diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 2cd740a..019a4e1 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/x.c b/x.c
index 4c68714..f8fa6cf 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ 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;
@@ -756,7 +757,7 @@ 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);
 
@@ -816,6 +817,10 @@ xloadcols(void)
 			else
 				die("could not allocate color %d\n", i);
 		}
+
+	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;
 }
 
@@ -846,6 +851,12 @@ xsetcolorname(int x, const char *name)
 	XftColorFree(xw.dpy, xw.vis, xw.cmap, &dc.col[x]);
 	dc.col[x] = ncolor;
 
+	if (x == defaultbg) {
+		dc.col[defaultbg].color.alpha = (unsigned short)(0xffff * alpha);
+		dc.col[defaultbg].pixel &= 0x00FFFFFF;
+		dc.col[defaultbg].pixel |= (unsigned char)(0xff * alpha) << 24;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1138,11 +1149,25 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	Window parent, root;
 	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);
+
+	root = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
+	if (!(opt_embed && (parent = strtol(opt_embed, NULL, 0))))
+		parent = root;
+
+	if (XMatchVisualInfo(xw.dpy, xw.scr, 32, TrueColor, &vis) != 0) {
+		xw.vis = vis.visual;
+		xw.depth = vis.depth;
+	} else {
+		XGetWindowAttributes(xw.dpy, parent, &attr);
+		xw.vis = attr.visual;
+		xw.depth = attr.depth;
+	}
 
 	/* font */
 	if (!FcInit())
@@ -1152,7 +1177,7 @@ 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 */
@@ -1172,11 +1197,8 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 		| ButtonMotionMask | ButtonPressMask | ButtonReleaseMask;
 	xw.attrs.colormap = xw.cmap;
 
-	root = XRootWindow(xw.dpy, xw.scr);
-	if (!(opt_embed && (parent = strtol(opt_embed, NULL, 0))))
-		parent = root;
-	xw.win = XCreateWindow(xw.dpy, root, xw.l, xw.t,
-			win.w, win.h, 0, XDefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr), InputOutput,
+	xw.win = XCreateWindow(xw.dpy, parent, xw.l, xw.t,
+			win.w, win.h, 0, xw.depth, InputOutput,
 			xw.vis, CWBackPixel | CWBorderPixel | CWBitGravity
 			| CWEventMask | CWColormap, &xw.attrs);
 	if (parent != root)
@@ -1187,7 +1209,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	dc.gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, xw.win, GCGraphicsExposures,
 			&gcvalues);
 	xw.buf = XCreatePixmap(xw.dpy, xw.win, win.w, win.h,
-			DefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr));
+			xw.depth);
 	XSetForeground(xw.dpy, dc.gc, dc.col[defaultbg].pixel);
 	XFillRectangle(xw.dpy, xw.buf, dc.gc, 0, 0, win.w, win.h);
 
@@ -2051,6 +2073,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	case 'a':
 		allowaltscreen = 0;
 		break;
+	case 'A':
+		alpha = strtof(EARGF(usage()), NULL);
+		LIMIT(alpha, 0.0, 1.0);
+		break;
 	case 'c':
 		opt_class = EARGF(usage());
 		break;
diff --git a/x.c.orig b/x.c.orig
index d73152b..4c68714 100644
--- a/x.c.orig
+++ b/x.c.orig
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ typedef XftGlyphFontSpec GlyphFontSpec;
 typedef struct {
 	int tw, th; /* tty width and height */
 	int w, h; /* window width and height */
+	int hborderpx, vborderpx;
 	int ch; /* char height */
 	int cw; /* char width  */
 	int mode; /* window state/mode flags */
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ ttysend(const Arg *arg)
 int
 evcol(XEvent *e)
 {
-	int x = e->xbutton.x - borderpx;
+	int x = e->xbutton.x - win.hborderpx;
 	LIMIT(x, 0, win.tw - 1);
 	return x / win.cw;
 }
@@ -339,7 +340,7 @@ evcol(XEvent *e)
 int
 evrow(XEvent *e)
 {
-	int y = e->xbutton.y - borderpx;
+	int y = e->xbutton.y - win.vborderpx;
 	LIMIT(y, 0, win.th - 1);
 	return y / win.ch;
 }
@@ -739,6 +740,9 @@ cresize(int width, int height)
 	col = MAX(1, col);
 	row = MAX(1, row);
 
+	win.hborderpx = (win.w - col * win.cw) / 2;
+	win.vborderpx = (win.h - row * win.ch) / 2;
+
 	tresize(col, row);
 	xresize(col, row);
 	ttyresize(win.tw, win.th);
@@ -869,8 +873,8 @@ xhints(void)
 	sizeh->flags = PSize | PResizeInc | PBaseSize | PMinSize;
 	sizeh->height = win.h;
 	sizeh->width = win.w;
-	sizeh->height_inc = win.ch;
-	sizeh->width_inc = win.cw;
+	sizeh->height_inc = 1;
+	sizeh->width_inc = 1;
 	sizeh->base_height = 2 * borderpx;
 	sizeh->base_width = 2 * borderpx;
 	sizeh->min_height = win.ch + 2 * borderpx;
@@ -1152,8 +1156,8 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	xloadcols();
 
 	/* adjust fixed window geometry */
-	win.w = 2 * borderpx + cols * win.cw;
-	win.h = 2 * borderpx + rows * win.ch;
+	win.w = 2 * win.hborderpx + 2 * borderpx + cols * win.cw;
+	win.h = 2 * win.vborderpx + 2 * borderpx + rows * win.ch;
 	if (xw.gm & XNegative)
 		xw.l += DisplayWidth(xw.dpy, xw.scr) - win.w - 2;
 	if (xw.gm & YNegative)
@@ -1245,7 +1249,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 int
 xmakeglyphfontspecs(XftGlyphFontSpec *specs, const Glyph *glyphs, int len, int x, int y)
 {
-	float winx = borderpx + x * win.cw, winy = borderpx + y * win.ch, xp, yp;
+	float winx = win.hborderpx + x * win.cw, winy = win.vborderpx + y * win.ch, xp, yp;
 	ushort mode, prevmode = USHRT_MAX;
 	Font *font = &dc.font;
 	int frcflags = FRC_NORMAL;
@@ -1378,7 +1382,7 @@ void
 xdrawglyphfontspecs(const XftGlyphFontSpec *specs, Glyph base, int len, int x, int y)
 {
 	int charlen = len * ((base.mode & ATTR_WIDE) ? 2 : 1);
-	int winx = borderpx + x * win.cw, winy = borderpx + y * win.ch,
+	int winx = win.hborderpx + x * win.cw, winy = win.vborderpx + y * win.ch,
 	    width = charlen * win.cw;
 	Color *fg, *bg, *temp, revfg, revbg, truefg, truebg;
 	XRenderColor colfg, colbg;
@@ -1468,17 +1472,17 @@ xdrawglyphfontspecs(const XftGlyphFontSpec *specs, Glyph base, int len, int x, i
 
 	/* Intelligent cleaning up of the borders. */
 	if (x == 0) {
-		xclear(0, (y == 0)? 0 : winy, borderpx,
+		xclear(0, (y == 0)? 0 : winy, win.hborderpx,
 			winy + win.ch +
-			((winy + win.ch >= borderpx + win.th)? win.h : 0));
+			((winy + win.ch >= win.vborderpx + win.th)? win.h : 0));
 	}
-	if (winx + width >= borderpx + win.tw) {
+	if (winx + width >= win.hborderpx + win.tw) {
 		xclear(winx + width, (y == 0)? 0 : winy, win.w,
-			((winy + win.ch >= borderpx + win.th)? win.h : (winy + win.ch)));
+			((winy + win.ch >= win.vborderpx + win.th)? win.h : (winy + win.ch)));
 	}
 	if (y == 0)
-		xclear(winx, 0, winx + width, borderpx);
-	if (winy + win.ch >= borderpx + win.th)
+		xclear(winx, 0, winx + width, win.vborderpx);
+	if (winy + win.ch >= win.vborderpx + win.th)
 		xclear(winx, winy + win.ch, winx + width, win.h);
 
 	/* Clean up the region we want to draw to. */
@@ -1572,35 +1576,35 @@ xdrawcursor(int cx, int cy, Glyph g, int ox, int oy, Glyph og)
 		case 3: /* Blinking Underline */
 		case 4: /* Steady Underline */
 			XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-					borderpx + cx * win.cw,
-					borderpx + (cy + 1) * win.ch - \
+					win.hborderpx + cx * win.cw,
+					win.vborderpx + (cy + 1) * win.ch - \
 						cursorthickness,
 					win.cw, cursorthickness);
 			break;
 		case 5: /* Blinking bar */
 		case 6: /* Steady bar */
 			XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-					borderpx + cx * win.cw,
-					borderpx + cy * win.ch,
+					win.hborderpx + cx * win.cw,
+					win.vborderpx + cy * win.ch,
 					cursorthickness, win.ch);
 			break;
 		}
 	} else {
 		XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-				borderpx + cx * win.cw,
-				borderpx + cy * win.ch,
+				win.hborderpx + cx * win.cw,
+				win.vborderpx + cy * win.ch,
 				win.cw - 1, 1);
 		XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-				borderpx + cx * win.cw,
-				borderpx + cy * win.ch,
+				win.hborderpx + cx * win.cw,
+				win.vborderpx + cy * win.ch,
 				1, win.ch - 1);
 		XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-				borderpx + (cx + 1) * win.cw - 1,
-				borderpx + cy * win.ch,
+				win.hborderpx + (cx + 1) * win.cw - 1,
+				win.vborderpx + cy * win.ch,
 				1, win.ch - 1);
 		XftDrawRect(xw.draw, &drawcol,
-				borderpx + cx * win.cw,
-				borderpx + (cy + 1) * win.ch - 1,
+				win.hborderpx + cx * win.cw,
+				win.vborderpx + (cy + 1) * win.ch - 1,
 				win.cw, 1);
 	}
 }