+diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
+index 91ab8ca..6af616e 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 = 0.8;
++
+ /* Terminal colors (16 first used in escape sequence) */
+ static const char *colorname[] = {
+ /* 8 normal colors */
+diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
+index 4c4c5d5..0114bad 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.h b/st.h
+index 519b9bd..8bb533d 100644
+--- a/st.h
++++ b/st.h
+@@ -126,3 +126,4 @@ extern unsigned int tabspaces;
+ extern unsigned int defaultfg;
+ extern unsigned int defaultbg;
+ extern unsigned int defaultcs;
++extern float alpha;
+diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
+index 8a16faa..ddf4178 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;
+@@ -736,7 +738,7 @@ 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);
+
+@@ -796,6 +798,13 @@ xloadcols(void)
+ else
+ die("could not allocate color %d\n", i);
+ }
++
++ /* set alpha value of bg color */
++ if (opt_alpha)
++ alpha = strtof(opt_alpha, NULL);
++ dc.col[defaultbg].color.alpha = (unsigned short)(0xffff * alpha);
++ dc.col[defaultbg].pixel &= 0x00FFFFFF;
++ dc.col[defaultbg].pixel |= (unsigned char)(0xff * alpha) << 24;
+ loaded = 1;
+ }
+
+@@ -1118,11 +1127,23 @@ 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())
+@@ -1132,7 +1153,7 @@ 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 */
+@@ -1152,19 +1173,15 @@ 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);
+
+@@ -2019,6 +2036,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
+ case 'a':
+ allowaltscreen = 0;
+ break;
++ case 'A':
++ opt_alpha = EARGF(usage());
++ break;
+ case 'c':
+ opt_class = EARGF(usage());
+ break;