diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 9d1a1055a..50a001b61 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 This document attempts to list user-visible changes and any major internal
 rearrangements of Notcurses.
 
+* 2.2.6 (not yet released)
+  * `ncplane_rgba()` has been deprecated in favor of the new function
+    `ncplane_as_rgba()`, which the former now wraps. It will be removed
+    in ABI3. The new function can report the synthesized pixel geometry.
+
 * 2.2.5 (2021-04-04)
   * Bugfix release, no user-visible changes.
 
diff --git a/USAGE.md b/USAGE.md
index f83782650..4d14e1738 100644
--- a/USAGE.md
+++ b/USAGE.md
@@ -1017,9 +1017,11 @@ int ncplane_at_yx_cell(struct ncplane* n, int y, int x, nccell* c);
 // Start at the plane's 'begy'x'begx' coordinate (which must lie on the
 // plane), continuing for 'leny'x'lenx' cells. Either or both of 'leny' and
 // 'lenx' can be specified as -1 to go through the boundary of the plane.
-// Only glyphs from the specified blitset may be present.
-uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const struct ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,
-                       int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx);
+// Only glyphs from the specified blitset may be present. If 'pxdimy' and/or
+// 'pxdimx' are non-NULL, they will be filled in with the pixel geometry.
+uint32_t* ncplane_as_rgba(const struct ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit,
+                          int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx,
+                          int *pxdimy, int *pxdimx);
 
 // return a nul-terminated, heap copy of the current (UTF-8) contents.
 char* ncplane_contents(const struct ncplane* nc, int begy, int begx,
diff --git a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_plane.3.md b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_plane.3.md
index e64400d24..40575c3b8 100644
--- a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_plane.3.md
+++ b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_plane.3.md
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ typedef struct ncplane_options {
 
 **int ncplane_at_yx_cell(struct ncplane* ***n***, int ***y***, int ***x***, nccell* ***c***);**
 
-**uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const struct ncplane* ***nc***, int ***begy***, int ***begx***, int ***leny***, int ***lenx***);**
+**uint32_t* ncplane_as_rgba(const struct ncplane* ***nc***, int ***begy***, int ***begx***, int ***leny***, int ***lenx***, int* ***pxdimy***, int* ***pxdimx***);**
 
 **char* ncplane_contents(const struct ncplane* ***nc***, int ***begy***, int ***begx***, int ***leny***, int ***lenx***);**
 
@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ this result. **ncplane_at_yx_cell** and **ncplane_at_cursor_cell** instead load
 these values into an **nccell**, which is invalidated if the associated plane is
 destroyed. The caller should release this **nccell** with **cell_release**.
 
+**ncplane_as_rgba** returns a heap-allocated array of **uint32_t** values,
+each representing a single RGBA pixel, or **NULL** on failure.
+
 Functions returning **int** return 0 on success, and non-zero on error.
 
 All other functions cannot fail (and return **void**).
diff --git a/include/ncpp/Plane.hh b/include/ncpp/Plane.hh
index 89889c734..f82204cbd 100644
--- a/include/ncpp/Plane.hh
+++ b/include/ncpp/Plane.hh
@@ -805,7 +805,7 @@ namespace ncpp
 
 		uint32_t* rgba(ncblitter_e blit, int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx) const noexcept
 		{
-			return ncplane_rgba (plane, blit, begy, begx, leny, lenx);
+			return ncplane_as_rgba (plane, blit, begy, begx, leny, lenx, nullptr, nullptr);
 		}
 
 		char* content(int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx) const noexcept
diff --git a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
index bcde3b7ed..4932b0ee5 100644
--- a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
@@ -2450,9 +2450,20 @@ struct ncvisual_options {
 // Start at the plane's 'begy'x'begx' coordinate (which must lie on the
 // plane), continuing for 'leny'x'lenx' cells. Either or both of 'leny' and
 // 'lenx' can be specified as -1 to go through the boundary of the plane.
-// Only glyphs from the specified blitset may be present.
-API ALLOC uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const struct ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit,
-                                 int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx);
+// Only glyphs from the specified blitset may be present. If 'pxdimy' and/or
+// 'pxdimx' are non-NULL, they will be filled in with the pixel geometry.
+API ALLOC uint32_t* ncplane_as_rgba(const struct ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit,
+                                    int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx,
+                                    int *pxdimy, int *pxdimx)
+  __attribute__ ((nonnull (1)));
+
+// Deprecated in favor of ncplane_as_rgba. This will be removed in ABI3.
+ALLOC __attribute__ ((deprecated)) __attribute__ ((nonnull (1)))
+static inline uint32_t*
+ncplane_rgba(const struct ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit,
+             int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx){
+  return ncplane_as_rgba(n, blit, begy, begx, leny, lenx, NULL, NULL);
+}
 
 // Get the size and ratio of ncvisual pixels to output cells along the y
 // ('toy') and x ('tox') axes. A ncvisual of '*y'X'*x' pixels will require
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index dcdc211ba..168a4afbe 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -2424,12 +2424,16 @@ int ncdirect_inputready_fd(ncdirect* n){
   return n->input.ttyinfd;
 }
 
-uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,
-                       int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx){
+uint32_t* ncplane_as_rgba(const ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,
+                          int begy, int begx, int leny, int lenx,
+                          int *pxdimy, int *pxdimx){
+  const notcurses* ncur = ncplane_notcurses_const(nc);
   if(begy < 0 || begx < 0){
+    logerror(ncur, "Nil offset (%d,%d)\n", begy, begx);
     return NULL;
   }
   if(begx >= nc->lenx || begy >= nc->leny){
+    logerror(ncur, "Invalid offset (%d,%d)\n", begy, begx);
     return NULL;
   }
   if(lenx == -1){ // -1 means "to the end"; use all space available
@@ -2439,13 +2443,27 @@ uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,
     leny = nc->leny - begy;
   }
   if(lenx < 0 || leny < 0){ // no need to draw zero-size object, exit
+    logerror(ncur, "Nil geometry (%dx%d)\n", leny, lenx);
     return NULL;
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "sum: %d/%d avail: %d/%d\n", begy + leny, begx + lenx, nc->leny, nc->lenx);
   if(begx + lenx > nc->lenx || begy + leny > nc->leny){
+    logerror(ncur, "Invalid specs %d + %d > %d or %d + %d > %d\n",
+             begx, lenx, nc->lenx, begy, leny, nc->leny);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  if(blit > NCBLIT_2x1){
+    logerror(ncur, "Blitter %d is not yet supported\n", blit);
     return NULL;
   }
 //fprintf(stderr, "ALLOCATING %zu\n", 4u * lenx * leny * 2);
+  // FIXME this all assumes NCBLIT_2x1, need blitter-specific scaling
+  if(pxdimy){
+    *pxdimy = leny * 2;
+  }
+  if(pxdimx){
+    *pxdimx = lenx;
+  }
   uint32_t* ret = malloc(sizeof(*ret) * lenx * leny * 2);
   if(ret){
     for(int y = begy, targy = 0 ; y < begy + leny ; ++y, targy += 2){
@@ -2466,8 +2484,6 @@ uint32_t* ncplane_rgba(const ncplane* nc, ncblitter_e blit,
         // FIXME how do we deal with transparency?
         uint32_t frgba = (fr) + (fg << 16u) + (fb << 8u) + 0xff000000;
         uint32_t brgba = (br) + (bg << 16u) + (bb << 8u) + 0xff000000;
-        // FIXME integrate 'blit'
-        (void)blit;
         // FIXME need to be able to pick up quadrants!
         if((strcmp(c, " ") == 0) || (strcmp(c, "") == 0)){
           *top = *bot = brgba;
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.c b/src/lib/visual.c
index a45c320c7..acfa1d861 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.c
+++ b/src/lib/visual.c
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ ncplane* ncvisual_render(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, const struct ncvisual_opt
 
 ncvisual* ncvisual_from_plane(const ncplane* n, ncblitter_e blit, int begy, int begx,
                               int leny, int lenx){
-  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_rgba(n, blit, begy, begx, leny, lenx);
+  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_as_rgba(n, blit, begy, begx, leny, lenx, NULL, NULL);
 //fprintf(stderr, "snarg: %d/%d @ %d/%d (%p)\n", leny, lenx, begy, begx, rgba);
 //fprintf(stderr, "RGBA %p\n", rgba);
   if(rgba == NULL){
diff --git a/src/poc/rotator.c b/src/poc/rotator.c
index 5a09cc947..9fa24b7e4 100644
--- a/src/poc/rotator.c
+++ b/src/poc/rotator.c
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ rotate_grad(struct notcurses* nc){
   }
   notcurses_render(nc);
   clock_nanosleep(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, 0, &ts, NULL);
-  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_rgba(n, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, 0, 0, dimy, dimx);
+  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_as_rgba(n, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, 0, 0,
+                                   dimy, dimx, NULL, NULL);
   if(rgba == NULL){
     return -1;
   }
@@ -150,7 +151,8 @@ rotate(struct notcurses* nc){
   clock_nanosleep(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, 0, &ts, NULL);;
 
   // we now have 2 rows of 20 cells each, with gradients. load 'em.
-  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_rgba(n, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, dimy / 2, 0, 2, XSIZE);
+  uint32_t* rgba = ncplane_as_rgba(n, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, dimy / 2, 0,
+                                   2, XSIZE, NULL, NULL);
   if(rgba == NULL){
     return -1;
   }
diff --git a/src/tests/rotate.cpp b/src/tests/rotate.cpp
index 81e62e9d2..3adf29feb 100644
--- a/src/tests/rotate.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/rotate.cpp
@@ -173,8 +173,12 @@ TEST_CASE("Rotate") {
     ncvisual_options opts{};
     auto rendered = ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts);
     REQUIRE(rendered);
-    uint32_t* rgbaret = ncplane_rgba(rendered, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, 0, 0, -1, -1);
+    int pxdimy, pxdimx;
+    uint32_t* rgbaret = ncplane_as_rgba(rendered, NCBLIT_DEFAULT,
+                                        0, 0, -1, -1, &pxdimy, &pxdimx);
     REQUIRE(rgbaret);
+    CHECK(pxdimx == width);
+    CHECK(pxdimy == height);
     for(int i = 0 ; i < height * width / 2 ; ++i){
       if(rgbaret[i] & CELL_BG_RGB_MASK){
         CHECK(htole(rgbaret[i]) == rgba[i]);
@@ -226,8 +230,12 @@ TEST_CASE("Rotate") {
     ncvisual_options opts{};
     auto rendered = ncvisual_render(nc_, ncv, &opts);
     REQUIRE(rendered);
-    uint32_t* rgbaret = ncplane_rgba(rendered, NCBLIT_DEFAULT, 0, 0, -1, -1);
+    int pxdimy, pxdimx;
+    uint32_t* rgbaret = ncplane_as_rgba(rendered, NCBLIT_DEFAULT,
+                                        0, 0, -1, -1, &pxdimy, &pxdimx);
     REQUIRE(rgbaret);
+    CHECK(pxdimy == height);
+    CHECK(pxdimx == width);
     for(int i = 0 ; i < height * width / 2 ; ++i){
       if(rgbaret[i] & CELL_BG_RGB_MASK){
         CHECK(htole(rgbaret[i]) == rgba[i]);