--- x.c
+++ 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;
@@ -252,6 +254,8 @@ static char *opt_line  = NULL;
 static char *opt_name  = NULL;
 static char *opt_title = NULL;
 
+static int focused = 0;
+
 static int oldbutton = 3; /* button event on startup: 3 = release */
 
 void
@@ -734,7 +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);
 
@@ -772,28 +776,38 @@ xloadcolor(int i, const char *name, Color *ncolor)
 	return XftColorAllocName(xw.dpy, xw.vis, xw.cmap, name, ncolor);
 }
 
+void
+xloadalpha(void)
+{
+	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);
 		}
+	if (dc.collen) // cannot die, as the color is already loaded.
+		xloadcolor(focused ?bg :bgUnfocused, NULL, &dc.col[defaultbg]);
+
+	xloadalpha();
 	loaded = 1;
 }
 
@@ -1103,11 +1117,23 @@ 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())
@@ -1117,7 +1143,7 @@ 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 */
@@ -1137,19 +1163,15 @@ 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);