diff --git a/pyboy/pyboy.pxd b/pyboy/pyboy.pxd
index 96f4cff70..5f37dcd8b 100644
--- a/pyboy/pyboy.pxd
+++ b/pyboy/pyboy.pxd
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ cdef class PyBoy:
     @cython.locals(t_start=int64_t, t_pre=int64_t, t_tick=int64_t, t_post=int64_t, nsecs=int64_t)
     cpdef bint _tick(self, bint) noexcept
     @cython.locals(running=bint)
-    cpdef object tick(self, int, bint) noexcept
+    cpdef bint tick(self, count=*, render=*) noexcept
     cpdef void stop(self, save=*) noexcept
     cpdef int save_state(self, object) except -1
     cpdef int load_state(self, object) except -1
diff --git a/pyboy/pyboy.py b/pyboy/pyboy.py
index 39065f077..1d12fad6b 100644
--- a/pyboy/pyboy.py
+++ b/pyboy/pyboy.py
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ def _tick(self, render):
 
         return not self.quitting
 
-    def tick(self, count, render):
+    def tick(self, count=1, render=True):
         """
         Progresses the emulator ahead by one frame.
 
@@ -230,11 +230,7 @@ def tick(self, count, render):
             _render = render and count == 1 # Only render on last tick to improve performance
             running = self._tick(_render)
             count -= 1
-
-        if render and running:
-            return self.screen.image
-        else:
-            return running
+        return running
 
     def _handle_events(self, events):
         # This feeds events into the tick-loop from the window. There might already be events in the list from the API.
diff --git a/tests/test_external_api.py b/tests/test_external_api.py
index 3c41357c7..de3f2f0ed 100644
--- a/tests/test_external_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_external_api.py
@@ -146,12 +146,7 @@ def test_screen_buffer_and_image(tetris_rom, boot_rom):
 
     pyboy = PyBoy(tetris_rom, window_type="null", bootrom_file=boot_rom)
     pyboy.set_emulation_speed(0)
-    image1 = pyboy.tick(275, True) # Iterate to boot logo
-
-    # Returned screen image
-    image2 = pyboy.screen.image
-    diff = ImageChops.difference(image1, image2)
-    assert not diff.getbbox()
+    pyboy.tick(275, True) # Iterate to boot logo
 
     assert pyboy.screen.raw_buffer_dims == (144, 160)
     assert pyboy.screen.raw_buffer_format == cformat
@@ -189,21 +184,23 @@ def test_screen_buffer_and_image(tetris_rom, boot_rom):
     #       b"\xd6\x8e\x91R( H7\xd8a*B+\xc7\x1f\x19")
 
     # Check PIL image is reference for performance
-    new_image1 = pyboy.tick(1, True)
+    pyboy.tick(1, True)
+    new_image1 = pyboy.screen.image
     _new_image1 = new_image1.copy()
     diff = ImageChops.difference(new_image1, _new_image1)
     assert not diff.getbbox()
 
     nd_image = pyboy.screen.ndarray
-    nd_image[:, :] = 0
+    nd_image[:, :] = 0 # This should change the original image!
     diff = ImageChops.difference(new_image1, _new_image1)
     assert diff.getbbox()
 
-    new_image2 = pyboy.tick(1, True)
+    pyboy.tick(1, True)
+    new_image2 = pyboy.screen.image
     diff = ImageChops.difference(new_image1, new_image2)
     assert not diff.getbbox()
 
-    new_image3 = new_image1.copy()
+    new_image3 = new_image2.copy()
     nd_image[:, :] = 0xFF
     diff = ImageChops.difference(new_image1, new_image3)
     assert diff.getbbox()