diff --git a/src/lib/blit.c b/src/lib/blit.c
index f3e4fe870..fc5701325 100644
--- a/src/lib/blit.c
+++ b/src/lib/blit.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ tria_blit_ascii(ncplane* nc, int placey, int placex, int linesize,
       }else{
         cell_set_fg_rgb(c, rgbbase_up[rpos], rgbbase_up[1], rgbbase_up[bpos]);
         cell_set_bg_rgb(c, rgbbase_up[rpos], rgbbase_up[1], rgbbase_up[bpos]);
-        if(cell_load(nc, c, "X") <= 0){
+        if(cell_load(nc, c, " ") <= 0){
           return -1;
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/lib/visual.cpp b/src/lib/visual.cpp
index 35bb2e6bb..850754ca5 100644
--- a/src/lib/visual.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/visual.cpp
@@ -594,6 +594,7 @@ nc_err_e ncvisual_decode(ncvisual* nc){
 
 static ncvisual*
 ncvisual_open(const char* filename, nc_err_e* ncerr){
+  *ncerr = NCERR_SUCCESS;
   ncvisual* ncv = ncvisual_create(1);
   if(ncv == nullptr){
     // fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't create %s (%s)\n", filename, strerror(errno));
@@ -603,15 +604,14 @@ ncvisual_open(const char* filename, nc_err_e* ncerr){
   memset(ncv, 0, sizeof(*ncv));
   int averr = avformat_open_input(&ncv->fmtctx, filename, nullptr, nullptr);
   if(averr < 0){
-    // fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't open %s (%s)\n", filename, av_err2str(*averr));
+//fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't open %s (%d)\n", filename, averr);
     *ncerr = averr2ncerr(averr);
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     return nullptr;
   }
   averr = avformat_find_stream_info(ncv->fmtctx, nullptr);
   if(averr < 0){
-    /*fprintf(stderr, "Error extracting stream info from %s (%s)\n", filename,
-            av_err2str(*averr));*/
+//fprintf(stderr, "Error extracting stream info from %s (%d)\n", filename, averr);
     *ncerr = averr2ncerr(averr);
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     return nullptr;
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ ncvisual* ncplane_visual_open(ncplane* nc, const char* filename, nc_err_e* ncerr
 }
 
 ncvisual* ncvisual_from_file(notcurses* nc, const char* filename,
-                              nc_err_e* ncerr, int y, int x, ncscale_e style){
+                             nc_err_e* ncerr, int y, int x, ncscale_e style){
   ncvisual* ncv = ncvisual_open(filename, ncerr);
   if(ncv == nullptr){
     return nullptr;
@@ -727,6 +727,7 @@ ncvisual* ncvisual_from_file(notcurses* nc, const char* filename,
 // up playback.
 int ncvisual_stream(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, nc_err_e* ncerr,
                     float timescale, streamcb streamer, void* curry){
+  *ncerr = NCERR_SUCCESS;
   int frame = 1;
   ncv->timescale = timescale;
   struct timespec begin; // time we started
@@ -850,6 +851,7 @@ bool notcurses_canopen(const notcurses* nc __attribute__ ((unused))){
 
 static ncvisual*
 ncvisual_open(const char* filename, nc_err_e* err){
+  *ncerr = NCERR_SUCCESS;
   ncvisual* ncv = ncvisual_create(1);
   if(ncv == nullptr){
     *err = NCERR_NOMEM;
@@ -985,6 +987,7 @@ nc_err_e ncvisual_decode(ncvisual* nc){
 
 int ncvisual_stream(struct notcurses* nc, struct ncvisual* ncv, nc_err_e* ncerr,
                     float timescale, streamcb streamer, void* curry){
+  *ncerr = NCERR_SUCCESS;
   int frame = 1;
   ncv->timescale = timescale;
   struct timespec begin; // time we started
diff --git a/tests/visual.cpp b/tests/visual.cpp
index 95de7662d..a3cb91520 100644
--- a/tests/visual.cpp
+++ b/tests/visual.cpp
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 #include "main.h"
 #include <vector>
 
-TEST_CASE("Multimedia") {
+TEST_CASE("Visual") {
   if(getenv("TERM") == nullptr){
     return;
   }
-  if(!enforce_utf8()){
-    return;
-  }
   notcurses_options nopts{};
   nopts.inhibit_alternate_screen = true;
   nopts.suppress_banner = true;
@@ -133,7 +130,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Multimedia") {
     std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0x88bbccff);
     auto ncv = ncvisual_from_rgba(nc_, rgba.data(), dimy * 2, dimx * 4, dimx);
     REQUIRE(ncv);
-    CHECK(dimx * dimy == ncvisual_render(ncv, 0, 0, -1, -1));
+    CHECK(0 < ncvisual_render(ncv, 0, 0, -1, -1));
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
@@ -145,7 +142,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Multimedia") {
     std::vector<uint32_t> rgba(dimx * dimy * 2, 0x88bbccff);
     auto ncv = ncvisual_from_bgra(nc_, rgba.data(), dimy * 2, dimx * 4, dimx);
     REQUIRE(ncv);
-    CHECK(dimx * dimy == ncvisual_render(ncv, 0, 0, -1, -1));
+    CHECK(0 < ncvisual_render(ncv, 0, 0, -1, -1));
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
     CHECK(0 == notcurses_render(nc_));