diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 1d797c0e..c4277eee 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -941,6 +941,7 @@ There are some builtins faces used by internal Kakoune functionalities:
  * `Prompt`: face used prompt displayed on the status line
  * `MatchingChar`: face used by the show_matching highlighter
  * `Search`: face used to highlight search results
+ * `BufferPadding`: face applied on the characters that follow the last line of a buffer
 
 Advanced topics
 ---------------
diff --git a/colors/base16.kak b/colors/base16.kak
index f382e714..9b0d122e 100644
--- a/colors/base16.kak
+++ b/colors/base16.kak
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
         face StatusCursor ${black_lighterer},${cyan_light}
         face Prompt ${black_light},${cyan_light}
         face MatchingChar ${cyan_light},${black_light}+b
+        face BufferPadding ${cyan_light},${black_lighter}
     "
 }
diff --git a/colors/default.kak b/colors/default.kak
index b94472ee..925ba1b5 100644
--- a/colors/default.kak
+++ b/colors/default.kak
@@ -43,3 +43,4 @@ face StatusLineValue green,default
 face StatusCursor black,cyan
 face Prompt yellow,default
 face MatchingChar default,default+b
+face BufferPadding blue,default
diff --git a/colors/github.kak b/colors/github.kak
index 7ce4ea28..736b19fa 100644
--- a/colors/github.kak
+++ b/colors/github.kak
@@ -43,3 +43,4 @@ face StatusCursor rgb:434343,rgb:CDCDFD
 face Prompt rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:4078C0
 face MatchingChar rgb:F8F8FF,rgb:4078C0+b
 face Search default,default+u
+face BufferPadding rgb:A0A0A0,rgb:F8F8FF
diff --git a/colors/lucius.kak b/colors/lucius.kak
index c8da0f11..1205d003 100644
--- a/colors/lucius.kak
+++ b/colors/lucius.kak
@@ -66,5 +66,6 @@
         face StatusCursor default,${lucius_blue}
         face Prompt ${lucius_lighter_grey}
         face MatchingChar ${lucius_lighter_grey},${lucius_bright_green}
+        face BufferPadding ${lucius_green},${lucius_darker_grey}
     "
 }
diff --git a/colors/reeder.kak b/colors/reeder.kak
index 55ac9fbd..02095e59 100644
--- a/colors/reeder.kak
+++ b/colors/reeder.kak
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
         face StatusCursor       ${orange},${white_light}
         face Prompt             ${black_light}
         face MatchingChar       default+b
+        face BufferPadding      ${grey_dark},${white}
     "
 }
diff --git a/colors/solarized.kak b/colors/solarized.kak
index efa060e1..01404e8a 100644
--- a/colors/solarized.kak
+++ b/colors/solarized.kak
@@ -64,5 +64,6 @@
         face StatusCursor       ${base00},${base3}
         face Prompt             yellow
         face MatchingChar       default+b
+        face BufferPadding      ${base01},${base03}
     "
 }
diff --git a/colors/zenburn.kak b/colors/zenburn.kak
index 77953427..e4bd8d36 100644
--- a/colors/zenburn.kak
+++ b/colors/zenburn.kak
@@ -67,5 +67,6 @@
         face StatusCursor ${zencursor}
         face Prompt yellow
         face MatchingChar default+b
+        face BufferPadding ${zenkeyword},${zenbackground}
     "
 }
diff --git a/doc/json_ui.asciidoc b/doc/json_ui.asciidoc
index 16f81468..98cdc049 100644
--- a/doc/json_ui.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/json_ui.asciidoc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Here are the data structures used:
 
 Here are the requests that can be written by the json ui on stdout:
 
-* draw(Array<Line> lines, Face default_face)
+* draw(Array<Line> lines, Face default_face, Face padding_face)
 * draw_status(Line status_line, Line mode_line,
               Face default_face)
 * menu_show(Array<Line> items, Coord anchor, Face fg, Face bg,
diff --git a/doc/manpages/faces.asciidoc b/doc/manpages/faces.asciidoc
index 2aea6fc7..91f4d6eb 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/faces.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/manpages/faces.asciidoc
@@ -94,3 +94,6 @@ areas of the user interface:
 
 *Search*::
 	face used to highlight search results
+
+*BufferPadding*::
+	face applied on the characters that follow the last line of a buffer
diff --git a/src/client.cc b/src/client.cc
index 06ee4260..3dc3ea07 100644
--- a/src/client.cc
+++ b/src/client.cc
@@ -190,7 +190,8 @@ void Client::redraw_ifn()
 
     if (m_ui_pending & Draw)
     {
-        m_ui->draw(window.update_display_buffer(context()), get_face("Default"));
+        m_ui->draw(window.update_display_buffer(context()),
+                   get_face("Default"), get_face("BufferPadding"));
 
         if (not m_menu.items.empty() and m_menu.style == MenuStyle::Inline and
             m_menu.ui_anchor != window.display_position(m_menu.anchor))
diff --git a/src/face_registry.cc b/src/face_registry.cc
index 7da57e9c..f5f415a2 100644
--- a/src/face_registry.cc
+++ b/src/face_registry.cc
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ FaceRegistry::FaceRegistry()
         { "StatusCursor", Face{ Color::Black, Color::Cyan } },
         { "Prompt", Face{ Color::Yellow, Color::Default } },
         { "MatchingChar", Face{ Color::Default, Color::Default, Attribute::Bold } },
+        { "BufferPadding", Face{ Color::Blue, Color::Default } },
       }
 {}
 
diff --git a/src/json_ui.cc b/src/json_ui.cc
index aea412b1..05f0d38b 100644
--- a/src/json_ui.cc
+++ b/src/json_ui.cc
@@ -168,9 +168,9 @@ JsonUI::JsonUI()
 }
 
 void JsonUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                  const Face& default_face)
+                  const Face& default_face, const Face& padding_face)
 {
-    rpc_call("draw", display_buffer.lines(), default_face);
+    rpc_call("draw", display_buffer.lines(), default_face, padding_face);
 }
 
 void JsonUI::draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
diff --git a/src/json_ui.hh b/src/json_ui.hh
index 3ebbafbb..e4d278fc 100644
--- a/src/json_ui.hh
+++ b/src/json_ui.hh
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ public:
     JsonUI& operator=(const JsonUI&) = delete;
 
     void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-              const Face& default_face) override;
+              const Face& default_face,
+              const Face& buffer_padding) override;
 
     void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
                      const DisplayLine& mode_line,
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index e14385ea..f7e2ea68 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -258,7 +258,9 @@ void register_options()
                        "    ncurses_set_title             bool\n"
                        "    ncurses_enable_mouse          bool\n"
                        "    ncurses_wheel_up_button       int\n"
-                       "    ncurses_wheel_down_button     int\n",
+                       "    ncurses_wheel_down_button     int\n"
+                       "    ncurses_buffer_padding_str    str\n"
+                       "    ncurses_buffer_padding_type   fill|single|off\n",
                        UserInterface::Options{});
     reg.declare_option("modelinefmt", "format string used to generate the modeline",
                        "%val{bufname} %val{cursor_line}:%val{cursor_char_column} "_str);
@@ -308,7 +310,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<UserInterface> make_ui(UIType ui_type)
         void info_show(StringView, StringView, CharCoord, Face, InfoStyle) override {}
         void info_hide() override {}
 
-        void draw(const DisplayBuffer&, const Face&) override {}
+        void draw(const DisplayBuffer&, const Face&, 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; }
diff --git a/src/ncurses_ui.cc b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
index da23807e..05ba0106 100644
--- a/src/ncurses_ui.cc
+++ b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
@@ -343,8 +343,11 @@ void NCursesUI::draw_line(NCursesWin* window, const DisplayLine& line,
     }
 }
 
+static const DisplayLine empty_line = String(" ");
+
 void NCursesUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                     const Face& default_face)
+                     const Face& default_face,
+                     const Face& padding_face)
 {
     wbkgdset(m_window, COLOR_PAIR(get_color_pair(default_face)));
 
@@ -359,12 +362,18 @@ void NCursesUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
         ++line_index;
     }
 
-    set_face(m_window, { Color::Blue, Color::Default }, default_face);
+    set_face(m_window, padding_face, default_face);
+
+    const DisplayLine padding_line = m_buffer_padding_str;
+    const DisplayLine* padding_line_ptr = m_buffer_padding_type != BufferPaddingType::None ?
+                                            &padding_line : &empty_line;
     while (line_index < m_dimensions.line + (m_status_on_top ? 1 : 0))
     {
         wmove(m_window, (int)line_index++, 0);
         wclrtoeol(m_window);
-        waddch(m_window, '~');
+        draw_line(m_window, *padding_line_ptr, 0, m_dimensions.column, padding_face);
+        if (m_buffer_padding_type == BufferPaddingType::Single)
+            padding_line_ptr = &empty_line;
     }
 
     m_dirty = true;
@@ -982,6 +991,20 @@ void NCursesUI::set_ui_options(const Options& options)
         m_wheel_down_button = wheel_down_it != options.end() ?
             str_to_int_ifp(wheel_down_it->value).value_or(5) : 5;
     }
+
+    {
+        auto padding_str_it = options.find("ncurses_buffer_padding_str");
+        m_buffer_padding_str = padding_str_it == options.end() or !padding_str_it->value.length() ?
+                                "~" : padding_str_it->value;
+
+        auto padding_type_it = options.find("ncurses_buffer_padding_type");
+        if (padding_type_it == options.end() or padding_type_it->value == "fill")
+            m_buffer_padding_type = BufferPaddingType::Fill;
+        else if (padding_type_it->value == "single")
+            m_buffer_padding_type = BufferPaddingType::Single;
+        else
+            m_buffer_padding_type = BufferPaddingType::None;
+    }
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/ncurses_ui.hh b/src/ncurses_ui.hh
index 870a3fc7..6f8d9fd9 100644
--- a/src/ncurses_ui.hh
+++ b/src/ncurses_ui.hh
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ namespace Kakoune
 
 struct NCursesWin;
 
+enum BufferPaddingType { None, Single, Fill };
+
 class NCursesUI : public UserInterface
 {
 public:
@@ -23,7 +25,8 @@ public:
     NCursesUI& operator=(const NCursesUI&) = delete;
 
     void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-              const Face& default_face) override;
+              const Face& default_face,
+              const Face& padding_face) override;
 
     void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
                      const DisplayLine& mode_line,
@@ -126,6 +129,9 @@ private:
     int m_wheel_up_button = 4;
     int m_wheel_down_button = 5;
 
+    String            m_buffer_padding_str = "~";
+    BufferPaddingType m_buffer_padding_type = BufferPaddingType::None;
+
     bool m_set_title = true;
 
     bool m_dirty = false;
diff --git a/src/remote.cc b/src/remote.cc
index 718d7f7d..d5a747cc 100644
--- a/src/remote.cc
+++ b/src/remote.cc
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@ public:
     void info_hide() override;
 
     void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-              const Face& default_face) override;
+              const Face& default_face,
+              const Face& padding_face) override;
 
     void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
                      const DisplayLine& mode_line,
@@ -334,12 +335,14 @@ void RemoteUI::info_hide()
 }
 
 void RemoteUI::draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                    const Face& default_face)
+                    const Face& default_face,
+                    const Face& padding_face)
 {
     Message msg(m_socket_watcher.fd());
     msg.write(RemoteUIMsg::Draw);
     msg.write(display_buffer);
     msg.write(default_face);
+    msg.write(padding_face);
 }
 
 void RemoteUI::draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
@@ -505,7 +508,8 @@ void RemoteClient::process_next_message()
     {
         auto display_buffer = read<DisplayBuffer>(socket);
         auto default_face = read<Face>(socket);
-        m_ui->draw(display_buffer, default_face);
+        auto padding_face = read<Face>(socket);
+        m_ui->draw(display_buffer, default_face, padding_face);
         break;
     }
     case RemoteUIMsg::DrawStatus:
diff --git a/src/user_interface.hh b/src/user_interface.hh
index e8a30a4b..26cf9097 100644
--- a/src/user_interface.hh
+++ b/src/user_interface.hh
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ public:
     virtual void info_hide() = 0;
 
     virtual void draw(const DisplayBuffer& display_buffer,
-                      const Face& default_face) = 0;
+                      const Face& default_face,
+                      const Face& padding_face) = 0;
 
     virtual void draw_status(const DisplayLine& status_line,
                              const DisplayLine& mode_line,