diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2974d8116..1aaba5e9c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ endif()
 if(MSVC)
 add_compile_options(/W4)
 else()
-add_compile_options(-Wall -Wextra -W -Wshadow -Wvla -Wstrict-aliasing=2)
+add_compile_options(-Wall -Wextra -W -Wshadow -Wstrict-aliasing=2)
 # -ffast-math dies on NaNs we draw from libav (by -ffinite-math-only)
 add_compile_options(-fno-signed-zeros -fno-trapping-math -fassociative-math)
 add_compile_options(-fno-math-errno -freciprocal-math -funsafe-math-optimizations)
diff --git a/src/lib/blit.c b/src/lib/blit.c
index 26362dab0..a08c445b0 100644
--- a/src/lib/blit.c
+++ b/src/lib/blit.c
@@ -653,11 +653,12 @@ sex_trans_check(nccell* c, const uint32_t rgbas[6], unsigned blendcolors,
   return egc;
 }
 
-// sextant blitter. maps 3x2 to each cell. since we only have two colors at
-// our disposal (foreground and background), we lose some fidelity.
+// sextant/octant blitter. maps 3x2 or 4x2 to each cell. since we only have two
+// colors at our disposal (foreground and background), we generally lose some
+// color fidelity.
 static inline int
-sextant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
-             const blitterargs* bargs){
+hires_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
+           const blitterargs* bargs, int cellheight){
   const unsigned nointerpolate = bargs->flags & NCVISUAL_OPTION_NOINTERPOLATE;
   const bool blendcolors = bargs->flags & NCVISUAL_OPTION_BLEND;
   unsigned dimy, dimx, x, y;
@@ -666,13 +667,15 @@ sextant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
 //fprintf(stderr, "sexblitter %dx%d -> %d/%d+%d/%d\n", leny, lenx, dimy, dimx, bargs->u.cell.placey, bargs->u.cell.placex);
   const unsigned char* dat = data;
   int visy = bargs->begy;
-  for(y = bargs->u.cell.placey ; visy < (bargs->begy + leny) && y < dimy ; ++y, visy += 3){
+  for(y = bargs->u.cell.placey ; visy < (bargs->begy + leny) && y < dimy ; ++y, visy += cellheight){
     if(ncplane_cursor_move_yx(nc, y, bargs->u.cell.placex < 0 ? 0 : bargs->u.cell.placex)){
       return -1;
     }
     int visx = bargs->begx;
     for(x = bargs->u.cell.placex ; visx < (bargs->begx + lenx) && x < dimx ; ++x, visx += 2){
-      uint32_t rgbas[6] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
+      uint32_t rgbas[cellheight * 2];
+      memset(rgbas, 0, sizeof(rgbas));
+      // FIXME need to handle this generally based off cellheight
       memcpy(&rgbas[0], (dat + (linesize * visy) + (visx * 4)), sizeof(*rgbas));
       if(visx < bargs->begx + lenx - 1){
         memcpy(&rgbas[1], (dat + (linesize * visy) + ((visx + 1) * 4)), sizeof(*rgbas));
@@ -711,6 +714,18 @@ sextant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
   return total;
 }
 
+static inline int
+sextant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
+             const blitterargs* bargs){
+  return hires_blit(nc, linesize, data, leny, lenx, bargs, 3);
+}
+
+static inline int
+octant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
+           const blitterargs* bargs){
+  return hires_blit(nc, linesize, data, leny, lenx, bargs, 4);
+}
+
 // Bit is set where octant is present:
 //   0  1
 //   2  3
@@ -932,12 +947,6 @@ braille_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
   return blit_4x2(nc, linesize, data, leny, lenx, bargs, braille_egcs);
 }
 
-static inline int
-octant_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data, int leny, int lenx,
-            const blitterargs* bargs){
-  return blit_4x2(nc, linesize, data, leny, lenx, bargs, octant_egcs);
-}
-
 // NCBLIT_DEFAULT is not included, as it has no defined properties. It ought
 // be replaced with some real blitter implementation by the calling widget.
 // The order of contents is critical for 'egcs': ncplane_as_rgba() uses these
diff --git a/src/lib/termdesc.c b/src/lib/termdesc.c
index 5a09c9801..a17bc226f 100644
--- a/src/lib/termdesc.c
+++ b/src/lib/termdesc.c
@@ -735,6 +735,7 @@ static const char*
 apply_kitty_heuristics(tinfo* ti, size_t* tablelen, size_t* tableused){
   // see https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/protocol-extensions.html
   ti->bg_collides_default |= 0x1000000;
+  ti->caps.octants = true;
   ti->caps.sextants = true; // work since bugfix in 0.19.3
   ti->caps.quadrants = true;
   ti->caps.rgb = true;
@@ -1048,7 +1049,7 @@ apply_term_heuristics(tinfo* ti, const char* tname, queried_terminals_e qterm,
   }
   // run a wcwidth(𜴀) to guarantee libc Unicode 16 support, independent of term
   if(wcwidth(L'𜴀') < 0){
-    ti->caps.octants = false;
+  //  ti->caps.octants = false;
   }
   ti->termname = tname;
   return 0;