diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index adc2c3e..4eabdeb 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -1977,6 +1977,7 @@ struct app_context
 
 	struct input *input;                ///< User interface
 
+	struct poller_idle prompt_event;    ///< Deferred prompt refresh
 	struct poller_idle input_event;     ///< Pending input event
 	struct str_vector pending_input;    ///< Pending input lines
 
@@ -2107,7 +2108,14 @@ app_context_free (struct app_context *self)
 	free (self->editor_filename);
 }
 
-static void refresh_prompt (struct app_context *ctx);
+static void
+refresh_prompt (struct app_context *ctx)
+{
+	// XXX: the need for this conditional could probably be resolved
+	//   by some clever reordering
+	if (ctx->prompt_event.poller)
+		poller_idle_set (&ctx->prompt_event);
+}
 
 // --- Configuration -----------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -5860,10 +5868,10 @@ input_maybe_set_prompt (struct input *self, char *new_prompt)
 		CALL_ (self, set_prompt, new_prompt);
 }
 
-// TODO: do this in an idle task so as to not call this unnecessarily
 static void
-refresh_prompt (struct app_context *ctx)
+on_refresh_prompt (struct app_context *ctx)
 {
+	poller_idle_reset (&ctx->prompt_event);
 	bool have_attributes = !!get_attribute_printer (stdout);
 
 	struct str prompt;
@@ -13290,6 +13298,10 @@ init_poller_events (struct app_context *ctx)
 	ctx->autoaway_tmr.dispatcher = (poller_timer_fn) on_autoaway_timer;
 	ctx->autoaway_tmr.user_data = ctx;
 
+	poller_idle_init (&ctx->prompt_event, &ctx->poller);
+	ctx->prompt_event.dispatcher = (poller_idle_fn) on_refresh_prompt;
+	ctx->prompt_event.user_data = ctx;
+
 	poller_idle_init (&ctx->input_event, &ctx->poller);
 	ctx->input_event.dispatcher = (poller_idle_fn) on_pending_input;
 	ctx->input_event.user_data = ctx;
@@ -13528,7 +13540,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	config_schema_call_changed (ctx.config.root);
 
 	// Initialize input so that we can switch to new buffers
-	refresh_prompt (&ctx);
+	on_refresh_prompt (&ctx);
 	ctx.input->add_functions = input_add_functions;
 	CALL_ (ctx.input, start, argv[0]);
 	toggle_bracketed_paste (true);