags> : std::true_type {};
+
 struct ScopedEdition
 {
     ScopedEdition(Context& context)
diff --git a/src/event_manager.cc b/src/event_manager.cc
index e9776e55..26a57eab 100644
--- a/src/event_manager.cc
+++ b/src/event_manager.cc
@@ -30,18 +30,19 @@ void FDWatcher::close_fd()
 Timer::Timer(TimePoint date, Callback callback, EventMode mode)
     : m_date{date}, m_callback{std::move(callback)}, m_mode(mode)
 {
-    if (EventManager::has_instance())
+    if (m_callback and EventManager::has_instance())
         EventManager::instance().m_timers.push_back(this);
 }
 
 Timer::~Timer()
 {
-    if (EventManager::has_instance())
+    if (m_callback and EventManager::has_instance())
         unordered_erase(EventManager::instance().m_timers, this);
 }
 
 void Timer::run(EventMode mode)
 {
+    kak_assert(m_callback);
     if (mode == m_mode)
     {
         m_date = TimePoint::max();
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index ae6ac83b..4cc6d5ee 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -52,17 +52,21 @@ static constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds fs_check_timeout{500};
 class Normal : public InputMode
 {
 public:
-    Normal(InputHandler& input_handler)
+    Normal(InputHandler& input_handler, bool with_timers = true)
         : InputMode(input_handler),
-          m_idle_timer{Clock::now() + idle_timeout, [this](Timer& timer) {
+          m_idle_timer{Clock::now() + idle_timeout,
+                       context().flags() & Context::Flags::Transient ?
+                           Timer::Callback() : Timer::Callback([this](Timer& timer) {
               context().hooks().run_hook("NormalIdle", "", context());
-          }},
-          m_fs_check_timer{Clock::now() + fs_check_timeout, [this](Timer& timer) {
+          })},
+          m_fs_check_timer{Clock::now() + fs_check_timeout,
+                           context().flags() & Context::Flags::Transient ?
+                            Timer::Callback() : Timer::Callback([this](Timer& timer) {
               if (not context().has_client())
                   return;
               context().client().check_buffer_fs_timestamp();
               timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + fs_check_timeout);
-          }}
+          })}
     {}
 
     void on_enabled() override
@@ -1034,9 +1038,10 @@ void InputMode::reset_normal_mode()
     m_input_handler.reset_normal_mode();
 }
 
-InputHandler::InputHandler(SelectionList selections, String name)
-    : m_mode(new InputModes::Normal(*this)),
-      m_context(*this, std::move(selections), std::move(name))
+InputHandler::InputHandler(SelectionList selections, Context::Flags flags, String name)
+    : m_context(*this, std::move(selections), flags, std::move(name)),
+      m_mode(new InputModes::Normal(*this))
+      
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/input_handler.hh b/src/input_handler.hh
index 858ad360..f65d4978 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.hh
+++ b/src/input_handler.hh
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ enum class KeymapMode : int;
 class InputHandler : public SafeCountable
 {
 public:
-    InputHandler(SelectionList selections, String name = "");
+    InputHandler(SelectionList selections,
+                 Context::Flags flags = Context::Flags::None,
+                 String name = "");
     ~InputHandler();
 
     // switch to insert mode
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ public:
 
     DisplayLine mode_line() const;
     void clear_mode_trash();
+
 private:
     Context m_context;
 
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 51e14aca..8b5d0114 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -441,7 +441,10 @@ int run_filter(StringView keystr, memoryview<StringView> files, bool quiet)
         {
             try
             {
-                InputHandler input_handler{{ buffer, Selection{{0,0}, buffer.back_coord()} }};
+                InputHandler input_handler{
+                    { buffer, {{0,0}, buffer.back_coord()} },
+                    Context::Flags::Transient
+                };
 
                 for (auto& key : keys)
                     input_handler.handle_key(key);
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index 0e345834..b46aaaaf 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ Window::Window(Buffer& buffer)
     : Scope(buffer),
       m_buffer(&buffer)
 {
-    InputHandler hook_handler{{ *m_buffer, Selection{} }};
-    hook_handler.context().set_window(*this);
-    hooks().run_hook("WinCreate", buffer.name(), hook_handler.context());
+    run_hook_in_own_context("WinCreate", buffer.name());
+
     options().register_watcher(*this);
 
     m_builtin_highlighters.add_child({"tabulations"_str, make_simple_highlighter(expand_tabulations)});
@@ -36,9 +35,7 @@ Window::Window(Buffer& buffer)
 
 Window::~Window()
 {
-    InputHandler hook_handler{{ *m_buffer, Selection{} }};
-    hook_handler.context().set_window(*this);
-    hooks().run_hook("WinClose", buffer().name(), hook_handler.context());
+    run_hook_in_own_context("WinClose", buffer().name());
     options().unregister_watcher(*this);
 }
 
@@ -266,10 +263,10 @@ ByteCoordAndTarget Window::offset_coord(ByteCoordAndTarget coord, LineCount offs
 
     BufferRange range{ std::min(line, coord.line), std::max(line,coord.line)+1};
 
-    InputHandler hook_handler{{ *m_buffer, Selection{} } };
-    hook_handler.context().set_window(*this);
-    m_highlighters.highlight(hook_handler.context(), HighlightFlags::MoveOnly, display_buffer, range);
-    m_builtin_highlighters.highlight(hook_handler.context(), HighlightFlags::MoveOnly, display_buffer, range);
+    InputHandler input_handler{{ *m_buffer, Selection{} }, Context::Flags::Transient};
+    input_handler.context().set_window(*this);
+    m_highlighters.highlight(input_handler.context(), HighlightFlags::MoveOnly, display_buffer, range);
+    m_builtin_highlighters.highlight(input_handler.context(), HighlightFlags::MoveOnly, display_buffer, range);
 
     CharCount column = coord.target == -1 ? find_display_column(lines[0], buffer(), coord) : coord.target;
     return { find_buffer_coord(lines[1], buffer(), column), column };
@@ -278,12 +275,17 @@ ByteCoordAndTarget Window::offset_coord(ByteCoordAndTarget coord, LineCount offs
 void Window::on_option_changed(const Option& option)
 {
     String desc = option.name() + "=" + option.get_as_string();
-    InputHandler hook_handler{{ *m_buffer, Selection{} }};
-    hook_handler.context().set_window(*this);
-    hooks().run_hook("WinSetOption", desc, hook_handler.context());
+    run_hook_in_own_context("WinSetOption", desc);
 
     // an highlighter might depend on the option, so we need to redraw
     forget_timestamp();
 }
 
+
+void Window::run_hook_in_own_context(const String& hook_name, StringView param)
+{
+    InputHandler hook_handler({ *m_buffer, Selection{} }, Context::Flags::Transient);
+    hook_handler.context().set_window(*this);
+    hooks().run_hook(hook_name, param, hook_handler.context());
+}
 }
diff --git a/src/window.hh b/src/window.hh
index c5efdf27..978fb374 100644
--- a/src/window.hh
+++ b/src/window.hh
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ private:
     void on_option_changed(const Option& option) override;
     void scroll_to_keep_selection_visible_ifn(const Context& context);
 
+    void run_hook_in_own_context(const String& hook_name, StringView param);
+
     safe_ptr<Buffer> m_buffer;
 
     CharCoord m_position;