diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index dc86b7d6c..69eda20bc 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -171,13 +171,15 @@ int ncplane_at_cursor(ncplane* n, cell* c){
 }
 
 int ncplane_at_yx(ncplane* n, int y, int x, cell* c){
-  if(y >= n->leny || x >= n->lenx){
-    return true;
+  int ret = -1;
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&n->nc->lock);
+  if(y < n->leny && x < n->lenx){
+    if(y >= 0 && x >= 0){
+      ret = cell_duplicate(n, c, &n->fb[fbcellidx(n, y, x)]);
+    }
   }
-  if(y < 0 || x < 0){
-    return true;
-  }
-  return cell_duplicate(n, c, &n->fb[fbcellidx(n, y, x)]);
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&n->nc->lock);
+  return ret;
 }
 
 cell* ncplane_cell_ref_yx(ncplane* n, int y, int x){
@@ -1515,22 +1517,6 @@ void ncplane_yx(const ncplane* n, int* y, int* x){
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&n->nc->lock);
 }
 
-// copy the UTF8-encoded EGC out of the cell, whether simple or complex. the
-// result is not tied to the ncplane, and persists across erases / destruction.
-static inline char*
-cell_egc_copy(const ncplane* n, const cell* c){
-  char* ret;
-  if(cell_simple_p(c)){
-    if( (ret = malloc(2)) ){
-      ret[0] = c->gcluster;
-      ret[1] = '\0';
-    }
-  }else{
-    ret = strdup(cell_extended_gcluster(n, c));
-  }
-  return ret;
-}
-
 void ncplane_erase(ncplane* n){
   ncplane_lock(n);
   // we must preserve the background, but a pure cell_duplicate() would be
diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index 06d8a4f70..101edabfa 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -619,3 +619,18 @@ int notcurses_render(notcurses* nc){
   return ret;
 }
 
+char* notcurses_at_yx(notcurses* nc, int y, int x, cell* c){
+  char* egc = NULL;
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&nc->lock);
+  if(nc->lastframe){
+    if(y >= 0 && y < nc->lfdimy){
+      if(x >= 0 || x < nc->lfdimx){
+        const cell* srccell = &nc->lastframe[y * nc->lfdimx + x];
+        memcpy(c, srccell, sizeof(*c)); // unsafe copy of gcluster
+        egc = cell_egc_copy(nc->stdscr, srccell);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&nc->lock);
+  return egc;
+}