diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas.cc b/libs/canvas/canvas.cc
index b760c16f19..98a791cf64 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "canvas/debug.h"
 #include "canvas/line.h"
 #include "canvas/scroll_group.h"
+#include "canvas/utils.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace ArdourCanvas;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ using namespace ArdourCanvas;
 /** Construct a new Canvas */
 Canvas::Canvas ()
 	: _root (this)
+        , _bg_color (rgba_to_color (0, 1.0, 0.0, 1.0))
 {
 	set_epoch ();
 }
@@ -333,6 +335,18 @@ Canvas::queue_draw_item_area (Item* item, Rect area)
 	request_redraw (item->item_to_window (area));
 }
 
+void
+Canvas::set_background_color (Color c)
+{
+        _bg_color = c;
+
+        boost::optional<Rect> r = _root.bounding_box();
+
+        if (r) {
+                request_redraw (_root.item_to_window (r.get()));
+        }
+}
+
 void
 GtkCanvas::re_enter ()
 {
@@ -727,42 +741,37 @@ GtkCanvas::on_expose_event (GdkEventExpose* ev)
 	if (!canvas_image) {
 		canvas_image = Cairo::ImageSurface::create (Cairo::FORMAT_ARGB32, get_width(), get_height());
 	}
+        Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> draw_context = Cairo::Context::create (canvas_image);
+	Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> window_context = get_window()->create_cairo_context ();
+#else 
+	Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> draw_context = get_window()->create_cairo_context ();
+#endif
 
-	{
-		/* scope for image_context */
-		Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> image_context = Cairo::Context::create (canvas_image);
-
-		/* clear expose area to transparent */
-
-		image_context->save ();
-		image_context->rectangle (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.width, ev->area.height);
-		image_context->clip ();
-		image_context->set_operator (Cairo::OPERATOR_CLEAR);
-		image_context->paint ();
-		image_context->restore ();
-
-		/* render into image surface */
-
-		render (Rect (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.x + ev->area.width, ev->area.y + ev->area.height), image_context);
-
-		/* image surface is flushed when image_context goes out of scope */
-	}
+        /* draw background color */
+        
+#if 1
+        draw_context->save ();
+        draw_context->rectangle (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.width, ev->area.height);
+        draw_context->clip ();
+        draw_context->set_operator (Cairo::OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+        set_source_rgba (draw_context, _bg_color);
+        draw_context->rectangle (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.width, ev->area.height);
+        draw_context->fill ();
+        draw_context->restore ();
+#endif
+        
+        /* render canvas */
+        
+        render (Rect (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.x + ev->area.width, ev->area.y + ev->area.height), draw_context);
 
+#ifdef USE_CAIRO_IMAGE_SURFACE_FOR_GTK_CANVAS
 	/* now blit our private surface back to the GDK one */
 
-	Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cairo_context = get_window()->create_cairo_context ();
-
-	cairo_context->rectangle (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.width, ev->area.height);
-	cairo_context->clip ();
-	cairo_context->set_source (canvas_image, 0, 0);
-	cairo_context->set_operator (Cairo::OPERATOR_SOURCE);
-	cairo_context->paint ();
-
-#else
-
-	Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cairo_context = get_window()->create_cairo_context ();
-	render (Rect (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.x + ev->area.width, ev->area.y + ev->area.height), cairo_context);
-
+	window_context->rectangle (ev->area.x, ev->area.y, ev->area.width, ev->area.height);
+	window_context->clip ();
+	window_context->set_source (canvas_image, 0, 0);
+	window_context->set_operator (Cairo::OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+	window_context->paint ();
 #endif
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/canvas.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/canvas.h
index c66fd6db2e..0349fda025 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/canvas.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/canvas.h
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ public:
 		return &_root;
 	}
 
+        void set_background_color (ArdourCanvas::Color);
+        ArdourCanvas::Color background_color() const { return _bg_color; }
+
 	/** Called when an item is being destroyed */
 	virtual void item_going_away (Item *, boost::optional<Rect>) {}
 	void item_shown_or_hidden (Item *);
@@ -140,11 +143,10 @@ public:
 	virtual void re_enter () = 0;
     
 protected:
-	void queue_draw_item_area (Item *, Rect);
-	
-	/** our root item */
-	Root _root;
+	Root  _root;
+        Color _bg_color;
 
+	void queue_draw_item_area (Item *, Rect);
         virtual void pick_current_item (int state) = 0;
         virtual void pick_current_item (Duple const &, int state) = 0;