diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 428dd45f7..eeb6e8e7d 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 This document attempts to list user-visible changes and any major internal
 rearrangements of Notcurses.
 
+* 1.6.4 (not yet released)
+  * Added `notcurses_str_blitter()`.
+
 * 1.6.3 (2020-07-16)
   * No user-visible changes.
 
diff --git a/USAGE.md b/USAGE.md
index b52107abb..51f0f2ca5 100644
--- a/USAGE.md
+++ b/USAGE.md
@@ -2639,6 +2639,9 @@ typedef enum {
   NCBLIT_SIXEL,   // 6 rows, 1 col (RGB), spotty support among terminals
 } ncblitter_e;
 
+// Get the name of a blitter.
+const char* notcurses_str_blitter(ncblitter_e blitter);
+
 struct ncvisual_options {
   // if no ncplane is provided, one will be created using the exact size
   // necessary to render the source with perfect fidelity (this might be
diff --git a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_visual.3.md b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_visual.3.md
index 0e40cd2d7..017b91069 100644
--- a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_visual.3.md
+++ b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_visual.3.md
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ typedef int (*streamcb)(struct notcurses*, struct ncvisual*, void*);
 
 **char* ncvisual_subtitle(const struct ncvisual* ncv);**
 
+**const char* notcurses_str_blitter(ncblitter_e blitter);**
+
 # DESCRIPTION
 
 An **ncvisual** is a virtual pixel framebuffer. They can be created from
diff --git a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
index 82d37c4d0..4d718cd04 100644
--- a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
@@ -895,6 +895,9 @@ typedef struct notcurses_options {
 // there can be four numbers separated by commas.
 API int notcurses_lex_margins(const char* op, notcurses_options* opts);
 
+// Get the name of a blitter.
+API const char* notcurses_str_blitter(ncblitter_e blitter);
+
 // Lex a visual scaling mode (one of "none", "stretch", or "scale").
 API int notcurses_lex_scalemode(const char* op, ncscale_e* scalemode);
 
diff --git a/python/src/notcurses/build_notcurses.py b/python/src/notcurses/build_notcurses.py
index a23f27ee8..ea92607c1 100644
--- a/python/src/notcurses/build_notcurses.py
+++ b/python/src/notcurses/build_notcurses.py
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ typedef struct notcurses_options {
 struct notcurses* notcurses_init(const notcurses_options*, FILE*);
 void notcurses_version_components(int* major, int* minor, int* patch, int* tweak);
 int notcurses_lex_margins(const char* op, notcurses_options* opts);
+const char* notcurses_str_blitter(ncblitter_e blitter);
 int notcurses_stop(struct notcurses*);
 int notcurses_render(struct notcurses*);
 int notcurses_render_to_file(struct notcurses* nc, FILE* fp);
diff --git a/src/lib/blit.c b/src/lib/blit.c
index bc737f792..c538e2e9b 100644
--- a/src/lib/blit.c
+++ b/src/lib/blit.c
@@ -499,6 +499,31 @@ const struct blitset notcurses_blitters[] = {
      .blit = NULL,           .fill = false,  },
 };
 
+const char* notcurses_str_blitter(ncblitter_e blitter){
+  switch(blitter){
+    case NCBLIT_DEFAULT:
+      return "default";
+    case NCBLIT_8x1:
+      return "eightstep";
+    case NCBLIT_1x1:
+      return "ascii";
+    case NCBLIT_2x1:
+      return "halfblocks";
+    case NCBLIT_1x1x4:
+      return "shadeblocks";
+    case NCBLIT_2x2:
+      return "quadblitter";
+    case NCBLIT_4x1:
+      return "fourstep";
+    case NCBLIT_BRAILLE:
+      return "braille";
+    case NCBLIT_SIXEL:
+      return "sixel";
+    default:
+      return NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 int ncblit_bgrx(const void* data, int linesize, const struct ncvisual_options* vopts){
   if(vopts->flags > NCVISUAL_OPTION_BLEND){
     return -1;
diff --git a/src/lib/terminfo.c b/src/lib/terminfo.c
index 5c7b01295..bbf1faf2e 100644
--- a/src/lib/terminfo.c
+++ b/src/lib/terminfo.c
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ int interrogate_terminfo(tinfo* ti){
     return -1;
   }
   terminfostr(&ti->civis, "civis"); // cursor invisible
+  if(ti->civis == NULL){
+    terminfostr(&ti->civis, "chts");// hard-to-see cursor
+  }
   terminfostr(&ti->cnorm, "cnorm"); // cursor normal (undo civis/cvvis)
   terminfostr(&ti->standout, "smso"); // begin standout mode
   terminfostr(&ti->uline, "smul");    // begin underline mode
diff --git a/src/view/view.cpp b/src/view/view.cpp
index a9354e5b6..c3f2c3e76 100644
--- a/src/view/view.cpp
+++ b/src/view/view.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ auto perframe(struct ncvisual* ncv, struct ncvisual_options* vopts,
   clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &now);
   intmax_t ns = timespec_to_ns(&now) - timespec_to_ns(start);
   // clear top line only
-  stdn->printf(0, NCAlign::Left, "frame %06d\u2026", *framecount);
+  stdn->printf(0, NCAlign::Left, "frame %06d\u2026 (%s)", *framecount,
+               notcurses_str_blitter(vopts->blitter));
   char* subtitle = ncvisual_subtitle(ncv);
   if(subtitle){
     if(!subtitle_plane){