diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 7f1d998..444221e 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
             .{ .name = "thespian", .module = thespian_mod },
             .{ .name = "cbor", .module = cbor_mod },
             .{ .name = "log", .module = log_mod },
+            .{ .name = "bin_path", .module = bin_path_mod },
         },
     });
 
diff --git a/contrib/test_race.sh b/contrib/test_race.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a2a4b09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/test_race.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+if [ "$1" == "--build" ]; then
+    shift
+    echo "building..."
+    zig build -freference-trace --prominent-compile-errors
+fi
+
+for i in {1..60}; do
+    echo "running $i ..."
+    flow --exec quit "$@" || exit 1
+done
diff --git a/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json b/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
index 29dae9e..4de41a2 100644
--- a/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
+++ b/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
             ["f9", "theme_prev"],
             ["f10", "theme_next"],
             ["f11", "toggle_panel"],
+            ["shift+f11", "toggle_highlight_columns"],
             ["ctrl+f11", "toggle_inspector_view"],
             ["f12", "goto_definition"],
             ["f34", "toggle_whitespace_mode"],
diff --git a/src/renderer/vaxis/renderer.zig b/src/renderer/vaxis/renderer.zig
index 1b11617..11b99dd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/vaxis/renderer.zig
+++ b/src/renderer/vaxis/renderer.zig
@@ -95,13 +95,16 @@ pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
     self.event_buffer.deinit();
 }
 
+var in_panic: std.atomic.Value(bool) = .init(false);
 var panic_cleanup: ?struct {
     allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
     tty: *vaxis.Tty,
     vx: *vaxis.Vaxis,
 } = null;
+
 pub fn panic(msg: []const u8, error_return_trace: ?*std.builtin.StackTrace, ret_addr: ?usize) noreturn {
     _ = error_return_trace; // TODO: what to do with this in zig-0.14?
+    in_panic.store(true, .release);
     const cleanup = panic_cleanup;
     panic_cleanup = null;
     if (cleanup) |self| {
@@ -111,6 +114,10 @@ pub fn panic(msg: []const u8, error_return_trace: ?*std.builtin.StackTrace, ret_
     return std.debug.defaultPanic(msg, ret_addr orelse @returnAddress());
 }
 
+pub fn panic_in_progress() bool {
+    return in_panic.load(.acquire);
+}
+
 pub fn run(self: *Self) Error!void {
     self.vx.sgr = .legacy;
     self.vx.conpty_hacks = true;
@@ -130,6 +137,7 @@ pub fn run(self: *Self) Error!void {
 }
 
 pub fn render(self: *Self) !void {
+    if (in_panic.load(.acquire)) return;
     var bufferedWriter = self.tty.bufferedWriter();
     try self.vx.render(bufferedWriter.writer().any());
     try bufferedWriter.flush();
diff --git a/src/ripgrep.zig b/src/ripgrep.zig
index c99b625..102fcaa 100644
--- a/src/ripgrep.zig
+++ b/src/ripgrep.zig
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ const Process = struct {
             "--json",
             "--smart-case",
             self.query,
+            "./.", // never search stdin
         });
         self.sp = tp.subprocess.init(self.allocator, args, module_name, self.stdin_behavior) catch |e| return tp.exit_error(e, @errorReturnTrace());
         tp.receive(&self.receiver);
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 083e715..607c037 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ allocator: Allocator,
 rdr_: renderer,
 config_: @import("config"),
 highlight_columns_: []u16,
+highlight_columns_configured: []u16,
 frame_time: usize, // in microseconds
 frame_clock: tp.metronome,
 frame_clock_running: bool = false,
@@ -130,12 +131,14 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
             idx += 1;
         break :blk idx;
     };
+    const highlight_columns__ = try allocator.alloc(u16, hl_cols);
 
     var self = try allocator.create(Self);
     self.* = .{
         .allocator = allocator,
         .config_ = conf,
-        .highlight_columns_ = try allocator.alloc(u16, hl_cols),
+        .highlight_columns_ = highlight_columns__,
+        .highlight_columns_configured = highlight_columns__,
         .rdr_ = try renderer.init(allocator, self, tp.env.get().is("no-alternate"), dispatch_initialized),
         .frame_time = frame_time,
         .frame_clock = frame_clock,
@@ -221,6 +224,7 @@ fn init_delayed(self: *Self) command.Result {
 }
 
 fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
+    self.allocator.free(self.highlight_columns_configured);
     if (self.mouse_idle_timer) |*t| {
         t.cancel() catch {};
         t.deinit();
@@ -788,6 +792,12 @@ const cmds = struct {
     }
     pub const toggle_whitespace_mode_meta: Meta = .{ .description = "Next whitespace mode" };
 
+    pub fn toggle_highlight_columns(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
+        defer self.logger.print("highlight columns {s}", .{if (self.highlight_columns_.len > 0) "enabled" else "disabled"});
+        self.highlight_columns_ = if (self.highlight_columns_.len > 0) &.{} else self.highlight_columns_configured;
+    }
+    pub const toggle_highlight_columns_meta: Meta = .{ .description = "Toggle highlight columns" };
+
     pub fn toggle_input_mode(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
         var it = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, self.config_.input_mode, '/');
         self.config_.input_mode = it.first();