diff --git a/src/app.zig b/src/app.zig
index 6f920a6..0a24060 100644
--- a/src/app.zig
+++ b/src/app.zig
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ pub fn App(comptime M: type, comptime E: type) type {
             // -> the signal might not work correctly when hosting the application over ssh!
             this.postEvent(.resize);
         }
+        /// registered INT handler to catch ctrl-c to send a `.cancel`
+        fn handleInt(_: i32) callconv(.c) void {
+            const this: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(handler_ctx));
+            // NOTE do not quit the application and instead issue a `.cancel` event
+            this.postEvent(.cancel);
+        }
 
         pub fn init(gpa: Allocator, io: std.Io, model: Model) @This() {
             return .{
@@ -92,13 +98,20 @@ pub fn App(comptime M: type, comptime E: type) type {
 
             if (!this.handler_registered) {
                 handler_ctx = this;
-                posix.sigaction(posix.SIG.WINCH, &.{
-                    .handler = .{ .handler = handleWinch },
+                if (config.altScreen) {
+                    posix.sigaction(posix.SIG.WINCH, &.{
+                        .handler = .{ .handler = handleWinch },
+                        .mask = posix.sigemptyset(),
+                        .flags = 0,
+                    }, null);
+                }
+                posix.sigaction(posix.SIG.CONT, &.{
+                    .handler = .{ .handler = handleCont },
                     .mask = posix.sigemptyset(),
                     .flags = 0,
                 }, null);
-                posix.sigaction(posix.SIG.CONT, &.{
-                    .handler = .{ .handler = handleCont },
+                posix.sigaction(posix.SIG.INT, &.{
+                    .handler = .{ .handler = handleInt },
                     .mask = posix.sigemptyset(),
                     .flags = 0,
                 }, null);