diff --git a/libc/intrin/mman.greg.c b/libc/intrin/mman.greg.c
index b8f87c165..2dad09c1f 100644
--- a/libc/intrin/mman.greg.c
+++ b/libc/intrin/mman.greg.c
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ noasan textreal void __setup_mman(struct mman *mm, uint64_t *pml4t) {
   export_offsetof(struct mman, pc_video_height);
   export_offsetof(struct mman, pc_video_framebuffer);
   export_offsetof(struct mman, pc_video_framebuffer_size);
+  export_offsetof(struct mman, pc_video_curs_info);
+  export_offsetof(struct mman, pc_video_char_height);
   __normalize_e820(mm);
   __invert_memory(mm, pml4t);
 }
diff --git a/libc/runtime/mman.internal.h b/libc/runtime/mman.internal.h
index 9f96ed695..2488a4ac2 100644
--- a/libc/runtime/mman.internal.h
+++ b/libc/runtime/mman.internal.h
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ struct mman {
   uint64_t pc_video_framebuffer;         /* 0x1d30 — physical address of
                                                      video frame buffer */
   uint64_t pc_video_framebuffer_size;    /* 0x1d38 */
+  struct {                               /* 0x1d40 — starting cursor pos. */
+    unsigned short y, x;
+  } pc_video_curs_info;
+  unsigned short pc_video_char_height;   /* 0x1d44 — character height (useful
+                                                     for setting cursor shape
+                                                     in text mode) */
 };
 
 COSMOPOLITAN_C_END_
diff --git a/libc/vga/rlinit-vga.S b/libc/vga/rlinit-vga.S
index ed74f4fe3..6d4962bec 100644
--- a/libc/vga/rlinit-vga.S
+++ b/libc/vga/rlinit-vga.S
@@ -78,7 +78,13 @@
 	xor	%bx,%bx
 #endif
 	int	$0x10
-9:
+9:	mov	0x0450,%dx		# note down cursor position
+	movzbw	%dh,%ax
+	mov	%ax,mm+"struct mman::pc_video_curs_info"
+	mov	%dl,%al
+	mov	%ax,mm+"struct mman::pc_video_curs_info"+2
+	mov	0x0486,%ax		# ...& character height
+	mov	%ax,mm+"struct mman::pc_video_char_height"
 	.previous
 	.code64
 	.section .rodata,"a",@progbits
diff --git a/libc/vga/vga-init.c b/libc/vga/vga-init.c
index 347c6e826..2434c7a33 100644
--- a/libc/vga/vga-init.c
+++ b/libc/vga/vga-init.c
@@ -40,21 +40,15 @@ __attribute__((__constructor__)) static textstartup void _vga_init(void) {
     uint64_t vid_buf_phy = mm->pc_video_framebuffer;
     void *vid_buf = (void *)(BANE + vid_buf_phy);
     size_t vid_buf_sz = mm->pc_video_framebuffer_size;
-    /*
-     * Get the initial cursor position from the BIOS data area.  Also get
-     * the height (in scan lines) of each character; this is used to set the
-     * cursor shape.
-     */
-    typedef struct {
-      unsigned char col, row;
-    } bios_curs_pos_t;
-    bios_curs_pos_t pos = *(bios_curs_pos_t *)(BANE + 0x0450ull);
-    uint8_t chr_ht, chr_ht_hi, chr_wid;
+    unsigned short starty = mm->pc_video_curs_info.y,
+                   startx = mm->pc_video_curs_info.x;
+    uint8_t chr_ht, chr_wid;
     if (vid_type == PC_VIDEO_TEXT) {
-      chr_ht = *(uint8_t *)(BANE + 0x0485ull),
-      chr_ht_hi = *(uint8_t *)(BANE + 0x0486ull);
-      if (chr_ht_hi != 0 || chr_ht > 32 || chr_ht < 2)
+      unsigned short chr_ht_val = mm->pc_video_char_height;
+      if (chr_ht_val > 32 || chr_ht_val < 2)
         chr_ht = VGA_ASSUME_CHAR_HEIGHT_PX;
+      else
+        chr_ht = chr_ht_val;
     } else
       chr_ht = VGA_ASSUME_CHAR_HEIGHT_PX;
     chr_wid = VGA_ASSUME_CHAR_WIDTH_PX;
@@ -64,7 +58,7 @@ __attribute__((__constructor__)) static textstartup void _vga_init(void) {
      * Initialize our tty structure from the current screen geometry,
      * screen contents, cursor position, & character dimensions.
      */
-    _StartTty(&_vga_tty, vid_type, height, width, stride, pos.row, pos.col,
+    _StartTty(&_vga_tty, vid_type, height, width, stride, starty, startx,
               chr_ht, chr_wid, vid_buf, false);
   }
 }