diff --git a/src/components/XtermPane.tsx b/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
index 0beab95..3a6594b 100644
--- a/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
+++ b/src/components/XtermPane.tsx
@@ -165,16 +165,27 @@ export default function XtermPane({
         if (ta) ta.addEventListener("focus", () => onFocusRef.current?.(), true);
       }
 
-      // Re-fit on container resize; forward new size to the PTY.
+      // Re-fit on container resize; forward new size to the PTY. We
+      // coalesce multiple ResizeObserver firings into one rAF so a single
+      // gutter drag tick = one fit/resize/repaint, then explicitly call
+      // term.refresh() so the DOM renderer fully repaints (without this,
+      // shrinking a pane sometimes leaves stale glyphs in the freed rows).
+      let resizeRaf: number | null = null;
       ro = new ResizeObserver(() => {
-        try {
-          fit.fit();
-          if (paneId != null && term) {
-            void resizePane(paneId, term.cols, term.rows);
+        if (resizeRaf != null) return;
+        resizeRaf = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          resizeRaf = null;
+          if (!term) return;
+          try {
+            fit.fit();
+            if (paneId != null) {
+              void resizePane(paneId, term.cols, term.rows);
+            }
+            term.refresh(0, term.rows - 1);
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.warn("resize failed", e);
           }
-        } catch (e) {
-          console.warn("resize failed", e);
-        }
+        });
       });
       ro.observe(container);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/layout/Gutter.tsx b/src/lib/layout/Gutter.tsx
index 79afa5b..8cb85e3 100644
--- a/src/lib/layout/Gutter.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/layout/Gutter.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@ export default function Gutter({
 }) {
   const [dragging, setDragging] = useState(false);
   const draggingRef = useRef(false);
+  // rAF-throttle the ratio updates so we don't fire React + ResizeObserver
+  // 60+ times per second during a drag (xterm's DOM renderer can't keep up
+  // and leaves artifacts).
+  const pendingRatioRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  const rafRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+
+  const flushPending = useCallback(() => {
+    rafRef.current = null;
+    const r = pendingRatioRef.current;
+    if (r != null) {
+      pendingRatioRef.current = null;
+      onRatioChange(info.splitId, r);
+    }
+  }, [info.splitId, onRatioChange]);
 
   const onPointerDown = useCallback((e: PointerEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
     (e.target as HTMLElement).setPointerCapture(e.pointerId);
@@ -46,9 +60,12 @@ export default function Gutter({
           ? (xFrac - pb.left) / pb.width
           : (yFrac - pb.top) / pb.height;
       const ratio = Math.max(0.05, Math.min(0.95, rawRatio));
-      onRatioChange(info.splitId, ratio);
+      pendingRatioRef.current = ratio;
+      if (rafRef.current == null) {
+        rafRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(flushPending);
+      }
     },
-    [containerRef, info, onRatioChange],
+    [containerRef, info, flushPending],
   );
 
   const onPointerUp = useCallback((e: PointerEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
@@ -56,7 +73,16 @@ export default function Gutter({
     (e.target as HTMLElement).releasePointerCapture(e.pointerId);
     draggingRef.current = false;
     setDragging(false);
-  }, []);
+    // Make sure the final ratio lands even if the rAF hadn't fired.
+    if (rafRef.current != null) {
+      cancelAnimationFrame(rafRef.current);
+      rafRef.current = null;
+    }
+    if (pendingRatioRef.current != null) {
+      onRatioChange(info.splitId, pendingRatioRef.current);
+      pendingRatioRef.current = null;
+    }
+  }, [info.splitId, onRatioChange]);
 
   const isH = info.orientation === "h";
   // Visible 4px line, but the draggable hitbox is wider for grabbability.