diff --git a/basis/core-graphics/core-graphics.factor b/basis/core-graphics/core-graphics.factor
index 510f55f3de..92bd9f001f 100644
--- a/basis/core-graphics/core-graphics.factor
+++ b/basis/core-graphics/core-graphics.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2009 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: alien.c-types alien.destructors alien.syntax
-destructors fry kernel math sequences libc colors
+destructors fry kernel math math.bitwise sequences libc colors
 core-graphics.types core-foundation.utilities ;
 IN: core-graphics
 
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipFirst ;
 : kCGBitmapByteOrder16Big ( -- n ) 3 12 shift ; inline
 : kCGBitmapByteOrder32Big ( -- n ) 4 12 shift ; inline
 
+: kCGBitmapByteOrder16Host ( -- n )
+    little-endian?
+    kCGBitmapByteOrder16Little
+    kCGBitmapByteOrder16Big ? ; foldable
+
+: kCGBitmapByteOrder32Host ( -- n )
+    little-endian?
+    kCGBitmapByteOrder32Little
+    kCGBitmapByteOrder32Big ? ; foldable
+
 FUNCTION: CGColorRef CGColorCreateGenericRGB (
    CGFloat red,
    CGFloat green,
@@ -79,21 +89,41 @@ FUNCTION: void CGContextSetTextPosition (
    CGFloat y
 ) ;
 
+FUNCTION: void CGContextFillRect (
+   CGContextRef c,
+   CGRect rect
+) ;
+
+FUNCTION: void CGContextSetShouldSmoothFonts (
+   CGContextRef c,
+   bool shouldSmoothFonts
+) ;
+
 FUNCTION: CGLError CGLSetParameter ( CGLContextObj ctx, CGLContextParameter pname, GLint* params ) ;
 
 FUNCTION: void* CGBitmapContextGetData ( CGContextRef c ) ;
 
 <PRIVATE
 
+: bitmap-flags ( -- flags )
+    { kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedFirst kCGBitmapByteOrder32Host } flags ;
+
+: bitmap-size ( dim -- n )
+    product "uint" heap-size * ;
+
+: malloc-bitmap-data ( dim -- alien )
+    bitmap-size malloc &free ;
+
+: bitmap-color-space ( -- color-space )
+    CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB &CGColorSpaceRelease ;
+
 : <CGBitmapContext> ( dim -- context )
-    [ product "uint" malloc-array &free ] [ first2 8 ] [ first 4 * ] tri
-    CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB &CGColorSpaceRelease
-    kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedLast CGBitmapContextCreate
+    [ malloc-bitmap-data ] [ first2 8 ] [ first 4 * ] tri
+    bitmap-color-space bitmap-flags CGBitmapContextCreate
     [ "CGBitmapContextCreate failed" throw ] unless* ;
 
 : bitmap-data ( bitmap dim -- data )
-    [ CGBitmapContextGetData ]
-    [ product "uint" heap-size * ] bi*
+    [ CGBitmapContextGetData ] [ bitmap-size ] bi*
     memory>byte-array ;
 
 PRIVATE>
diff --git a/basis/core-text/core-text.factor b/basis/core-text/core-text.factor
index 8db624b28f..fd8adc4e78 100644
--- a/basis/core-text/core-text.factor
+++ b/basis/core-text/core-text.factor
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 USING: arrays alien alien.c-types alien.syntax kernel
 destructors words parser accessors fry words hashtables
 sequences memoize assocs math math.functions locals init
-namespaces colors core-foundation core-foundation.strings
-core-foundation.attributed-strings core-foundation.utilities
-core-graphics core-graphics.types ;
+namespaces combinators colors core-foundation
+core-foundation.strings core-foundation.attributed-strings
+core-foundation.utilities core-graphics core-graphics.types ;
 IN: core-text
 
 TYPEDEF: void* CTLineRef
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ FUNCTION: CTFontRef CTFontCreateCopyWithSymbolicTraits (
         CTLineCreateWithAttributedString
     ] with-destructors ;
 
+TUPLE: line font line bounds dim bitmap age refs disposed ;
+
 TUPLE: typographic-bounds width ascent descent leading ;
 
 : line-typographic-bounds ( line -- typographic-bounds )
@@ -114,27 +116,31 @@ TUPLE: typographic-bounds width ascent descent leading ;
     [ CTLineGetTypographicBounds ] 3keep [ *CGFloat ] tri@
     typographic-bounds boa ;
 
-TUPLE: line string font line bounds dim bitmap age refs disposed ;
-
 : bounds>dim ( bounds -- dim )
     [ width>> ] [ [ ascent>> ] [ descent>> ] bi + ] bi
     [ ceiling >fixnum ]
     bi@ 2array ;
 
-:: draw-line ( line bounds context -- )
-    context 0.0 bounds descent>> CGContextSetTextPosition
-    line context CTLineDraw ;
-
-: <line> ( string font -- line )
+:: <line> ( string font foreground background -- line )
     [
-        CFRetain |CFRelease
-        2dup white <CTLine> |CFRelease
-        dup line-typographic-bounds
-        dup bounds>dim 3dup [ draw-line ] with-bitmap-context
-        0 0 f line boa
+        [let* | font [ font CFRetain |CFRelease ]
+                line [ string font foreground <CTLine> |CFRelease ]
+                bounds [ line line-typographic-bounds ]
+                dim [ bounds bounds>dim ] |
+            dim [
+                {
+                    [ background >rgba-components CGContextSetRGBFillColor ]
+                    [ 0 0 dim first2 <CGRect> CGContextFillRect ]
+                    [ 0 bounds descent>> CGContextSetTextPosition ]
+                    [ line swap CTLineDraw ]
+                } cleave
+            ] with-bitmap-context
+            [ font line bounds dim ] dip 0 0 f
+        ]
+        line boa
     ] with-destructors ;
 
-M: line dispose* line>> CFRelease ;
+M: line dispose* [ font>> CFRelease ] [ line>> CFRelease ] bi ;
 
 : ref/unref-line ( line n -- )
     '[ _ + ] change-refs 0 >>age drop ;
@@ -145,9 +151,9 @@ M: line dispose* line>> CFRelease ;
 SYMBOL: cached-lines
 
 : cached-line ( string font -- line )
-    cached-lines get [ <line> ] 2cache ;
+    black white 4array cached-lines get [ first4 <line> ] cache ;
 
-CONSTANT: max-line-age 5
+CONSTANT: max-line-age 10
 
 : age ( obj -- ? )
     [ 1+ ] change-age age>> max-line-age >= ;
diff --git a/basis/ui/text/core-text/core-text.factor b/basis/ui/text/core-text/core-text.factor
index 2969986ff3..34e2ddfdf7 100644
--- a/basis/ui/text/core-text/core-text.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/text/core-text/core-text.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 USING: assocs accessors alien core-graphics.types core-text kernel
 hashtables namespaces sequences ui.gadgets.worlds ui.text
 ui.text.private opengl opengl.gl destructors combinators core-foundation
-core-foundation.strings memoize math math.vectors init ;
+core-foundation.strings memoize math math.vectors init colors ;
 IN: ui.text.core-text
 
 SINGLETON: core-text-renderer
@@ -48,42 +48,54 @@ M: core-text-renderer open-font
 M: core-text-renderer string-dim
     [ " " string-dim { 0 1 } v* ] [ swap cached-line dim>> ] if-empty ;
 
-TUPLE: line-texture line texture age disposed ;
+TUPLE: rendered-line line texture display-list age disposed ;
 
-: <line-texture> ( line -- texture )
-    #! Note: we only ref-line if make-texture succeeds
+: make-line-display-list ( rendered-line texture -- dlist )
+    GL_COMPILE [
+        GL_TEXTURE_2D [
+            GL_TEXTURE_BIT [
+                GL_TEXTURE_COORD_ARRAY [
+                    white gl-color
+                    GL_TEXTURE_2D swap glBindTexture
+                    init-texture rect-texture-coords
+                    dim>> fill-rect-vertices (gl-fill-rect)
+                    GL_TEXTURE_2D 0 glBindTexture
+                ] do-enabled-client-state
+            ] do-attribs
+        ] do-enabled
+    ] make-dlist ;
+
+: make-core-graphics-texture ( dim bitmap -- texture )
+    GL_BGRA_EXT GL_UNSIGNED_INT_8_8_8_8_REV make-texture ;
+
+: <rendered-line> ( line -- texture )
+    #! Note: we only ref-line if make-texture and make-line-display-list
+    #! succeed
     [
-        dup [ dim>> ] [ bitmap>> ] bi GL_RGBA make-texture
-        0 f \ line-texture boa
+        dup [ dim>> ] [ bitmap>> ] bi make-core-graphics-texture
+        2dup make-line-display-list
+        0 f \ rendered-line boa
     ] keep ref-line ;
 
-M: line-texture dispose*
+M: rendered-line dispose*
     [ line>> unref-line ]
-    [ texture>> delete-texture ] bi ;
+    [ texture>> delete-texture ]
+    [ display-list>> delete-dlist ] tri ;
 
-: line-texture ( string open-font -- texture )
-    world get fonts>> [ cached-line <line-texture> ] 2cache 0 >>age ;
+: rendered-line ( string open-font -- line-display-list )
+    world get fonts>> [ cached-line <rendered-line> ] 2cache 0 >>age ;
 
-: age-line-textures ( world -- )
+: age-rendered-lines ( world -- )
     [ [ age ] age-assoc ] change-fonts drop ;
 
 M: core-text-renderer finish-text-rendering
-    age-line-textures age-lines ;
-
-: draw-line-texture ( line-texture -- )
-    GL_TEXTURE_2D [
-        GL_TEXTURE_BIT [
-            GL_TEXTURE_COORD_ARRAY [
-                GL_TEXTURE_2D over texture>> glBindTexture
-                init-texture rect-texture-coords
-                line>> dim>> fill-rect-vertices (gl-fill-rect)
-                GL_TEXTURE_2D 0 glBindTexture
-            ] do-enabled-client-state
-        ] do-attribs
-    ] do-enabled ;
+    age-rendered-lines age-lines ;
 
 M: core-text-renderer draw-string ( font string loc -- )
-    [ swap open-font line-texture draw-line-texture ] with-translation ;
+    [
+        swap open-font rendered-line
+        display-list>> glCallList
+    ] with-translation ;
 
 M: core-text-renderer x>offset ( x font string -- n )
     [ 2drop 0 ] [
@@ -92,7 +104,8 @@ M: core-text-renderer x>offset ( x font string -- n )
     ] if-empty ;
 
 M: core-text-renderer offset>x ( n font string -- x )
-    swap open-font cached-line line>> swap f CTLineGetOffsetForStringIndex ;
+    swap open-font cached-line line>> swap f
+    CTLineGetOffsetForStringIndex ;
 
 M: core-text-renderer free-fonts ( fonts -- )
     values dispose-each ;
diff --git a/basis/ui/text/freetype/freetype.factor b/basis/ui/text/freetype/freetype.factor
index b02032dcf0..d9031e3878 100644
--- a/basis/ui/text/freetype/freetype.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/text/freetype/freetype.factor
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ M: freetype-renderer string-height ( open-font string -- h )
 : bitmap>texture ( glyph sprite -- id )
     tuck dim2>> product 2 * <byte-array>
     [ copy-bitmap ] keep [ dim2>> ] dip
-    GL_LUMINANCE_ALPHA make-texture ;
+    GL_LUMINANCE_ALPHA GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE make-texture ;
 
 : glyph-texture-loc ( glyph font -- loc )
     [ drop glyph-hori-bearing-x ft-floor ]