diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index feec7e2..e373018 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ char *termname = "st-256color";
  */
 unsigned int tabspaces = 8;
 
+/* bg opacity */
+unsigned int alpha = 0xcd;
+
 /* Terminal colors (16 first used in escape sequence) */
 static const char *colorname[] = {
 	/* 8 normal colors */
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index 039c42c..3b00d7e 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ X11LIB = /usr/X11R6/lib
 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 cdd25ae..850c5f0 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ extern char *worddelimiters;
 extern int allowaltscreen;
 extern char *termname;
 extern unsigned int tabspaces;
+extern unsigned int alpha;
 extern unsigned int defaultfg;
 extern unsigned int defaultbg;
 extern MouseKey mkeys[];
diff --git a/win.h b/win.h
index 31f327d..d277477 100644
--- a/win.h
+++ b/win.h
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ enum win_mode {
 	                  |MODE_MOUSEMANY,
 };
 
+/* alpha */
+#define OPAQUE 0Xff
+#define USE_ARGB (alpha != OPAQUE && opt_embed == NULL)
+
 void xbell(void);
 void xclipcopy(void);
 void xdrawcursor(int, int, Glyph, int, int, Glyph);
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index f4a6be7..840d2fa 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ 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;
@@ -698,7 +699,7 @@ 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);
 
@@ -758,6 +759,13 @@ xloadcols(void)
 			else
 				die("Could not allocate color %d\n", i);
 		}
+
+	/* set alpha value of bg color */
+	if (USE_ARGB) {
+		dc.col[defaultbg].color.alpha = (0xffff * alpha) / OPAQUE;
+		dc.col[defaultbg].pixel &= 0x00111111;
+		dc.col[defaultbg].pixel |= alpha << 24;
+	}
 	loaded = 1;
 }
 
@@ -779,6 +787,17 @@ xsetcolorname(int x, const char *name)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void
+xtermclear(int col1, int row1, int col2, int row2)
+{
+	XftDrawRect(xw.draw,
+			&dc.col[IS_SET(MODE_REVERSE) ? defaultfg : defaultbg],
+			borderpx + col1 * win.cw,
+			borderpx + row1 * win.ch,
+			(col2-col1+1) * win.cw,
+			(row2-row1+1) * win.ch);
+}
+
 /*
  * Absolute coordinates.
  */
@@ -1018,7 +1037,40 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	if (!(xw.dpy = XOpenDisplay(NULL)))
 		die("Can't open display\n");
 	xw.scr = XDefaultScreen(xw.dpy);
-	xw.vis = XDefaultVisual(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	xw.depth = (USE_ARGB) ? 32: XDefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	if (!USE_ARGB)
+		xw.vis = XDefaultVisual(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	else {
+		XVisualInfo *vis;
+		XRenderPictFormat *fmt;
+		int nvi;
+		int i;
+
+		XVisualInfo tpl = {
+			.screen = xw.scr,
+			.depth = 32,
+			.class = TrueColor
+		};
+
+		vis = XGetVisualInfo(xw.dpy,
+				VisualScreenMask | VisualDepthMask | VisualClassMask,
+				&tpl, &nvi);
+		xw.vis = NULL;
+		for (i = 0; i < nvi; i++) {
+			fmt = XRenderFindVisualFormat(xw.dpy, vis[i].visual);
+			if (fmt->type == PictTypeDirect && fmt->direct.alphaMask) {
+				xw.vis = vis[i].visual;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		XFree(vis);
+
+		if (!xw.vis) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't find ARGB visual.\n");
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
 
 	/* font */
 	if (!FcInit())
@@ -1028,7 +1080,11 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	xloadfonts(usedfont, 0);
 
 	/* colors */
-	xw.cmap = XDefaultColormap(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	if (!USE_ARGB)
+		xw.cmap = XDefaultColormap(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	else
+		xw.cmap = XCreateColormap(xw.dpy, XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr),
+				xw.vis, None);
 	xloadcols();
 
 	/* adjust fixed window geometry */
@@ -1051,16 +1107,15 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	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, (USE_ARGB) ? xw.buf: parent,
+			GCGraphicsExposures, &gcvalues);
 	XSetForeground(xw.dpy, dc.gc, dc.col[defaultbg].pixel);
 	XFillRectangle(xw.dpy, xw.buf, dc.gc, 0, 0, win.w, win.h);