diff --git a/doc/NEWS.md b/doc/NEWS.md
index ce0c6c1..daa758c 100644
--- a/doc/NEWS.md
+++ b/doc/NEWS.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * cleanup: skip test 10 (for *SIGPIPE*) if GNU "`head`" is not available, so "`make test`" on stock OpenBSD 7.3 works
  * cleanup: replace all calls to `sprintf()` and `snprintf()` with a new wrapper function `pv_snprintf()` to centralise compatibility changes
  * cleanup: tidy up and fix compilation warning in "`--watchfd`" code
+ * cleanup: replace all `write()` calls to the terminal with a wrapper `pv_write_retry()` for consistency
 
 1.7.0 - 17 July 2023
  * dropped: support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and its derivatives has been dropped; removed the RPM spec file, and will no longer build binaries
diff --git a/src/include/pv-internal.h b/src/include/pv-internal.h
index a7ad449..c36d072 100644
--- a/src/include/pv-internal.h
+++ b/src/include/pv-internal.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #ifndef _PV_INTERNAL_H
 #define _PV_INTERNAL_H 1
 
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
@@ -249,9 +250,11 @@ long pv_transfer(pvstate_t, int, int *, int *, unsigned long long, long *);
 void pv_set_buffer_size(unsigned long long, int);
 int pv_next_file(pvstate_t, int, int);
 
+void pv_write_retry(int, const char *, size_t);
+
 void pv_crs_fini(pvstate_t);
 void pv_crs_init(pvstate_t);
-void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t, char *);
+void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t, const char *);
 #ifdef HAVE_IPC
 void pv_crs_needreinit(pvstate_t);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/pv/cursor.c b/src/pv/cursor.c
index 4f99a54..4d6973c 100644
--- a/src/pv/cursor.c
+++ b/src/pv/cursor.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
  * Write the given buffer to the given file descriptor, retrying until all
  * bytes have been written or an error has occurred.
  */
-static void write_retry(int fd, const char *buf, size_t count)
+void pv_write_retry(int fd, const char *buf, size_t count)
 {
 	while (count > 0) {
 		ssize_t nwritten;
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ static int pv_crs_get_ypos(int terminalfd)
 		debug("%s: %s", "tcsetattr (1) failed", strerror(errno));
 	}
 
-	write_retry(terminalfd, "\033[6n", 4);
+	pv_write_retry(terminalfd, "\033[6n", 4);
 
 	memset(cpr, 0, sizeof(cpr));
 
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ void pv_crs_init(pvstate_t state)
 		 * initial ypos.
 		 */
 		if (state->crs_y_start > 0)
-			write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 		pv_crs_unlock(state, fd);
 
 		if (state->crs_y_start < 1)
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ void pv_crs_reinit(pvstate_t state)
  * Output a single-line update, moving the cursor to the correct position to
  * do so.
  */
-void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t state, char *str)
+void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t state, const char *str)
 {
 	char pos[32];
 	int y;
@@ -552,9 +552,9 @@ void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t state, char *str)
 			memset(pos, 0, sizeof(pos));
 			(void) pv_snprintf(pos, sizeof(pos), "\033[%u;1H",
 					   state->height);
-			write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
 			for (; offs > 0; offs--) {
-				write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+				pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 			}
 
 			pv_crs_unlock(state, STDERR_FILENO);
@@ -579,8 +579,8 @@ void pv_crs_update(pvstate_t state, char *str)
 
 	pv_crs_lock(state, STDERR_FILENO);
 
-	write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
-	write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, str, strlen(str));
+	pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
+	pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, str, strlen(str));
 
 	pv_crs_unlock(state, STDERR_FILENO);
 }
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ void pv_crs_fini(pvstate_t state)
 
 	pv_crs_lock(state, STDERR_FILENO);
 
-	write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
+	pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, pos, strlen(pos));
 
 #ifdef HAVE_IPC
 	pv_crs_ipccount(state);
diff --git a/src/pv/display.c b/src/pv/display.c
index d4dbcd9..76f29c0 100644
--- a/src/pv/display.c
+++ b/src/pv/display.c
@@ -520,9 +520,10 @@ static void update_history_avg_rate(pvstate_t state, long long total_bytes,
  * If "total_bytes" is negative, then free all allocated memory and return
  * NULL.
  */
-static char *pv__format(pvstate_t state,
-			long double elapsed_sec,
-			long long bytes_since_last, long long total_bytes)
+static const char *pv__format(pvstate_t state,
+			      long double elapsed_sec,
+			      long long bytes_since_last,
+			      long long total_bytes)
 {
 	long double time_since_last, rate, average_rate;
 	long eta;
@@ -672,7 +673,7 @@ static char *pv__format(pvstate_t state,
 			}
 		} else {
 			(void) pv_snprintf(state->display_buffer,
-					   sizeof(state->display_buffer),
+					   state->display_buffer_size,
 					   "%.99s%ld\n", numericprefix,
 					   state->percentage);
 		}
@@ -1094,7 +1095,7 @@ static char *pv__format(pvstate_t state,
 void pv_display(pvstate_t state, long double esec, long long sl,
 		long long tot)
 {
-	char *display;
+	const char *display;
 
 	if (NULL == state)
 		return;
@@ -1115,7 +1116,7 @@ void pv_display(pvstate_t state, long double esec, long long sl,
 		return;
 
 	if (state->numeric) {
-		write(STDERR_FILENO, display, strlen(display));
+		pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, display, strlen(display));
 	} else if (state->cursor) {
 		if (state->force || pv_in_foreground()) {
 			pv_crs_update(state, display);
@@ -1123,8 +1124,9 @@ void pv_display(pvstate_t state, long double esec, long long sl,
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (state->force || pv_in_foreground()) {
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, display, strlen(display));
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, display,
+				       strlen(display));
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
 			state->display_visible = true;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/pv/loop.c b/src/pv/loop.c
index b99a633..1ecbcfa 100644
--- a/src/pv/loop.c
+++ b/src/pv/loop.c
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ int pv_main_loop(pvstate_t state)
 	} else {
 		if ((!state->numeric) && (!state->no_op)
 		    && (state->display_visible))
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 	}
 
 	if (state->pv_sig_abort)
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ int pv_watchfd_loop(pvstate_t state)
 	}
 
 	if (!state->numeric)
-		write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+		pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 
 	if (state->pv_sig_abort)
 		state->exit_status |= 32;
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 
 			if (displayed_lines > 0) {
 				debug("%s", "adding newline");
-				write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+				pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 			}
 
 			debug("%s %d [%d]: %Lf / %Ld / %Ld", "fd", fd, idx,
@@ -751,10 +751,10 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 		while (blank_lines > 0) {
 			unsigned int x;
 			if (displayed_lines > 0)
-				write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+				pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 			for (x = 0; x < state->width; x++)
-				write(STDERR_FILENO, " ", 1);
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
+				pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, " ", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
 			blank_lines--;
 			displayed_lines++;
 		}
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 		debug("%s: %d", "displayed lines", displayed_lines);
 
 		while (displayed_lines > 1) {
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, "\033[A", 3);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\033[A", 3);
 			displayed_lines--;
 		}
 	}
@@ -774,14 +774,14 @@ int pv_watchpid_loop(pvstate_t state)
 	while (blank_lines > 0) {
 		unsigned int x;
 		for (x = 0; x < state->width; x++)
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, " ", 1);
-		write(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, " ", 1);
+		pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\r", 1);
 		blank_lines--;
 		if (blank_lines > 0)
-			write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+			pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 	}
 	while (prev_displayed_lines > 1) {
-		write(STDERR_FILENO, "\033[A", 3);
+		pv_write_retry(STDERR_FILENO, "\033[A", 3);
 		prev_displayed_lines--;
 	}