diff --git a/pkg/iostreams/iostreams.go b/pkg/iostreams/iostreams.go
index 7844910ac..0caa677df 100644
--- a/pkg/iostreams/iostreams.go
+++ b/pkg/iostreams/iostreams.go
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ func (s *IOStreams) StartAlternateScreenBuffer() {
 func (s *IOStreams) StopAlternateScreenBuffer() {
 	if s.alternateScreenBufferActive {
 		fmt.Fprint(s.Out, "\x1b[?1049l")
+		s.alternateScreenBufferActive = false
 	}
 }
 
@@ -403,10 +404,10 @@ func System() *IOStreams {
 	stdoutIsTTY := isTerminal(os.Stdout)
 	stderrIsTTY := isTerminal(os.Stderr)
 
-	assumeTrueColor := false
+	isVirtualTerminal := false
 	if stdoutIsTTY {
 		if err := enableVirtualTerminalProcessing(os.Stdout); err == nil {
-			assumeTrueColor = true
+			isVirtualTerminal = true
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -416,8 +417,8 @@ func System() *IOStreams {
 		Out:          colorable.NewColorable(os.Stdout),
 		ErrOut:       colorable.NewColorable(os.Stderr),
 		colorEnabled: EnvColorForced() || (!EnvColorDisabled() && stdoutIsTTY),
-		is256enabled: assumeTrueColor || Is256ColorSupported(),
-		hasTrueColor: assumeTrueColor || IsTrueColorSupported(),
+		is256enabled: isVirtualTerminal || Is256ColorSupported(),
+		hasTrueColor: isVirtualTerminal || IsTrueColorSupported(),
 		pagerCommand: os.Getenv("PAGER"),
 		ttySize:      ttySize,
 	}
@@ -426,7 +427,7 @@ func System() *IOStreams {
 		io.progressIndicatorEnabled = true
 	}
 
-	if stdoutIsTTY && assumeTrueColor {
+	if stdoutIsTTY && isVirtualTerminal {
 		io.alternateScreenBufferEnabled = true
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/iostreams/iostreams_test.go b/pkg/iostreams/iostreams_test.go
index fc4ead08b..6b3aa5026 100644
--- a/pkg/iostreams/iostreams_test.go
+++ b/pkg/iostreams/iostreams_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package iostreams
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -66,3 +67,20 @@ func TestIOStreams_ForceTerminal(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestStopAlternateScreenBuffer(t *testing.T) {
+	ios, _, stdout, _ := Test()
+	ios.SetAlternateScreenBufferEnabled(true)
+
+	ios.StartAlternateScreenBuffer()
+	fmt.Fprint(ios.Out, "test")
+	ios.StopAlternateScreenBuffer()
+
+	// Stopping a subsequent time should no-op.
+	ios.StopAlternateScreenBuffer()
+
+	const want = "\x1b[?1049htest\x1b[?1049l"
+	if got := stdout.String(); got != want {
+		t.Errorf("after IOStreams.StopAlternateScreenBuffer() got %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}