diff --git a/libs/console/buffer.c b/libs/console/buffer.c
index 2aa477abc..5f2d46ddf 100644
--- a/libs/console/buffer.c
+++ b/libs/console/buffer.c
@@ -91,19 +91,18 @@ Con_BufferAddText (con_buffer_t *buf, const char *text)
 		len = buf->buffer_size;
 	}
 	while (len--) {
-		byte        c = *pos++ = *text++;
-		if (pos >= buf->buffer + buf->buffer_size)
-			pos = buf->buffer;
-		cur_line->len++;
-		if (pos == tail_line->text) {
-			if (buf->num_lines > 0)
-				buf->num_lines--;
+		if (buf->num_lines > 1 && pos == tail_line->text) {
+			buf->num_lines--;
 			tail_line->text = 0;
 			tail_line->len = 0;
 			tail_line++;
 			if (tail_line - buf->lines >= buf->max_lines)
 				tail_line = buf->lines;
 		}
+		byte        c = *pos++ = *text++;
+		if (pos >= buf->buffer + buf->buffer_size)
+			pos = buf->buffer;
+		cur_line->len++;
 		if (c == '\n') {
 			if (buf->num_lines < buf->max_lines)
 				buf->num_lines++;
diff --git a/libs/console/test/test-buffer.c b/libs/console/test/test-buffer.c
index 692a9c780..21738d350 100644
--- a/libs/console/test/test-buffer.c
+++ b/libs/console/test/test-buffer.c
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ test_2 (void)
 				con->lines[con->cur_line].len);
 		goto fail;
 	}
+	if (memcmp (con->buffer, text + 1024, 1024)) {
+		printf ("con_buffer incorrect\n");
+		goto fail;
+	}
 
 	ret = 0;
 fail: