diff --git a/core/core-popup.el b/core/core-popup.el
index 1d3049bf2..2fe8681d5 100644
--- a/core/core-popup.el
+++ b/core/core-popup.el
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
     "If non-nil, this popup buffer won't be killed when closed.")
 
   (defvar doom-popup-inescapable-modes
-    '(compilation-mode comint-mode)
+    '(compilation-mode comint-mode "^\\*doom.*\\*$")
     "A list of modes that should not be closeable with a single ESC.")
   (defvar doom-popup-protect-modes
     '(messages-buffer-mode esup-mode help-mode tabulated-list-mode comint-mode)
@@ -52,10 +52,7 @@
   (advice-add 'shackle-display-buffer :after  'doom*run-popup-post-hooks)
   (add-hook 'doom-popup-post-hook 'doom|popup-init)     ; Keep track of popups
   (add-hook 'doom-popup-post-hook 'doom|hide-mode-line) ; No mode line in popups
-
   ;; Prevents popups from messaging with windows-moving functions
-  (defun doom*save-popups (orig-fun &rest args)
-    (doom/popup-save (apply orig-fun args)))
   (advice-add 'doom/evil-window-move :around 'doom*save-popups))
 
 
@@ -79,10 +76,6 @@
           (switch-to-buffer b))))
 
 (after! evil
-  (defun doom*evil-command-window (orig-fn &rest args)
-    (cl-flet ((switch-to-buffer ()))
-      (apply orig-fn args))
-    )
   (defun doom*evil-command-window (hist cmd-key execute-fn)
     (when (eq major-mode 'evil-command-window-mode)
       (user-error "Cannot recursively open command line window"))
diff --git a/core/core-scratch.el b/core/core-scratch.el
index 28bcace33..69d1acbf3 100644
--- a/core/core-scratch.el
+++ b/core/core-scratch.el
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 (defvar-local doom-buffer-edited nil
   "If non-nil, the scratch buffer has been edited.")
 
-(def-popup! doom-buffer-name           :align below :size 0.3 :select t)
+(def-popup! "*doom*"                   :align below :size 35 :select t)
 (def-popup! "^\\*doom.+\\*$" :regexp t :align below :size 12  :noselect t)
 
 (define-derived-mode doom-mode text-mode "DOOM"
diff --git a/core/defuns/defuns-buffers.el b/core/defuns/defuns-buffers.el
index 8de8bf1a7..5ad9336ff 100644
--- a/core/defuns/defuns-buffers.el
+++ b/core/defuns/defuns-buffers.el
@@ -101,21 +101,23 @@ Inspired from http://demonastery.org/2013/04/emacs-evil-narrow-region/"
   "Kill buffer (but only bury scratch buffer), then switch to a real buffer. Only buries
 the buffer if it is being displayed in another window."
   (interactive (list t))
-    (if (eq doom-buffer (current-buffer))
-        (progn
-          (when (= (length (get-buffer-window-list doom-buffer nil t)) 1)
-            (doom-mode-init t))
-          (when arg (message "Already in scratch buffer")))
-      (let ((new-dir (doom/project-root)))
-        (if (doom/popup-p (selected-window))
-            (doom/popup-close)
-          (if (> (length (get-buffer-window-list (current-buffer) nil t)) 1)
-              (bury-buffer)
-            (kill-this-buffer))
-          (unless (doom/real-buffer-p (current-buffer))
-            (doom/previous-real-buffer))
-          (when (get-buffer-window-list doom-buffer nil t)
-            (doom|update-scratch-buffer new-dir))))))
+  (if (eq doom-buffer (current-buffer))
+      (if (one-window-p)
+          (progn
+            (when (= (length (get-buffer-window-list doom-buffer nil t)) 1)
+              (doom-mode-init t))
+            (when arg (message "Already in scratch buffer")))
+        (doom/previous-real-buffer))
+    (let ((new-dir (doom/project-root)))
+      (if (doom/popup-p (selected-window))
+          (doom/popup-close)
+        (if (> (length (get-buffer-window-list (current-buffer) nil t)) 1)
+            (bury-buffer)
+          (kill-this-buffer))
+        (unless (doom/real-buffer-p (current-buffer))
+          (doom/previous-real-buffer))
+        (when (get-buffer-window-list doom-buffer nil t)
+          (doom|update-scratch-buffer new-dir))))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun doom/kill-unreal-buffers ()
@@ -270,14 +272,14 @@ buffers regardless of project."
     (if bang
         (org-capture-string text)
       ;; or scratch buffer by default
-      (let* ((project-dir (doom/project-root t))
-             (buffer-name doom-buffer-name))
-        (doom/popup-buffer buffer-name)
-        (with-current-buffer buffer-name
+      (with-current-buffer (doom/popup-buffer doom-buffer)
+        (doom|update-scratch-buffer nil t)
+        (unless (eq major-mode mode)
+          (funcall mode))
+        (unless doom-buffer-edited
           (erase-buffer)
-          (doom|update-scratch-buffer)
-          (if text (insert text))
-          (funcall mode))))))
+          (setq doom-buffer-edited t))
+        (if text (insert text))))))
 
 ;;;###autoload (autoload 'doom:cd "defuns-buffers" nil t)
 (evil-define-command doom:cd (dir)
diff --git a/core/defuns/defuns-popups.el b/core/defuns/defuns-popups.el
index d867d538a..1d5f0bd19 100644
--- a/core/defuns/defuns-popups.el
+++ b/core/defuns/defuns-popups.el
@@ -114,10 +114,12 @@
       (local-set-key [escape escape] 'doom/popup-close)
       (let ((map evil-normal-state-local-map))
         (define-key map [escape escape] 'doom/popup-close)
-        (unless (apply #'derived-mode-p doom-popup-inescapable-modes)
+        (unless (or (apply #'derived-mode-p doom-popup-inescapable-modes)
+                    (--any? (string-match-p it buffer-name) (-filter 'stringp doom-popup-inescapable-modes)))
           (define-key map [escape] 'doom/popup-close)
           (define-key map (kbd "ESC") 'doom/popup-close)))
-      (when (apply #'derived-mode-p doom-popup-protect-modes)
+      (when (or (apply #'derived-mode-p doom-popup-protect-modes)
+                (--any? (string-match-p it buffer-name) (-filter 'stringp doom-popup-protect-modes)))
         (setq-local doom-popup-protect t)
         (setq doom-last-popup (current-buffer))))))