diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01.dump
index ab59495..9ae7006 100644
--- a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01.dump
+++ b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01.dump
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 |o+0&#ffffff0|n>e| |o|n|e| |o|n|e| @38
-@2|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
+|t|w|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
 |t|h|r|e| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255@17| +0#0000000#ffffff0@27
 |~+0#4040ff13&| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255|l|i|n|e| |2| |c|o|l|u|m|n| |6|:| | +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
 |~| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255|t|X|o| @13| +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01a.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01a.dump
index ab59495..9ae7006 100644
--- a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01a.dump
+++ b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_01a.dump
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 |o+0&#ffffff0|n>e| |o|n|e| |o|n|e| @38
-@2|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
+|t|w|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
 |t|h|r|e| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255@17| +0#0000000#ffffff0@27
 |~+0#4040ff13&| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255|l|i|n|e| |2| |c|o|l|u|m|n| |6|:| | +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
 |~| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255|t|X|o| @13| +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_02.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_02.dump
index 9853261..76a91ae 100644
--- a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_02.dump
+++ b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_balloon_eval_term_02.dump
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 |o+0&#ffffff0|n|e| |o|n|e| |o|n|e| @38
-@2|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
+|t|w|o| |t|X|o| |t|w|o| @38
 |t|h|r|e|e+0&#e0e0e08| |t|h>r+0&#ffffff0|e@1| |t|h|r|e@1| @32
 |~+0#4040ff13&| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255@17| +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
 |~| @2| +0#0000001#ffd7ff255|l|i|n|e| |3| |c|o|l|u|m|n| |5|:| | +0#4040ff13#ffffff0@27
diff --git a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_terminal_all_ansi_colors.dump b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_terminal_all_ansi_colors.dump
index 57a085a..2a0d481 100644
--- a/src/testdir/dumps/Test_terminal_all_ansi_colors.dump
+++ b/src/testdir/dumps/Test_terminal_all_ansi_colors.dump
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 >A+0#0000001#8080809@1|B+0#e000002#ff404010@1|C+0#00e0003#40ff4011@1|D+0#e0e0004#ffff4012@1|E+0#0000e05#4040ff13@1|F+0#e000e06#ff40ff14@1|G+0#00e0e07#40ffff15@1|H+0#e0e0e08#ffffff16@1|I+0#8080809#0000001@1|J+0#ff404010#e000002@1|K+0#40ff4011#00e0003@1|L+0#ffff4012#e0e0004@1|M+0#4040ff13#0000e05@1|N+0#ff40ff14#e000e06@1|O+0#40ffff15#00e0e07@1|P+0#ffffff16#e0e0e08@1| +0#0000000#ffffff0|X+2#e000002&@1|Y+2#40ff4011&@1|Z+2#ff40ff14#e000e06@1| +0#0000000#ffffff0@35
-@2| +0#4040ff13&@72
+|~+0#4040ff13&| @73
 |~| @73
 |~| @73
 |~| @73
diff --git a/src/testdir/term_util.vim b/src/testdir/term_util.vim
index 2d66f38..df7cfa5 100644
--- a/src/testdir/term_util.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/term_util.vim
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
 " Returns the buffer number of the terminal.
 "
 " Options is a dictionary, these items are recognized:
+" "keep_t_u7" - when 1 do not make t_u7 empty (resetting t_u7 avoids clearing
+"               parts of line 2 and 3 on the display)
 " "rows" - height of the terminal window (max. 20)
 " "cols" - width of the terminal window (max. 78)
 " "statusoff" - number of lines the status is offset from default
@@ -74,7 +76,13 @@
   let cols = get(a:options, 'cols', 75)
   let statusoff = get(a:options, 'statusoff', 1)
 
-  let cmd = GetVimCommandCleanTerm() .. a:arguments
+  if get(a:options, 'keep_t_u7', 0)
+    let reset_u7 = ''
+  else
+    let reset_u7 = ' --cmd "set t_u7=" '
+  endif
+
+  let cmd = GetVimCommandCleanTerm() .. reset_u7 .. a:arguments
 
   let options = {
 	\ 'curwin': 1,
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim b/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
index 03b374f..474b087 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
@@ -2710,7 +2710,6 @@
   CheckScreendump
 
   let lines =<< trim END
-	set t_u7=
 	call setline(1, ['some', 'text', 'with', 'matches'])
 	write XCwindow
 	vimgrep e XCwindow
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_startup_utf8.vim b/src/testdir/test_startup_utf8.vim
index ffbc793..1684d80 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_startup_utf8.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_startup_utf8.vim
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 " Tests for startup using utf-8.
 
+source check.vim
 source shared.vim
 source screendump.vim
 
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@
 	\ 'call test_option_not_set("ambiwidth")',
 	\ 'redraw',
 	\ ], 'Xscript')
-  let buf = RunVimInTerminal('-S Xscript', {})
+  let buf = RunVimInTerminal('-S Xscript', #{keep_t_u7: 1})
   call TermWait(buf)
   call term_sendkeys(buf, "S\<C-R>=&ambiwidth\<CR>\<Esc>")
   call WaitForAssert({-> assert_match('single', term_getline(buf, 1))})
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_terminal.vim b/src/testdir/test_terminal.vim
index 7430eb2..bbc6b90 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_terminal.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_terminal.vim
@@ -2465,7 +2465,6 @@
   call writefile(text, 'Xtext')
   let cmd = GetVimCommandCleanTerm()
   let lines = [
-	\ 'set t_u7=',
 	\ 'call setline(1, range(20))',
 	\ 'hi PopTerm ctermbg=grey',
 	\ 'func OpenTerm(setColor)',
@@ -2545,7 +2544,6 @@
   END
   call writefile(text, 'Xtext')
   let lines = [
-	\ 'set t_u7=',
 	\ 'call setline(1, range(20))',
 	\ 'func OpenTerm()',
 	\ "  let s:buf = term_start('cat Xtext', #{hidden: 1})",
@@ -2575,7 +2573,6 @@
   CheckUnix
 
   let lines = [
-	\ 'set t_u7=',
 	\ 'call setline(1, range(20))',
 	\ 'func OpenTerm()',
 	\ "  let s:buf = term_start('cat', #{hidden: 1, "