diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index b40acaa74..f506a62b2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        dir: [c-vt, c-vt-key-encode, c-vt-paste, zig-vt, zig-vt-stream]
+        dir:
+          [c-vt, c-vt-key-encode, c-vt-paste, c-vt-sgr, zig-vt, zig-vt-stream]
     name: Example ${{ matrix.dir }}
     runs-on: namespace-profile-ghostty-sm
     needs: test
diff --git a/example/c-vt-sgr/README.md b/example/c-vt-sgr/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c89e1aec9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/c-vt-sgr/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Example: `ghostty-vt` SGR Parser
+
+This contains a simple example of how to use the `ghostty-vt` SGR parser
+to parse terminal styling sequences and extract text attributes.
+
+This example demonstrates parsing a complex SGR sequence from Kakoune that
+includes curly underline, RGB foreground/background colors, and RGB underline
+color with mixed semicolon and colon separators.
+
+This uses a `build.zig` and `Zig` to build the C program so that we
+can reuse a lot of our build logic and depend directly on our source
+tree, but Ghostty emits a standard C library that can be used with any
+C tooling.
+
+## Usage
+
+Run the program:
+
+```shell-session
+zig build run
+```
diff --git a/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig b/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea6ea6e1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+
+pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
+    const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});
+    const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
+
+    const run_step = b.step("run", "Run the app");
+
+    const exe_mod = b.createModule(.{
+        .target = target,
+        .optimize = optimize,
+    });
+    exe_mod.addCSourceFiles(.{
+        .root = b.path("src"),
+        .files = &.{"main.c"},
+    });
+
+    // You'll want to use a lazy dependency here so that ghostty is only
+    // downloaded if you actually need it.
+    if (b.lazyDependency("ghostty", .{
+        // Setting simd to false will force a pure static build that
+        // doesn't even require libc, but it has a significant performance
+        // penalty. If your embedding app requires libc anyway, you should
+        // always keep simd enabled.
+        // .simd = false,
+    })) |dep| {
+        exe_mod.linkLibrary(dep.artifact("ghostty-vt"));
+    }
+
+    // Exe
+    const exe = b.addExecutable(.{
+        .name = "c_vt_sgr",
+        .root_module = exe_mod,
+    });
+    b.installArtifact(exe);
+
+    // Run
+    const run_cmd = b.addRunArtifact(exe);
+    run_cmd.step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
+    if (b.args) |args| run_cmd.addArgs(args);
+    run_step.dependOn(&run_cmd.step);
+}
diff --git a/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig.zon b/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig.zon
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d33b0897
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/c-vt-sgr/build.zig.zon
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+.{
+    .name = .c_vt_sgr,
+    .version = "0.0.0",
+    .fingerprint = 0x6e9c6d318e59c268,
+    .minimum_zig_version = "0.15.1",
+    .dependencies = .{
+        // Ghostty dependency. In reality, you'd probably use a URL-based
+        // dependency like the one showed (and commented out) below this one.
+        // We use a path dependency here for simplicity and to ensure our
+        // examples always test against the source they're bundled with.
+        .ghostty = .{ .path = "../../" },
+
+        // Example of what a URL-based dependency looks like:
+        // .ghostty = .{
+        //     .url = "https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty/archive/COMMIT.tar.gz",
+        //     .hash = "N-V-__8AAMVLTABmYkLqhZPLXnMl-KyN38R8UVYqGrxqO36s",
+        // },
+    },
+    .paths = .{
+        "build.zig",
+        "build.zig.zon",
+        "src",
+    },
+}
diff --git a/example/c-vt-sgr/src/main.c b/example/c-vt-sgr/src/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21a529726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/c-vt-sgr/src/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <ghostty/vt.h>
+
+int main() {
+  // Create parser
+  GhosttySgrParser parser;
+  GhosttyResult result = ghostty_sgr_new(NULL, &parser);
+  assert(result == GHOSTTY_SUCCESS);
+
+  // Parse a complex SGR sequence from Kakoune
+  // This corresponds to the escape sequence:
+  // ESC[4:3;38;2;51;51;51;48;2;170;170;170;58;2;255;97;136m
+  //
+  // Breaking down the sequence:
+  // - 4:3 = curly underline (colon-separated sub-parameters)
+  // - 38;2;51;51;51 = foreground RGB color (51, 51, 51) - dark gray
+  // - 48;2;170;170;170 = background RGB color (170, 170, 170) - light gray
+  // - 58;2;255;97;136 = underline RGB color (255, 97, 136) - pink
+  uint16_t params[] = {4, 3, 38, 2, 51, 51, 51, 48, 2, 170, 170, 170, 58, 2, 255, 97, 136};
+  
+  // Separator array: ':' at position 0 (between 4 and 3), ';' elsewhere
+  char separators[] = ";;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;";
+  separators[0] = ':';
+  
+  result = ghostty_sgr_set_params(parser, params, separators, sizeof(params) / sizeof(params[0]));
+  assert(result == GHOSTTY_SUCCESS);
+
+  printf("Parsing Kakoune SGR sequence:\n");
+  printf("ESC[4:3;38;2;51;51;51;48;2;170;170;170;58;2;255;97;136m\n\n");
+
+  // Iterate through attributes
+  GhosttySgrAttribute attr;
+  int count = 0;
+  while (ghostty_sgr_next(parser, &attr)) {
+    count++;
+    printf("Attribute %d: ", count);
+    
+    switch (attr.tag) {
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNDERLINE:
+        printf("Underline style = ");
+        switch (attr.value.underline) {
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_NONE:
+            printf("none\n");
+            break;
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_SINGLE:
+            printf("single\n");
+            break;
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DOUBLE:
+            printf("double\n");
+            break;
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_CURLY:
+            printf("curly\n");
+            break;
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DOTTED:
+            printf("dotted\n");
+            break;
+          case GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DASHED:
+            printf("dashed\n");
+            break;
+          default:
+            printf("unknown (%d)\n", attr.value.underline);
+            break;
+        }
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_DIRECT_COLOR_FG:
+        printf("Foreground RGB = (%d, %d, %d)\n",
+               attr.value.direct_color_fg.r,
+               attr.value.direct_color_fg.g,
+               attr.value.direct_color_fg.b);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_DIRECT_COLOR_BG:
+        printf("Background RGB = (%d, %d, %d)\n",
+               attr.value.direct_color_bg.r,
+               attr.value.direct_color_bg.g,
+               attr.value.direct_color_bg.b);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNDERLINE_COLOR:
+        printf("Underline color RGB = (%d, %d, %d)\n",
+               attr.value.underline_color.r,
+               attr.value.underline_color.g,
+               attr.value.underline_color.b);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FG_8:
+        printf("Foreground 8-color = %d\n", attr.value.fg_8);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BG_8:
+        printf("Background 8-color = %d\n", attr.value.bg_8);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FG_256:
+        printf("Foreground 256-color = %d\n", attr.value.fg_256);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BG_256:
+        printf("Background 256-color = %d\n", attr.value.bg_256);
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BOLD:
+        printf("Bold\n");
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_ITALIC:
+        printf("Italic\n");
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNSET:
+        printf("Reset all attributes\n");
+        break;
+
+      case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNKNOWN:
+        printf("Unknown attribute\n");
+        break;
+
+      default:
+        printf("Other attribute (tag=%d)\n", attr.tag);
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  printf("\nTotal attributes parsed: %d\n", count);
+
+  // Cleanup
+  ghostty_sgr_free(parser);
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/include/ghostty/vt.h b/include/ghostty/vt.h
index e6d922009..4f8fef88e 100644
--- a/include/ghostty/vt.h
+++ b/include/ghostty/vt.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
  * The API is organized into the following groups:
  * - @ref key "Key Encoding" - Encode key events into terminal sequences
  * - @ref osc "OSC Parser" - Parse OSC (Operating System Command) sequences
+ * - @ref sgr "SGR Parser" - Parse SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) sequences
  * - @ref paste "Paste Utilities" - Validate paste data safety
  * - @ref allocator "Memory Management" - Memory management and custom allocators
  * - @ref wasm "WebAssembly Utilities" - WebAssembly convenience functions
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
  * - @ref c-vt/src/main.c - OSC parser example
  * - @ref c-vt-key-encode/src/main.c - Key encoding example
  * - @ref c-vt-paste/src/main.c - Paste safety check example
+ * - @ref c-vt-sgr/src/main.c - SGR parser example
  *
  */
 
@@ -58,6 +60,11 @@
  * paste data is safe before sending it to the terminal.
  */
 
+/** @example c-vt-sgr/src/main.c
+ * This example demonstrates how to use the SGR parser to parse terminal
+ * styling sequences and extract text attributes like colors and underline styles.
+ */
+
 #ifndef GHOSTTY_VT_H
 #define GHOSTTY_VT_H
 
@@ -68,6 +75,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <ghostty/vt/result.h>
 #include <ghostty/vt/allocator.h>
 #include <ghostty/vt/osc.h>
+#include <ghostty/vt/sgr.h>
 #include <ghostty/vt/key.h>
 #include <ghostty/vt/paste.h>
 #include <ghostty/vt/wasm.h>
diff --git a/include/ghostty/vt/color.h b/include/ghostty/vt/color.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e7fe6f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ghostty/vt/color.h
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/**
+ * @file color.h
+ *
+ * Color types and utilities.
+ */
+
+#ifndef GHOSTTY_VT_COLOR_H
+#define GHOSTTY_VT_COLOR_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * RGB color value.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef struct {
+  uint8_t r; /**< Red component (0-255) */
+  uint8_t g; /**< Green component (0-255) */
+  uint8_t b; /**< Blue component (0-255) */
+} GhosttyColorRgb;
+
+/**
+ * Palette color index (0-255).
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef uint8_t GhosttyColorPaletteIndex;
+
+/** @addtogroup sgr
+ * @{
+ */
+
+/** Black color (0) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BLACK 0
+/** Red color (1) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_RED 1
+/** Green color (2) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_GREEN 2
+/** Yellow color (3) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_YELLOW 3
+/** Blue color (4) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BLUE 4
+/** Magenta color (5) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_MAGENTA 5
+/** Cyan color (6) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_CYAN 6
+/** White color (7) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_WHITE 7
+/** Bright black color (8) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_BLACK 8
+/** Bright red color (9) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_RED 9
+/** Bright green color (10) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_GREEN 10
+/** Bright yellow color (11) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_YELLOW 11
+/** Bright blue color (12) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_BLUE 12
+/** Bright magenta color (13) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_MAGENTA 13
+/** Bright cyan color (14) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_CYAN 14
+/** Bright white color (15) @ingroup sgr */
+#define GHOSTTY_COLOR_NAMED_BRIGHT_WHITE 15
+
+/** @} */
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif /* GHOSTTY_VT_COLOR_H */
diff --git a/include/ghostty/vt/result.h b/include/ghostty/vt/result.h
index cc382eade..65938ee76 100644
--- a/include/ghostty/vt/result.h
+++ b/include/ghostty/vt/result.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ typedef enum {
     GHOSTTY_SUCCESS = 0,
     /** Operation failed due to failed allocation */
     GHOSTTY_OUT_OF_MEMORY = -1,
+    /** Operation failed due to invalid value */
+    GHOSTTY_INVALID_VALUE = -2,
 } GhosttyResult;
 
 #endif /* GHOSTTY_VT_RESULT_H */
diff --git a/include/ghostty/vt/sgr.h b/include/ghostty/vt/sgr.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a296a280a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ghostty/vt/sgr.h
@@ -0,0 +1,306 @@
+/**
+ * @file sgr.h
+ *
+ * SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) attribute parsing and handling.
+ */
+
+#ifndef GHOSTTY_VT_SGR_H
+#define GHOSTTY_VT_SGR_H
+
+/** @defgroup sgr SGR Parser
+ *
+ * SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) attribute parser.
+ *
+ * SGR sequences are the syntax used to set styling attributes such as
+ * bold, italic, underline, and colors for text in terminal emulators.
+ * For example, you may be familiar with sequences like `ESC[1;31m`. The
+ * `1;31` is the SGR attribute list.
+ *
+ * The parser processes SGR parameters from CSI sequences (e.g., `ESC[1;31m`)
+ * and returns individual text attributes like bold, italic, colors, etc.
+ * It supports both semicolon (`;`) and colon (`:`) separators, possibly mixed, 
+ * and handles various color formats including 8-color, 16-color, 256-color, 
+ * X11 named colors, and RGB in multiple formats. 
+ *
+ * ## Basic Usage
+ *
+ * 1. Create a parser instance with ghostty_sgr_new()
+ * 2. Set SGR parameters with ghostty_sgr_set_params()
+ * 3. Iterate through attributes using ghostty_sgr_next()
+ * 4. Free the parser with ghostty_sgr_free() when done
+ *
+ * ## Example
+ *
+ * @code{.c}
+ * #include <assert.h>
+ * #include <stdio.h>
+ * #include <ghostty/vt.h>
+ * 
+ * int main() {
+ *   // Create parser
+ *   GhosttySgrParser parser;
+ *   GhosttyResult result = ghostty_sgr_new(NULL, &parser);
+ *   assert(result == GHOSTTY_SUCCESS);
+ * 
+ *   // Parse "bold, red foreground" sequence: ESC[1;31m
+ *   uint16_t params[] = {1, 31};
+ *   result = ghostty_sgr_set_params(parser, params, NULL, 2);
+ *   assert(result == GHOSTTY_SUCCESS);
+ * 
+ *   // Iterate through attributes
+ *   GhosttySgrAttribute attr;
+ *   while (ghostty_sgr_next(parser, &attr)) {
+ *     switch (attr.tag) {
+ *       case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BOLD:
+ *         printf("Bold enabled\n");
+ *         break;
+ *       case GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FG_8:
+ *         printf("Foreground color: %d\n", attr.value.fg_8);
+ *         break;
+ *       default:
+ *         break;
+ *     }
+ *   }
+ * 
+ *   // Cleanup
+ *   ghostty_sgr_free(parser);
+ *   return 0;
+ * }
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * @{
+ */
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <ghostty/vt/result.h>
+#include <ghostty/vt/allocator.h>
+#include <ghostty/vt/color.h>
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+/**
+ * Opaque handle to an SGR parser instance.
+ * 
+ * This handle represents an SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) parser that can
+ * be used to parse SGR sequences and extract individual text attributes.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef struct GhosttySgrParser *GhosttySgrParser;
+
+/**
+ * SGR attribute tags.
+ *
+ * These values identify the type of an SGR attribute in a tagged union.
+ * Use the tag to determine which field in the attribute value union to access.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef enum {
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNSET = 0,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNKNOWN = 1,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BOLD = 2,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_BOLD = 3,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_ITALIC = 4,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_ITALIC = 5,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FAINT = 6,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNDERLINE = 7,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_UNDERLINE = 8,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNDERLINE_COLOR = 9,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_UNDERLINE_COLOR_256 = 10,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_UNDERLINE_COLOR = 11,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_OVERLINE = 12,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_OVERLINE = 13,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BLINK = 14,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_BLINK = 15,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_INVERSE = 16,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_INVERSE = 17,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_INVISIBLE = 18,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_INVISIBLE = 19,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_STRIKETHROUGH = 20,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_STRIKETHROUGH = 21,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_DIRECT_COLOR_FG = 22,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_DIRECT_COLOR_BG = 23,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BG_8 = 24,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FG_8 = 25,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_FG = 26,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_RESET_BG = 27,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BRIGHT_BG_8 = 28,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BRIGHT_FG_8 = 29,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BG_256 = 30,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_FG_256 = 31,
+} GhosttySgrAttributeTag;
+
+/**
+ * Underline style types.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef enum {
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_NONE = 0,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_SINGLE = 1,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DOUBLE = 2,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_CURLY = 3,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DOTTED = 4,
+  GHOSTTY_SGR_UNDERLINE_DASHED = 5,
+} GhosttySgrUnderline;
+
+/**
+ * Unknown SGR attribute data.
+ *
+ * Contains the full parameter list and the partial list where parsing
+ * encountered an unknown or invalid sequence.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef struct {
+  const uint16_t *full_ptr;
+  size_t full_len;
+  const uint16_t *partial_ptr;
+  size_t partial_len;
+} GhosttySgrUnknown;
+
+/**
+ * SGR attribute value union.
+ *
+ * This union contains all possible attribute values. Use the tag field
+ * to determine which union member is active. Attributes without associated
+ * data (like bold, italic) don't use the union value.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef union {
+  GhosttySgrUnknown unknown;
+  GhosttySgrUnderline underline;
+  GhosttyColorRgb underline_color;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex underline_color_256;
+  GhosttyColorRgb direct_color_fg;
+  GhosttyColorRgb direct_color_bg;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex bg_8;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex fg_8;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex bright_bg_8;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex bright_fg_8;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex bg_256;
+  GhosttyColorPaletteIndex fg_256;
+  uint64_t _padding[8];
+} GhosttySgrAttributeValue;
+
+/**
+ * SGR attribute (tagged union).
+ *
+ * A complete SGR attribute with both its type tag and associated value.
+ * Always check the tag field to determine which value union member is valid.
+ *
+ * Attributes without associated data (e.g., GHOSTTY_SGR_ATTR_BOLD) can be
+ * identified by tag alone; the value union is not used for these and 
+ * the memory in the value field is undefined.
+ *
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+typedef struct {
+  GhosttySgrAttributeTag tag;
+  GhosttySgrAttributeValue value;
+} GhosttySgrAttribute;
+
+/**
+ * Create a new SGR parser instance.
+ * 
+ * Creates a new SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) parser using the provided
+ * allocator. The parser must be freed using ghostty_sgr_free() when
+ * no longer needed.
+ * 
+ * @param allocator Pointer to the allocator to use for memory management, or NULL to use the default allocator
+ * @param parser Pointer to store the created parser handle
+ * @return GHOSTTY_SUCCESS on success, or an error code on failure
+ * 
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+GhosttyResult ghostty_sgr_new(const GhosttyAllocator *allocator, GhosttySgrParser *parser);
+
+/**
+ * Free an SGR parser instance.
+ * 
+ * Releases all resources associated with the SGR parser. After this call,
+ * the parser handle becomes invalid and must not be used. This includes
+ * any attributes previously returned by ghostty_sgr_next().
+ * 
+ * @param parser The parser handle to free (may be NULL)
+ * 
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+void ghostty_sgr_free(GhosttySgrParser parser);
+
+/**
+ * Reset an SGR parser instance to the beginning of the parameter list.
+ * 
+ * Resets the parser's iteration state without clearing the parameters.
+ * After calling this, ghostty_sgr_next() will start from the beginning
+ * of the parameter list again.
+ * 
+ * @param parser The parser handle to reset, must not be NULL
+ * 
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+void ghostty_sgr_reset(GhosttySgrParser parser);
+
+/**
+ * Set SGR parameters for parsing.
+ * 
+ * Sets the SGR parameter list to parse. Parameters are the numeric values
+ * from a CSI SGR sequence (e.g., for `ESC[1;31m`, params would be {1, 31}).
+ * 
+ * The separators array optionally specifies the separator type for each
+ * parameter position. Each byte should be either ';' for semicolon or ':'
+ * for colon. This is needed for certain color formats that use colon
+ * separators (e.g., `ESC[4:3m` for curly underline). Any invalid separator
+ * values are treated as semicolons. The separators array must have the same 
+ * length as the params array, if it is not NULL.
+ * 
+ * If separators is NULL, all parameters are assumed to be semicolon-separated.
+ * 
+ * This function makes an internal copy of the parameter and separator data,
+ * so the caller can safely free or modify the input arrays after this call.
+ * 
+ * After calling this function, the parser is automatically reset and ready
+ * to iterate from the beginning.
+ * 
+ * @param parser The parser handle, must not be NULL
+ * @param params Array of SGR parameter values
+ * @param separators Optional array of separator characters (';' or ':'), or NULL
+ * @param len Number of parameters (and separators if provided)
+ * @return GHOSTTY_SUCCESS on success, or an error code on failure
+ * 
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+GhosttyResult ghostty_sgr_set_params(
+    GhosttySgrParser parser,
+    const uint16_t *params,
+    const char *separators,
+    size_t len);
+
+/**
+ * Get the next SGR attribute.
+ * 
+ * Parses and returns the next attribute from the parameter list.
+ * Call this function repeatedly until it returns false to process
+ * all attributes in the sequence.
+ * 
+ * @param parser The parser handle, must not be NULL
+ * @param attr Pointer to store the next attribute
+ * @return true if an attribute was returned, false if no more attributes
+ * 
+ * @ingroup sgr
+ */
+bool ghostty_sgr_next(GhosttySgrParser parser, GhosttySgrAttribute *attr);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+/** @} */
+
+#endif /* GHOSTTY_VT_SGR_H */
diff --git a/src/lib_vt.zig b/src/lib_vt.zig
index c66e5ab39..e1aa69659 100644
--- a/src/lib_vt.zig
+++ b/src/lib_vt.zig
@@ -98,13 +98,6 @@ comptime {
     // we want to reference the C API so that it gets exported.
     if (@import("root") == lib) {
         const c = terminal.c_api;
-        @export(&c.osc_new, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_new" });
-        @export(&c.osc_free, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_free" });
-        @export(&c.osc_next, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_next" });
-        @export(&c.osc_reset, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_reset" });
-        @export(&c.osc_end, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_end" });
-        @export(&c.osc_command_type, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_command_type" });
-        @export(&c.osc_command_data, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_command_data" });
         @export(&c.key_event_new, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_event_new" });
         @export(&c.key_event_free, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_event_free" });
         @export(&c.key_event_set_action, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_event_set_action" });
@@ -125,7 +118,19 @@ comptime {
         @export(&c.key_encoder_free, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_encoder_free" });
         @export(&c.key_encoder_setopt, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_encoder_setopt" });
         @export(&c.key_encoder_encode, .{ .name = "ghostty_key_encoder_encode" });
+        @export(&c.osc_new, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_new" });
+        @export(&c.osc_free, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_free" });
+        @export(&c.osc_next, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_next" });
+        @export(&c.osc_reset, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_reset" });
+        @export(&c.osc_end, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_end" });
+        @export(&c.osc_command_type, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_command_type" });
+        @export(&c.osc_command_data, .{ .name = "ghostty_osc_command_data" });
         @export(&c.paste_is_safe, .{ .name = "ghostty_paste_is_safe" });
+        @export(&c.sgr_new, .{ .name = "ghostty_sgr_new" });
+        @export(&c.sgr_free, .{ .name = "ghostty_sgr_free" });
+        @export(&c.sgr_reset, .{ .name = "ghostty_sgr_reset" });
+        @export(&c.sgr_set_params, .{ .name = "ghostty_sgr_set_params" });
+        @export(&c.sgr_next, .{ .name = "ghostty_sgr_next" });
 
         // On Wasm we need to export our allocator convenience functions.
         if (builtin.target.cpu.arch.isWasm()) {
diff --git a/src/terminal/c/main.zig b/src/terminal/c/main.zig
index f68333d9b..b935b264d 100644
--- a/src/terminal/c/main.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/c/main.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ pub const osc = @import("osc.zig");
 pub const key_event = @import("key_event.zig");
 pub const key_encode = @import("key_encode.zig");
 pub const paste = @import("paste.zig");
+pub const sgr = @import("sgr.zig");
 
 // The full C API, unexported.
 pub const osc_new = osc.new;
@@ -12,6 +13,12 @@ pub const osc_end = osc.end;
 pub const osc_command_type = osc.commandType;
 pub const osc_command_data = osc.commandData;
 
+pub const sgr_new = sgr.new;
+pub const sgr_free = sgr.free;
+pub const sgr_reset = sgr.reset;
+pub const sgr_set_params = sgr.setParams;
+pub const sgr_next = sgr.next;
+
 pub const key_event_new = key_event.new;
 pub const key_event_free = key_event.free;
 pub const key_event_set_action = key_event.set_action;
@@ -41,6 +48,7 @@ test {
     _ = key_event;
     _ = key_encode;
     _ = paste;
+    _ = sgr;
 
     // We want to make sure we run the tests for the C allocator interface.
     _ = @import("../../lib/allocator.zig");
diff --git a/src/terminal/c/result.zig b/src/terminal/c/result.zig
index a2ebc9b69..e9b5fc5e6 100644
--- a/src/terminal/c/result.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/c/result.zig
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@
 pub const Result = enum(c_int) {
     success = 0,
     out_of_memory = -1,
+    invalid_value = -2,
 };
diff --git a/src/terminal/c/sgr.zig b/src/terminal/c/sgr.zig
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f01a8a25b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/terminal/c/sgr.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const assert = std.debug.assert;
+const testing = std.testing;
+const Allocator = std.mem.Allocator;
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
+const lib_alloc = @import("../../lib/allocator.zig");
+const CAllocator = lib_alloc.Allocator;
+const sgr = @import("../sgr.zig");
+const Result = @import("result.zig").Result;
+
+const log = std.log.scoped(.sgr);
+
+/// Wrapper around parser that tracks the allocator for C API usage.
+const ParserWrapper = struct {
+    parser: sgr.Parser,
+    alloc: Allocator,
+};
+
+/// C: GhosttySgrParser
+pub const Parser = ?*ParserWrapper;
+
+pub fn new(
+    alloc_: ?*const CAllocator,
+    result: *Parser,
+) callconv(.c) Result {
+    const alloc = lib_alloc.default(alloc_);
+    const ptr = alloc.create(ParserWrapper) catch
+        return .out_of_memory;
+    ptr.* = .{
+        .parser = .empty,
+        .alloc = alloc,
+    };
+    result.* = ptr;
+    return .success;
+}
+
+pub fn free(parser_: Parser) callconv(.c) void {
+    const wrapper = parser_ orelse return;
+    const alloc = wrapper.alloc;
+    const parser: *sgr.Parser = &wrapper.parser;
+    if (parser.params.len > 0) alloc.free(parser.params);
+    alloc.destroy(wrapper);
+}
+
+pub fn reset(parser_: Parser) callconv(.c) void {
+    const wrapper = parser_ orelse return;
+    const parser: *sgr.Parser = &wrapper.parser;
+    parser.idx = 0;
+}
+
+pub fn setParams(
+    parser_: Parser,
+    params: [*]const u16,
+    seps_: ?[*]const u8,
+    len: usize,
+) callconv(.c) Result {
+    const wrapper = parser_ orelse return .invalid_value;
+    const alloc = wrapper.alloc;
+    const parser: *sgr.Parser = &wrapper.parser;
+
+    // Copy our new parameters
+    const params_slice = alloc.dupe(u16, params[0..len]) catch
+        return .out_of_memory;
+    if (parser.params.len > 0) alloc.free(parser.params);
+    parser.params = params_slice;
+
+    // If we have separators, set that state too.
+    parser.params_sep = .initEmpty();
+    if (seps_) |seps| {
+        if (len > @TypeOf(parser.params_sep).bit_length) {
+            log.warn("ghostty_sgr_set_params: separators length {} exceeds max supported length {}", .{
+                len,
+                @TypeOf(parser.params_sep).bit_length,
+            });
+            return .invalid_value;
+        }
+
+        for (seps[0..len], 0..) |sep, i| {
+            if (sep == ':') parser.params_sep.set(i);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Reset our parsing state
+    parser.idx = 0;
+
+    return .success;
+}
+
+pub fn next(
+    parser_: Parser,
+    result: *sgr.Attribute.C,
+) callconv(.c) bool {
+    const wrapper = parser_ orelse return false;
+    const parser: *sgr.Parser = &wrapper.parser;
+    if (parser.next()) |attr| {
+        result.* = attr.cval();
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+test "alloc" {
+    var p: Parser = undefined;
+    try testing.expectEqual(Result.success, new(
+        &lib_alloc.test_allocator,
+        &p,
+    ));
+    free(p);
+}
+
+test "simple params, no seps" {
+    var p: Parser = undefined;
+    try testing.expectEqual(Result.success, new(
+        &lib_alloc.test_allocator,
+        &p,
+    ));
+    defer free(p);
+
+    try testing.expectEqual(Result.success, setParams(
+        p,
+        &.{1},
+        null,
+        1,
+    ));
+
+    // Set it twice on purpose to make sure we don't leak.
+    try testing.expectEqual(Result.success, setParams(
+        p,
+        &.{1},
+        null,
+        1,
+    ));
+
+    // Verify we get bold
+    var attr: sgr.Attribute.C = undefined;
+    try testing.expect(next(p, &attr));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.bold, attr.tag);
+
+    // Nothing else
+    try testing.expect(!next(p, &attr));
+}
diff --git a/src/terminal/main.zig b/src/terminal/main.zig
index 0d6a053c8..c2d6e8cb4 100644
--- a/src/terminal/main.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/main.zig
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ const stream = @import("stream.zig");
 const ansi = @import("ansi.zig");
 const csi = @import("csi.zig");
 const hyperlink = @import("hyperlink.zig");
-const sgr = @import("sgr.zig");
 const stream_readonly = @import("stream_readonly.zig");
 const style = @import("style.zig");
 pub const apc = @import("apc.zig");
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ pub const modes = @import("modes.zig");
 pub const page = @import("page.zig");
 pub const parse_table = @import("parse_table.zig");
 pub const search = @import("search.zig");
+pub const sgr = @import("sgr.zig");
 pub const size = @import("size.zig");
 pub const tmux = if (options.tmux_control_mode) @import("tmux.zig") else struct {};
 pub const x11_color = @import("x11_color.zig");
diff --git a/src/terminal/sgr.zig b/src/terminal/sgr.zig
index a345a7a90..b9765ca6a 100644
--- a/src/terminal/sgr.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/sgr.zig
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ pub const Attribute = union(Tag) {
         dotted = 4,
         dashed = 5,
 
-        pub const C = u8;
+        pub const C = c_int;
 
         pub fn cval(self: Underline) Underline.C {
             return @intFromEnum(self);
@@ -176,10 +176,13 @@ pub const Attribute = union(Tag) {
 
 /// Parser parses the attributes from a list of SGR parameters.
 pub const Parser = struct {
-    params: []const u16,
+    params: []const u16 = &.{},
     params_sep: SepList = .initEmpty(),
     idx: usize = 0,
 
+    /// Empty state parser.
+    pub const empty: Parser = .{};
+
     /// Next returns the next attribute or null if there are no more attributes.
     pub fn next(self: *Parser) ?Attribute {
         if (self.idx >= self.params.len) {