diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/container.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/container.h
index 3d01056a06..c63d1a4f4d 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/container.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/container.h
@@ -59,6 +59,25 @@ public:
 	 * overridden as necessary.
 	 */
 	void prepare_for_render (Rect const & area) const;
+
+	/** Render all children of this container as group,
+	 * so that they occlude each other. Then blend the result
+	 * onto the destination with the given alpha level.
+	 *
+	 * @param alpha
+	 *  - alpha < 0 render normally, do not group rendering. This is the default.
+	 *  - alpha == 0 do not render at all. rendered items would be invisible.
+	 *  - alpha < 1.0 use a group to render objects, blend flattened result with the given transparency.
+	 *  - alpha >= 1.0 simply blit the result of the grouped render operation.
+	 */
+	void set_render_with_alpha (double alpha);
+
+	double render_with_alpha () const {
+		return _render_with_alpha;
+	}
+
+private:
+	double _render_with_alpha;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/libs/canvas/container.cc b/libs/canvas/container.cc
index 95efc97f8a..249df83b96 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/container.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/container.cc
@@ -23,17 +23,20 @@ using namespace ArdourCanvas;
 
 Container::Container (Canvas* canvas)
 	: Item (canvas)
+	, _render_with_alpha (-1)
 {
 }
 
 Container::Container (Item* parent)
 	: Item (parent)
+	, _render_with_alpha (-1)
 {
 }
 
 
 Container::Container (Item* parent, Duple const & p)
 	: Item (parent, p)
+	, _render_with_alpha (-1)
 {
 }
 
@@ -46,7 +49,20 @@ Container::prepare_for_render (Rect const & area) const
 void
 Container::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context) const
 {
+	if (_render_with_alpha == 0) {
+		return;
+	} else if (_render_with_alpha > 0) {
+		context->push_group ();
+	}
+
 	Item::render_children (area, context);
+
+	if (_render_with_alpha >= 1.0) {
+		context->pop_group ();
+	} else if (_render_with_alpha > 0) {
+		context->pop_group_to_source ();
+		context->paint_with_alpha (_render_with_alpha);
+	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -56,3 +72,13 @@ Container::compute_bounding_box () const
 	/* nothing to do here; Item::bounding_box() will add all children for us */
 	set_bbox_clean ();
 }
+
+void
+Container::set_render_with_alpha (double alpha)
+{
+	if (_render_with_alpha == alpha) {
+		return;
+	}
+	_render_with_alpha = alpha;
+	redraw ();
+}