diff --git a/kitty.c b/kitty.c
index 9d119ff..135711d 100644
--- a/kitty.c
+++ b/kitty.c
@@ -1941,6 +1941,8 @@ kitty_absorb_diacritic(Glyph *gp, Rune u)
 /* rendering                                                          */
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
+static int kitty_cmp(const void *a, const void *b);
+
 /* nearest-neighbour + bilinear scaling of a source rect to w x h RGBA */
 static unsigned char *
 kitty_scale(const unsigned char *src, int sw, int sh, int stride,
@@ -2063,6 +2065,96 @@ kitty_prepare(KittyPlacement *p, int *outw, int *outh)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/* like kitty_blit but restricted to the cell span [cx1, cx2) on row cy */
+static void
+kitty_blit_clipped(KittyPlacement *p, int px, int py, int cx1, int cx2, int cy)
+{
+	Picture src, dstpic;
+	XRenderPictFormat *fmt;
+	XRenderPictureAttributes pa;
+	int w, h, bx, by;
+	int x0, x1, y0, y1;        /* clip rect in window pixels */
+	int ix0, iy0;              /* image origin in window pixels */
+	int sxo, syo, cw, chh;
+
+	if (!kitty_prepare(p, &w, &h))
+		return;
+
+	kitty_border(&bx, &by);
+	ix0 = bx + px * win.cw + p->xoff;
+	iy0 = by + (py - kitty_scr()) * win.ch + p->yoff;
+
+	x0 = KMAX(ix0, bx + cx1 * win.cw);
+	x1 = KMIN(ix0 + w, bx + cx2 * win.cw);
+	y0 = KMAX(iy0, by + cy * win.ch);
+	y1 = KMIN(iy0 + h, by + (cy + 1) * win.ch);
+	x1 = KMIN(x1, bx + win.tw);
+	y1 = KMIN(y1, by + win.th);
+	if (x1 <= x0 || y1 <= y0)
+		return;
+
+	sxo = x0 - ix0;
+	syo = y0 - iy0;
+	cw = x1 - x0;
+	chh = y1 - y0;
+
+	memset(&pa, 0, sizeof pa);
+	fmt = XRenderFindStandardFormat(xw.dpy, PictStandardARGB32);
+	if (!fmt)
+		return;
+	src = XRenderCreatePicture(xw.dpy, (Drawable)p->pixmap, fmt, 0, &pa);
+	fmt = XRenderFindVisualFormat(xw.dpy, xw.vis);
+	if (fmt) {
+		dstpic = XRenderCreatePicture(xw.dpy, xw.buf, fmt, 0, &pa);
+		XRenderComposite(xw.dpy, PictOpOver, src, None, dstpic,
+		                 sxo, syo, 0, 0, x0, y0, cw, chh);
+		XRenderFreePicture(xw.dpy, dstpic);
+	}
+	XRenderFreePicture(xw.dpy, src);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Composite the negative z-index images covering the cell span
+ * [x1, x2) on row y. Called after the background has been painted but
+ * before the glyphs, so that text appears on top of the image.
+ */
+void
+kitty_draw_under_cells(int x1, int y, int x2)
+{
+	KittyPlacement **list = NULL, *p;
+	int n = 0, cap = 0, i;
+	int s = IS_SET(MODE_ALTSCREEN) ? 1 : 0;
+	int scr = kitty_scr();
+
+	for (p = placements[s]; p; p = p->next) {
+		int px, py;
+		if (p->virt || p->z >= 0)
+			continue;
+		if (!kitty_resolve_pos(p, &px, &py, 0))
+			continue;
+		py -= scr;
+		if (px >= x2 || px + p->cols <= x1 || py > y || py + p->rows <= y)
+			continue;
+		if (n >= cap) {
+			int ncap = cap ? cap * 2 : 8;
+			KittyPlacement **t = realloc(list, ncap * sizeof *t);
+			if (!t)
+				break;
+			list = t;
+			cap = ncap;
+		}
+		list[n++] = p;
+	}
+	if (n > 1)
+		qsort(list, n, sizeof *list, kitty_cmp);
+	for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+		int px, py;
+		if (kitty_resolve_pos(list[i], &px, &py, 0))
+			kitty_blit_clipped(list[i], px, py, x1, x2, y);
+	}
+	free(list);
+}
+
 static void
 kitty_blit(KittyPlacement *p, int px, int py)
 {
@@ -2401,8 +2493,12 @@ kitty_draw_placeholders(void)
 	}
 }
 
-void
-kitty_draw(void)
+/*
+ * Draw the visible placements whose z-index falls in [zlo, zhi].
+ * Negative z-index images are drawn under the text (see kitty_draw_under).
+ */
+static void
+kitty_draw_range(int zlo, int zhi)
 {
 	KittyPlacement **list = NULL, *p;
 	int n = 0, cap = 0, i;
@@ -2416,6 +2512,8 @@ kitty_draw(void)
 		int px, py;
 		if (p->virt)
 			continue;
+		if (p->z < zlo || p->z > zhi)
+			continue;
 		if (!kitty_resolve_pos(p, &px, &py, 0))
 			continue;
 		if (px >= term.col || py - scr >= term.row || py - scr + p->rows <= 0)
@@ -2441,11 +2539,38 @@ kitty_draw(void)
 	}
 
 	free(list);
+}
+
+void
+kitty_draw(void)
+{
+	kitty_draw_range(0, INT_MAX);
 
 	/* images displayed via Unicode placeholders */
 	kitty_draw_placeholders();
 }
 
+/* is the cell (x, y) covered by an image drawn under the text? */
+int
+kitty_cell_under(int x, int y)
+{
+	KittyPlacement *p;
+	int s = IS_SET(MODE_ALTSCREEN) ? 1 : 0;
+	int scr = kitty_scr();
+
+	for (p = placements[s]; p; p = p->next) {
+		int px, py;
+		if (p->virt || p->z >= 0)
+			continue;
+		if (!kitty_resolve_pos(p, &px, &py, 0))
+			continue;
+		py -= scr;
+		if (x >= px && x < px + p->cols && y >= py && y < py + p->rows)
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 /* terminal lifecycle hooks                                           */
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
diff --git a/kitty.h b/kitty.h
index 8e1cd0c..e2aac01 100644
--- a/kitty.h
+++ b/kitty.h
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ typedef struct KittyPlacement {
 /* entry points used by st.c / x.c */
 void kitty_apc(const char *buf, size_t len);
 void kitty_draw(void);
+void kitty_draw_under_cells(int x1, int y, int x2);
+int kitty_cell_under(int x, int y);
 void kitty_scroll(int top, int bot, int n, int save);
 void kitty_deleteplacements(int alt);
 void kitty_clearregion(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2);
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 3330a94..becc042 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -3065,6 +3065,11 @@ xdrawline(Line line, int x1, int y1, int x2)
 	/* Draw line in 2 passes: background and foreground. This way wide glyphs
 	   won't get truncated (#223) */
 	for (int dmode = DRAW_BG; dmode <= DRAW_FG; dmode <<= 1) {
+		#if KITTY_GRAPHICS_PATCH
+		/* negative z-index images sit between the background and the text */
+		if (dmode == DRAW_FG)
+			kitty_draw_under_cells(x1, y1, x2);
+		#endif // KITTY_GRAPHICS_PATCH
 		specs = xw.specbuf;
 		numspecs = numspecs_cached;
 		i = ox = 0;