diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 91ab8ca..779178f 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ char *termname = "st-256color";
  */
 unsigned int tabspaces = 8;
 
+/* bg opacity */
+float alpha = 0.93, alphaUnfocused = 0.6;
+
 /* Terminal colors (16 first used in escape sequence) */
 static const char *colorname[] = {
 	/* 8 normal colors */
@@ -120,8 +123,7 @@ static const char *colorname[] = {
 	/* more colors can be added after 255 to use with DefaultXX */
 	"#cccccc",
 	"#555555",
-	"gray90", /* default foreground colour */
-	"black", /* default background colour */
+	"black",
 };
 
 
@@ -129,10 +131,11 @@ static const char *colorname[] = {
  * Default colors (colorname index)
  * foreground, background, cursor, reverse cursor
  */
-unsigned int defaultfg = 258;
-unsigned int defaultbg = 259;
+unsigned int defaultfg = 7;
+unsigned int defaultbg = 0;
 unsigned int defaultcs = 256;
 static unsigned int defaultrcs = 257;
+unsigned int bg = 0, bgUnfocused = 16;
 
 /*
  * Default shape of cursor
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 1e306f8..47c615e 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ PKG_CONFIG = pkg-config
 INCS = -I$(X11INC) \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags fontconfig` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags freetype2`
-LIBS = -L$(X11LIB) -lm -lrt -lX11 -lutil -lXft \
+LIBS = -L$(X11LIB) -lm -lrt -lX11 -lutil -lXft -lXrender\
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --libs fontconfig` \
        `$(PKG_CONFIG) --libs freetype2`
 
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 62def59..8ee76a3 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -194,7 +194,6 @@ static void tsetscroll(int, int);
 static void tswapscreen(void);
 static void tsetmode(int, int, const int *, int);
 static int twrite(const char *, int, int);
-static void tfulldirt(void);
 static void tcontrolcode(uchar );
 static void tdectest(char );
 static void tdefutf8(char);
diff --git a/st.h b/st.h
index fd3b0d8..13be339 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ typedef union {
 
 void die(const char *, ...);
 void redraw(void);
+void tfulldirt(void);
 void draw(void);
 
 void printscreen(const Arg *);
@@ -124,3 +125,4 @@ extern unsigned int tabspaces;
 extern unsigned int defaultfg;
 extern unsigned int defaultbg;
 extern unsigned int defaultcs;
+extern float alpha, alphaUnfocused;
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 2a3bd38..879bf0e 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	XSetWindowAttributes attrs;
 	int scr;
 	int isfixed; /* is fixed geometry? */
+	int depth; /* bit depth */
 	int l, t; /* left and top offset */
 	int gm; /* geometry mask */
 } XWindow;
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@ static char *usedfont = NULL;
 static double usedfontsize = 0;
 static double defaultfontsize = 0;
 
+static char *opt_alpha = NULL;
 static char *opt_class = NULL;
 static char **opt_cmd  = NULL;
 static char *opt_embed = NULL;
@@ -253,6 +255,7 @@ static char *opt_name  = NULL;
 static char *opt_title = NULL;
 
 static uint buttons; /* bit field of pressed buttons */
+static int focused = 0;
 
 void
 clipcopy(const Arg *dummy)
@@ -752,7 +755,7 @@ xresize(int col, int row)
 
 	XFreePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.buf);
 	xw.buf = XCreatePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.win, win.w, win.h,
-			DefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr));
+			xw.depth);
 	XftDrawChange(xw.draw, xw.buf);
 	xclear(0, 0, win.w, win.h);
 
@@ -790,28 +793,37 @@ xloadcolor(int i, const char *name, Color *ncolor)
 	return XftColorAllocName(xw.dpy, xw.vis, xw.cmap, name, ncolor);
 }
 
+void
+xloadalpha(void)
+{
+	xloadcolor(focused ?bg :bgUnfocused, NULL, &dc.col[defaultbg]);
+	float const usedAlpha = focused ? alpha : alphaUnfocused;
+	if (opt_alpha) alpha = strtof(opt_alpha, NULL);
+	dc.col[defaultbg].color.alpha = (unsigned short)(0xffff * usedAlpha);
+	dc.col[defaultbg].pixel &= 0x00FFFFFF;
+	dc.col[defaultbg].pixel |= (unsigned char)(0xff * usedAlpha) << 24;
+}
+
 void
 xloadcols(void)
 {
-	int i;
 	static int loaded;
 	Color *cp;
 
-	if (loaded) {
-		for (cp = dc.col; cp < &dc.col[dc.collen]; ++cp)
-			XftColorFree(xw.dpy, xw.vis, xw.cmap, cp);
-	} else {
-		dc.collen = MAX(LEN(colorname), 256);
-		dc.col = xmalloc(dc.collen * sizeof(Color));
+	if (!loaded) {
+		dc.collen = 1 + (defaultbg = MAX(LEN(colorname), 256));
+		dc.col = xmalloc((dc.collen) * sizeof(Color));
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; i < dc.collen; i++)
+	for (int i = 0; i+1 < dc.collen; ++i)
 		if (!xloadcolor(i, NULL, &dc.col[i])) {
 			if (colorname[i])
 				die("could not allocate color '%s'\n", colorname[i]);
 			else
 				die("could not allocate color %d\n", i);
 		}
+
+	xloadalpha();
 	loaded = 1;
 }
 
@@ -1134,11 +1146,23 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	Window parent;
 	pid_t thispid = getpid();
 	XColor xmousefg, xmousebg;
+	XWindowAttributes attr;
+	XVisualInfo vis;
 
 	if (!(xw.dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
 		die("can't open display\n");
 	xw.scr = XDefaultScreen(xw.dpy);
-	xw.vis = XDefaultVisual(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+
+	if (!(opt_embed && (parent = strtol(opt_embed, NULL, 0)))) {
+		parent = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+		xw.depth = 32;
+	} else {
+		XGetWindowAttributes(xw.dpy, parent, &attr);
+		xw.depth = attr.depth;
+	}
+
+	XMatchVisualInfo(xw.dpy, xw.scr, xw.depth, TrueColor, &vis);
+	xw.vis = vis.visual;
 
 	/* font */
 	if (!FcInit())
@@ -1148,7 +1172,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	xloadfonts(usedfont, 0);
 
 	/* colors */
-	xw.cmap = XDefaultColormap(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	xw.cmap = XCreateColormap(xw.dpy, parent, xw.vis, None);
 	xloadcols();
 
 	/* adjust fixed window geometry */
@@ -1168,19 +1192,15 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 		| ButtonMotionMask | ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask;
 	xw.attrs.colormap = xw.cmap;
 
-	if (!(opt_embed && (parent = strtol(opt_embed, NULL, 0))))
-		parent = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
 	xw.win = XCreateWindow(xw.dpy, parent, xw.l, xw.t,
-			win.w, win.h, 0, XDefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr), InputOutput,
+			win.w, win.h, 0, xw.depth, InputOutput,
 			xw.vis, CWBackPixel | CWBorderPixel | CWBitGravity
 			| CWEventMask | CWColormap, &xw.attrs);
 
 	memset(&gcvalues, 0, sizeof(gcvalues));
 	gcvalues.graphics_exposures = False;
-	dc.gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, parent, GCGraphicsExposures,
-			&gcvalues);
-	xw.buf = XCreatePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.win, win.w, win.h,
-			DefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr));
+	xw.buf = XCreatePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.win, win.w, win.h, xw.depth);
+	dc.gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, xw.buf, GCGraphicsExposures, &gcvalues);
 	XSetForeground(xw.dpy, dc.gc, dc.col[defaultbg].pixel);
 	XFillRectangle(xw.dpy, xw.buf, dc.gc, 0, 0, win.w, win.h);
 
@@ -1777,12 +1797,22 @@ focus(XEvent *ev)
 		xseturgency(0);
 		if (IS_SET(MODE_FOCUS))
 			ttywrite("\033[I", 3, 0);
+		if (!focused) {
+			focused = 1;
+			xloadalpha();
+			tfulldirt();
+		}
 	} else {
 		if (xw.ime.xic)
 			XUnsetICFocus(xw.ime.xic);
 		win.mode &= ~MODE_FOCUSED;
 		if (IS_SET(MODE_FOCUS))
 			ttywrite("\033[O", 3, 0);
+		if (focused) {
+			focused = 0;
+			xloadalpha();
+			tfulldirt();
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2035,6 +2065,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	case 'a':
 		allowaltscreen = 0;
 		break;
+	case 'A':
+		opt_alpha = EARGF(usage());
+		break;
 	case 'c':
 		opt_class = EARGF(usage());
 		break;
@@ -2086,6 +2119,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	XSetLocaleModifiers("");
 	cols = MAX(cols, 1);
 	rows = MAX(rows, 1);
+	defaultbg = MAX(LEN(colorname), 256);
 	tnew(cols, rows);
 	xinit(cols, rows);
 	xsetenv();