diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/Display.c b/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
index 86800328fe..109b915074 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/Display.c
@@ -64,21 +64,23 @@ void common_hal_displayio_display_construct(displayio_display_obj_t* self,
     self->write_ram_command = write_ram_command;
     self->brightness_command = brightness_command;
     self->auto_brightness = auto_brightness;
+    self->auto_refresh = auto_refresh;
+    self->first_manual_refresh = !auto_refresh;
     self->data_as_commands = data_as_commands;
 
     self->native_frames_per_second = native_frames_per_second;
     self->native_frame_time = 1000 / native_frames_per_second;
 
     uint32_t i = 0;
-    while (!displayio_display_core_begin_transaction(&self->core)) {
-        RUN_BACKGROUND_TASKS;
-    }
     while (i < init_sequence_len) {
         uint8_t *cmd = init_sequence + i;
         uint8_t data_size = *(cmd + 1);
         bool delay = (data_size & DELAY) != 0;
         data_size &= ~DELAY;
         uint8_t *data = cmd + 2;
+        while (!displayio_display_core_begin_transaction(&self->core)) {
+            RUN_BACKGROUND_TASKS;
+        }
         if (self->data_as_commands) {
             uint8_t full_command[data_size + 1];
             full_command[0] = cmd[0];
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ void common_hal_displayio_display_construct(displayio_display_obj_t* self,
             self->core.send(self->core.bus, true, true, cmd, 1);
             self->core.send(self->core.bus, false, false, data, data_size);
         }
+        self->core.end_transaction(self->core.bus);
         uint16_t delay_length_ms = 10;
         if (delay) {
             data_size++;
@@ -99,7 +102,6 @@ void common_hal_displayio_display_construct(displayio_display_obj_t* self,
         common_hal_time_delay_ms(delay_length_ms);
         i += 2 + data_size;
     }
-    self->core.end_transaction(self->core.bus);
 
     supervisor_start_terminal(width, height);
 
@@ -192,9 +194,10 @@ STATIC const displayio_area_t* _get_refresh_areas(displayio_display_obj_t *self)
     if (self->core.full_refresh) {
         self->core.area.next = NULL;
         return &self->core.area;
-    } else {
+    } else if (self->core.current_group != NULL) {
         return displayio_group_get_refresh_areas(self->core.current_group, NULL);
     }
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 STATIC void _send_pixels(displayio_display_obj_t* self, uint8_t* pixels, uint32_t length) {
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ STATIC bool _refresh_area(displayio_display_obj_t* self, const displayio_area_t*
     // Allocated and shared as a uint32_t array so the compiler knows the
     // alignment everywhere.
     uint32_t buffer[buffer_size];
-    volatile uint32_t mask_length = (pixels_per_buffer / 32) + 1;
+    uint32_t mask_length = (pixels_per_buffer / 32) + 1;
     uint32_t mask[mask_length];
     uint16_t remaining_rows = displayio_area_height(&clipped);
 
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ uint16_t common_hal_displayio_display_get_rotation(displayio_display_obj_t* self
 }
 
 void common_hal_displayio_display_refresh(displayio_display_obj_t* self, uint32_t target_frame_time, uint32_t maximum_frame_time) {
-    if (!self->auto_refresh) {
+    if (!self->auto_refresh && !self->first_manual_refresh) {
         uint64_t current_time = ticks_ms;
         uint32_t current_frame_time = current_time - self->core.last_refresh;
         // Test to see if the real frame time is below our minimum.
@@ -332,6 +335,7 @@ void common_hal_displayio_display_refresh(displayio_display_obj_t* self, uint32_
             #endif
         }
     }
+    self->first_manual_refresh = false;
     _refresh_display(self);
 }
 
@@ -341,6 +345,7 @@ bool common_hal_displayio_display_get_auto_refresh(displayio_display_obj_t* self
 
 void common_hal_displayio_display_set_auto_refresh(displayio_display_obj_t* self,
                                                    bool auto_refresh) {
+    self->first_manual_refresh = !auto_refresh;
     self->auto_refresh = auto_refresh;
 }
 
@@ -376,6 +381,12 @@ void release_display(displayio_display_obj_t* self) {
     }
 }
 
+void reset_display(displayio_display_obj_t* self) {
+    self->auto_refresh = true;
+    self->auto_brightness = true;
+    common_hal_displayio_display_show(self, NULL);
+}
+
 void displayio_display_collect_ptrs(displayio_display_obj_t* self) {
     displayio_display_core_collect_ptrs(&self->core);
 }
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/Display.h b/shared-module/displayio/Display.h
index cff566a619..bf2889c6d2 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/Display.h
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/Display.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ typedef struct {
     uint8_t set_row_command;
     uint8_t write_ram_command;
     bool auto_refresh;
+    bool first_manual_refresh;
     bool data_as_commands;
     bool auto_brightness;
     bool updating_backlight;
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 void displayio_display_background(displayio_display_obj_t* self);
 void release_display(displayio_display_obj_t* self);
+void reset_display(displayio_display_obj_t* self);
 
 void displayio_display_collect_ptrs(displayio_display_obj_t* self);
 
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/EPaperDisplay.c b/shared-module/displayio/EPaperDisplay.c
index bf0e6676fe..48143f14ff 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/EPaperDisplay.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/EPaperDisplay.c
@@ -102,10 +102,12 @@ bool common_hal_displayio_epaperdisplay_show(displayio_epaperdisplay_obj_t* self
 }
 
 const displayio_area_t* displayio_epaperdisplay_get_refresh_areas(displayio_epaperdisplay_obj_t *self) {
-    const displayio_area_t* first_area;
     if (self->core.full_refresh) {
-        first_area = &self->core.area;
-    } else {
+        self->core.area.next = NULL;
+        return &self->core.area;
+    }
+    const displayio_area_t* first_area = NULL;
+    if (self->core.current_group != NULL) {
         first_area = displayio_group_get_refresh_areas(self->core.current_group, NULL);
     }
     if (first_area != NULL && self->set_row_window_command == NO_COMMAND) {
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.c b/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.c
index 6553cf9012..f34d2fc52d 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ uint8_t common_hal_displayio_tilegrid_get_tile(displayio_tilegrid_t *self, uint1
 
 void common_hal_displayio_tilegrid_set_tile(displayio_tilegrid_t *self, uint16_t x, uint16_t y, uint8_t tile_index) {
     if (tile_index >= self->tiles_in_bitmap) {
-        mp_raise_ValueError(translate("Tile value out of bounds"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError(translate("Tile index out of bounds"));
     }
     uint8_t* tiles = self->tiles;
     if (self->inline_tiles) {
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.h b/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.h
index 222aaed19b..0a414b0620 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.h
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/TileGrid.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ typedef struct {
     uint16_t pixel_width;
     uint16_t pixel_height;
     uint16_t bitmap_width_in_tiles;;
-    uint8_t tiles_in_bitmap;
+    uint16_t tiles_in_bitmap;
     uint16_t width_in_tiles;
     uint16_t height_in_tiles;
     uint16_t tile_width;
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c b/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
index a41884c78c..af22cb0df8 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/__init__.c
@@ -143,9 +143,7 @@ void reset_displays(void) {
         // Reset the displayed group. Only the first will get the terminal but
         // that's ok.
         if (displays[i].display.base.type == &displayio_display_type) {
-            displayio_display_obj_t* display = &displays[i].display;
-            display->auto_brightness = true;
-            common_hal_displayio_display_show(display, NULL);
+            reset_display(&displays[i].display);
         } else if (displays[i].epaper_display.base.type == &displayio_epaperdisplay_type) {
             displayio_epaperdisplay_obj_t* display = &displays[i].epaper_display;
             common_hal_displayio_epaperdisplay_show(display, NULL);
diff --git a/shared-module/displayio/display_core.c b/shared-module/displayio/display_core.c
index 24d8ab51f0..88878866a5 100644
--- a/shared-module/displayio/display_core.c
+++ b/shared-module/displayio/display_core.c
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ void displayio_display_core_construct(displayio_display_core_t* self,
 
     self->width = width;
     self->height = height;
-    self->ram_width = width;
-    self->ram_height = height;
+    self->ram_width = ram_width;
+    self->ram_height = ram_height;
     rotation = rotation % 360;
     self->transform.x = 0;
     self->transform.y = 0;
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ void displayio_display_core_set_region_to_update(displayio_display_core_t* self,
     data[0] = column_command;
     uint8_t data_length = 1;
     if (!data_as_commands) {
-        self->send(self->bus, true, true, data, 1);
+        self->send(self->bus, true, false, data, 1);
         data_length = 0;
     }
     if (self->ram_width < 0x100) {
@@ -227,11 +227,14 @@ void displayio_display_core_set_region_to_update(displayio_display_core_t* self,
         self->send(self->bus, false, always_toggle_chip_select, data, data_length / 2);
     }
 
+    displayio_display_core_end_transaction(self);
+    displayio_display_core_begin_transaction(self);
+
     // Set row.
     data[0] = row_command;
     data_length = 1;
     if (!data_as_commands) {
-        self->send(self->bus, true, true, data, 1);
+        self->send(self->bus, true, false, data, 1);
         data_length = 0;
     }
     if (self->ram_height < 0x100) {