diff --git a/src/common/api.c b/src/common/api.c
index 676cb24..d727b39 100644
--- a/src/common/api.c
+++ b/src/common/api.c
@@ -127,35 +127,6 @@ static struct GFX_Context {
 	SDL_Surface* screen;
 } gfx;
 
-///////////////////////////////
-// based on eggs Miyoo Mini GFX lib
-// (any bad decisions are mine)
-
-
-static pthread_t		flip_pt;
-static pthread_mutex_t	flip_mx;
-static pthread_cond_t	flip_req;
-static volatile uint32_t now_flipping;
-static int flip_y = 0;
-
-static void* flip_thread(void* param) {
-	int last_y = 0;
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&flip_mx);
-	while (1) {
-		pthread_cond_wait(&flip_req, &flip_mx);
-		if (flip_y!=last_y) {
-			pthread_mutex_unlock(&flip_mx);
-			gfx.vinfo.yoffset = flip_y;
-			last_y = flip_y;
-			int arg = 0;
-			ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIO_WAITFORVSYNC, &arg); // TODO: disable this when fast forwarding
-			ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIOPAN_DISPLAY, &gfx.vinfo);
-			pthread_mutex_lock(&flip_mx);
-		} 
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 ///////////////////////////////
 
 SDL_Surface* GFX_init(void) {
@@ -313,7 +284,11 @@ SDL_Surface* GFX_init(void) {
 	// disp.mHeight = SCREEN_HEIGHT;
 	
 	// buffer tracking
+#ifdef GFX_ENABLE_BUFFER
 	gfx.buffer = 1;
+#else
+	gfx.buffer = 0;
+#endif
 	gfx.buffer_size = SCREEN_PITCH * SCREEN_HEIGHT;
 
 // #ifdef GFX_ENABLE_BUFFER
@@ -322,13 +297,8 @@ SDL_Surface* GFX_init(void) {
 // 	printf("buffer needs: %i available: %i joy: %i\n", gfx.buffer_size, gfx.map_size, gfx.map_size>=gfx.buffer_size?1:0);
 // #endif
 	
-	flip_mx = (pthread_mutex_t)PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-	flip_req = (pthread_cond_t)PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
-	now_flipping = 0;
-	pthread_create(&flip_pt, NULL, flip_thread, NULL);
-		
 	// return screen
-	gfx.screen = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(gfx.map + gfx.buffer_size, SCREEN_WIDTH,SCREEN_HEIGHT, SCREEN_DEPTH,SCREEN_PITCH, 0,0,0,0);
+	gfx.screen = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(gfx.map + gfx.buffer_size * gfx.buffer, SCREEN_WIDTH,SCREEN_HEIGHT, SCREEN_DEPTH,SCREEN_PITCH, 0,0,0,0);
 	return gfx.screen;
 }
 void GFX_clear(SDL_Surface* screen) {
@@ -339,44 +309,32 @@ void GFX_clearAll(void) {
 }
 
 void GFX_flip(SDL_Surface* screen) {
-	pthread_mutex_lock(&flip_mx);
-	flip_y = gfx.buffer * SCREEN_HEIGHT;
-	pthread_cond_signal(&flip_req);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(&flip_mx);
-	
+	// struct fb_vblank vblank;
+	// ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIOGET_VBLANK, &vblank);
+	// printf("flags: %i\n", vblank.flags);
+	// printf("count: %i\n", vblank.count);
+	// printf("vcount: %i\n", vblank.vcount);
+	// printf("hcount: %i\n", vblank.hcount);
+#ifdef GFX_ENABLE_VSYNC
+	int arg = 1;
+	ioctl(gfx.fb, OWLFB_WAITFORVSYNC, &arg); // TODO: this doesn't wait but it also doesn't error out like FBIO_WAITFORVSYNC...
+#endif
+
+#ifdef GFX_ENABLE_BUFFER
+    // TODO: this would be moved to a thread
+	// I'm not clear on why that would be necessary
+	// if it's non-blocking and the pan will wait
+	// until the next vblank...
+	// what if the scaling was also moved to a thread?
+	gfx.vinfo.yoffset = gfx.buffer * SCREEN_HEIGHT;
+	ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIOPAN_DISPLAY, &gfx.vinfo);
+
 	gfx.buffer += 1;
 	if (gfx.buffer>=GFX_BUFFER_COUNT) gfx.buffer -= GFX_BUFFER_COUNT;
-	screen->pixels = gfx.map + (gfx.buffer * gfx.buffer_size);	
-	
-// 	// struct fb_vblank vblank;
-// 	// ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIOGET_VBLANK, &vblank);
-// 	// printf("flags: %i\n", vblank.flags);
-// 	// printf("count: %i\n", vblank.count);
-// 	// printf("vcount: %i\n", vblank.vcount);
-// 	// printf("hcount: %i\n", vblank.hcount);
-// #ifdef GFX_ENABLE_VSYNC
-// 	int arg = 1;
-// 	ioctl(gfx.fb, OWLFB_WAITFORVSYNC, &arg); // TODO: this doesn't wait but it also doesn't error out like FBIO_WAITFORVSYNC...
-// #endif
-//
-// #ifdef GFX_ENABLE_BUFFER
-//     // TODO: this would be moved to a thread
-// 	// I'm not clear on why that would be necessary
-// 	// if it's non-blocking and the pan will wait
-// 	// until the next vblank...
-// 	// what if the scaling was also moved to a thread?
-// 	gfx.vinfo.yoffset = gfx.buffer * SCREEN_HEIGHT;
-// 	ioctl(gfx.fb, FBIOPAN_DISPLAY, &gfx.vinfo);
-//
-// 	gfx.buffer += 1;
-// 	if (gfx.buffer>=GFX_BUFFER_COUNT) gfx.buffer -= GFX_BUFFER_COUNT;
-// 	screen->pixels = gfx.map + (gfx.buffer * gfx.buffer_size);
-// #endif
+	screen->pixels = gfx.map + (gfx.buffer * gfx.buffer_size);
+#endif
 }
 void GFX_quit(void) {
-	pthread_cancel(flip_pt);
-	pthread_join(flip_pt, NULL);
-	
 	GFX_clearAll();
 	munmap(gfx.map, gfx.map_size);
 	close(gfx.fb);