diff --git a/include/ghostty.h b/include/ghostty.h
index f33428fb6..9d69f5d05 100644
--- a/include/ghostty.h
+++ b/include/ghostty.h
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ typedef void* ghostty_surface_t;
 typedef void* ghostty_inspector_t;
 
 // Enums are up top so we can reference them later.
-typedef enum {
-  GHOSTTY_SURFACE_KIND_SPLIT,
-  GHOSTTY_SURFACE_KIND_TAB,
-  GHOSTTY_SURFACE_KIND_WINDOW,
-} ghostty_surface_kind_e;
-
 typedef enum {
   GHOSTTY_PLATFORM_INVALID,
   GHOSTTY_PLATFORM_MACOS,
@@ -401,7 +395,6 @@ typedef union {
 } ghostty_platform_u;
 
 typedef struct {
-  ghostty_surface_kind_e kind;
   ghostty_platform_e platform_tag;
   ghostty_platform_u platform;
   void* userdata;
@@ -409,6 +402,7 @@ typedef struct {
   float font_size;
   const char* working_directory;
   const char* command;
+  void* _arena;
 } ghostty_surface_config_s;
 
 typedef void (*ghostty_runtime_wakeup_cb)(void*);
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Ghostty/SurfaceView.swift b/macos/Sources/Ghostty/SurfaceView.swift
index 8172b01b6..92d899300 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Ghostty/SurfaceView.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Ghostty/SurfaceView.swift
@@ -291,8 +291,6 @@ extension Ghostty {
     /// The configuration for a surface. For any configuration not set, defaults will be chosen from
     /// libghostty, usually from the Ghostty configuration.
     struct SurfaceConfiguration {
-        var kind: ghostty_surface_kind_e? = nil;
-
         /// Explicit font size to use in points
         var fontSize: Float32? = nil
         
@@ -305,7 +303,6 @@ extension Ghostty {
         init() {}
         
         init(from config: ghostty_surface_config_s) {
-            self.kind = config.kind;
             self.fontSize = config.font_size
             self.workingDirectory = String.init(cString: config.working_directory, encoding: .utf8)
             self.command = String.init(cString: config.command, encoding: .utf8)
@@ -337,7 +334,6 @@ extension Ghostty {
             #error("unsupported target")
             #endif
             
-            if let kind = kind { config.kind = kind }
             if let fontSize = fontSize { config.font_size = fontSize }
             if let workingDirectory = workingDirectory {
                 config.working_directory = (workingDirectory as NSString).utf8String
diff --git a/src/Surface.zig b/src/Surface.zig
index d8eb0865a..b1093de5f 100644
--- a/src/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/Surface.zig
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ config: DerivedConfig,
 child_exited: bool = false,
 
 /// The kind of surface.
-pub const Kind = enum(c_int) {
+pub const Kind = enum {
     split,
     tab,
     window,
diff --git a/src/apprt/embedded.zig b/src/apprt/embedded.zig
index 406fa0a11..148456fba 100644
--- a/src/apprt/embedded.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/embedded.zig
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const assert = std.debug.assert;
 const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
+const ArenaAllocator = std.heap.ArenaAllocator;
 const objc = @import("objc");
 const apprt = @import("../apprt.zig");
 const font = @import("../font/main.zig");
@@ -308,9 +309,6 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
 
     /// Surface initialization options.
     pub const Options = extern struct {
-        /// The initial kind of surface.
-        kind: CoreSurface.Kind = .window,
-
         /// The platform that this surface is being initialized for and
         /// the associated platform-specific configuration.
         platform_tag: c_int = 0,
@@ -332,6 +330,17 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
         /// the "wait-after-command" option is also automatically set to true,
         /// since this is used for scripting.
         command: [*:0]const u8 = "",
+
+        _arena: ?*anyopaque = null,
+
+        pub fn deinit(self: *Options) void {
+            if (self._arena) |ptr| {
+                const arena: *ArenaAllocator = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ptr));
+                const alloc = arena.child_allocator;
+                arena.deinit();
+                alloc.destroy(arena);
+            }
+        }
     };
 
     /// This is the key event sent for ghostty_surface_key.
@@ -368,7 +377,7 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
         errdefer app.core_app.deleteSurface(self);
 
         // Shallow copy the config so that we can modify it.
-        var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(app.core_app, app.config, opts.kind);
+        var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(app.core_app, app.config);
         defer config.deinit();
 
         // If we have a working directory from the options then we set it.
@@ -476,7 +485,7 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
             return;
         };
 
-        const options = self.newSurfaceOptions(.split);
+        const options = try self.newSurfaceOptions(.split);
         func(self.userdata, direction, options);
     }
 
@@ -1027,7 +1036,7 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
             return;
         };
 
-        const options = self.newSurfaceOptions(.tab);
+        const options = try self.newSurfaceOptions(.tab);
         func(self.userdata, options);
     }
 
@@ -1037,7 +1046,7 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
             return;
         };
 
-        const options = self.newSurfaceOptions(.window);
+        const options = try self.newSurfaceOptions(.window);
         func(self.userdata, options);
     }
 
@@ -1068,15 +1077,44 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
         func(self.userdata, width, height);
     }
 
-    fn newSurfaceOptions(self: *const Surface, kind: CoreSurface.Kind) apprt.Surface.Options {
+    fn newSurfaceOptions(self: *const Surface, kind: CoreSurface.Kind) !apprt.Surface.Options {
         const font_size: f32 = font_size: {
             if (!self.app.config.@"window-inherit-font-size") break :font_size 0;
             break :font_size self.core_surface.font_size.points;
         };
 
+        const working_directory: [*:0]const u8, const arena: ?*ArenaAllocator = dir: {
+            const prev = self.app.core_app.focusedSurface();
+            if (prev) |p| {
+                const inherit_pwd: bool = switch (kind) {
+                    .split => self.app.config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".split,
+                    .tab => self.app.config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".tab,
+                    .window => self.app.config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".window,
+                };
+                if (inherit_pwd) {
+                    const app_alloc = self.app.core_app.alloc;
+
+                    var arena = try app_alloc.create(ArenaAllocator);
+                    errdefer app_alloc.destroy(arena);
+
+                    arena.* = ArenaAllocator.init(app_alloc);
+                    errdefer arena.deinit();
+
+                    const arena_alloc = arena.allocator();
+
+                    if (try p.pwd(app_alloc)) |pwd| {
+                        defer app_alloc.free(pwd);
+                        break :dir .{ try arena_alloc.dupeZ(u8, pwd), arena };
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            break :dir .{ "", null };
+        };
+
         return .{
-            .kind = kind,
             .font_size = font_size,
+            .working_directory = working_directory,
+            ._arena = arena,
         };
     }
 
@@ -1503,6 +1541,7 @@ pub const CAPI = struct {
         app: *App,
         opts: *const apprt.Surface.Options,
     ) !*Surface {
+        defer @constCast(opts).deinit();
         return try app.newSurface(opts.*);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/apprt/glfw.zig b/src/apprt/glfw.zig
index a50ce4f2a..81063bc69 100644
--- a/src/apprt/glfw.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/glfw.zig
@@ -448,8 +448,7 @@ pub const Surface = struct {
         errdefer app.app.deleteSurface(self);
 
         // Get our new surface config
-        const kind: CoreSurface.Kind = .window; // TODO
-        var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(app.app, &app.config, kind);
+        var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(app.app, &app.config);
         defer config.deinit();
 
         // Initialize our surface now that we have the stable pointer.
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
index 29b6c9ab5..ee6c6869e 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
@@ -543,8 +543,7 @@ fn realize(self: *Surface) !void {
     errdefer self.app.core_app.deleteSurface(self);
 
     // Get our new surface config
-    const kind: CoreSurface.Kind = .window; // TODO
-    var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(self.app.core_app, &self.app.config, kind);
+    var config = try apprt.surface.newConfig(self.app.core_app, &self.app.config);
     defer config.deinit();
     if (!self.parent_surface) {
         // A hack, see the "parent_surface" field for more information.
diff --git a/src/apprt/surface.zig b/src/apprt/surface.zig
index 92ed85b68..384cce0a2 100644
--- a/src/apprt/surface.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/surface.zig
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-const std = @import("std");
 const apprt = @import("../apprt.zig");
 const App = @import("../App.zig");
 const Surface = @import("../Surface.zig");
@@ -86,27 +85,7 @@ pub const Mailbox = struct {
 /// Returns a new config for a surface for the given app that should be
 /// used for any new surfaces. The resulting config should be deinitialized
 /// after the surface is initialized.
-pub fn newConfig(app: *const App, config: *const Config, kind: Surface.Kind) !Config {
+pub fn newConfig(app: *const App, config: *const Config) !Config {
     // Create a shallow clone
-    var copy = config.shallowClone(app.alloc);
-
-    // Our allocator is our config's arena
-    const alloc = copy._arena.?.allocator();
-
-    // Get our previously focused surface for some inherited values.
-    const prev = app.focusedSurface();
-    if (prev) |p| {
-        const inherit_pwd: bool = switch (kind) {
-            .split => config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".split,
-            .tab => config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".tab,
-            .window => config.@"window-inherit-working-directory".window,
-        };
-        if (inherit_pwd) {
-            if (try p.pwd(alloc)) |pwd| {
-                copy.@"working-directory" = pwd;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    return copy;
+    return config.shallowClone(app.alloc);
 }