diff --git a/glfw/glfw3.h b/glfw/glfw3.h
index 660ceb3cf..312665645 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw3.h
+++ b/glfw/glfw3.h
@@ -1049,6 +1049,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define GLFW_X11_INSTANCE_NAME      0x00024002
 
 #define GLFW_WAYLAND_APP_ID         0x00025001
+#define GLFW_WAYLAND_BGCOLOR        0x00025002
 /*! @} */
 
 #define GLFW_NO_API                          0
diff --git a/glfw/internal.h b/glfw/internal.h
index 9465d6319..aeedcd108 100644
--- a/glfw/internal.h
+++ b/glfw/internal.h
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ struct _GLFWwndconfig
     } x11;
     struct {
         char      appId[256];
+        uint32_t  bgcolor;
     } wl;
 };
 
diff --git a/glfw/window.c b/glfw/window.c
index 23ea9cfa0..4c2314a24 100644
--- a/glfw/window.c
+++ b/glfw/window.c
@@ -468,8 +468,10 @@ GLFWAPI void glfwWindowHint(int hint, int value)
         case GLFW_REFRESH_RATE:
             _glfw.hints.refreshRate = value;
             return;
+        case GLFW_WAYLAND_BGCOLOR:
+            _glfw.hints.window.wl.bgcolor = value;
+            return;
     }
-
     _glfwInputError(GLFW_INVALID_ENUM, "Invalid window hint 0x%08X", hint);
 }
 
diff --git a/glfw/wl_window.c b/glfw/wl_window.c
index 481e01225..92b2bfd7d 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_window.c
+++ b/glfw/wl_window.c
@@ -760,17 +760,37 @@ attach_temp_buffer_during_window_creation(_GLFWwindow *window) {
     const size_t size = 4 * width * height;
     int fd = createAnonymousFile(size);
     if (fd < 0) {
-        _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Wayland: failed to create anonymouse file");
+        _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Wayland: failed to create anonymous file");
+        return false;
+    }
+    uint32_t *shm_data = mmap(NULL, size, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+    union {
+        struct {
+            uint8_t blue, green, red, alpha;
+        };
+        uint32_t value;
+    } color;
+    color.value = _glfw.hints.window.wl.bgcolor;
+    int shm_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888;
+    if (!window->wl.transparent) { color.alpha = 0xff; shm_format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888; }
+    else if (color.alpha == 0) color.value = 0;  // fully transparent blends best with black and we can use memset
+    // convert to pre-multiplied alpha
+    float alpha = color.alpha / 255.f; color.red = (uint8_t)(alpha * color.red); color.green = (uint8_t)(alpha * color.green); color.blue = (uint8_t)(alpha * color.blue);
+    if (color.value) for (size_t i = 0; i < size/4; i++) shm_data[i] = color.value;
+    else memset(shm_data, 0, size);
+    if (!shm_data) {
+        close(fd);
+        _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Wayland: failed to mmap anonymouse file");
         return false;
     }
     struct wl_shm_pool *pool = wl_shm_create_pool(_glfw.wl.shm, fd, size);
     if (!pool) {
-        close(fd);
+        close(fd); munmap(shm_data, size);
         _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Wayland: failed to create wl_shm_pool of size: %zu", size);
         return false;
     }
-    struct wl_buffer *buffer = wl_shm_pool_create_buffer(pool, 0, width, height, width * 4, WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888);
-    wl_shm_pool_destroy(pool); close(fd);
+    struct wl_buffer *buffer = wl_shm_pool_create_buffer(pool, 0, width, height, width * 4, shm_format);
+    wl_shm_pool_destroy(pool); munmap(shm_data, size); close(fd);
     if (!buffer) {
         _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Wayland: failed to create wl_buffer of size: %zu", size);
         return false;
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
index d5b8e7678..ad09a7e63 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
@@ -787,6 +787,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define GLFW_X11_INSTANCE_NAME      0x00024002
 
 #define GLFW_WAYLAND_APP_ID         0x00025001
+#define GLFW_WAYLAND_BGCOLOR        0x00025002
 /*! @} */
 
 #define GLFW_NO_API                          0
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index cab371a60..da6d1ae34 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -1173,6 +1173,9 @@ create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw) {
     }
     bool want_semi_transparent = (1.0 - OPT(background_opacity) >= 0.01) || OPT(dynamic_background_opacity);
     glfwWindowHint(GLFW_TRANSPARENT_FRAMEBUFFER, want_semi_transparent);
+    uint32_t bgcolor = OPT(background);
+    uint32_t bgalpha = (uint32_t)((MAX(0.f, MIN((OPT(background_opacity) * 255), 255.f))));
+    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_WAYLAND_BGCOLOR, ((bgalpha & 0xff) << 24) | bgcolor);
     // We use a temp window to avoid the need to set the window size after
     // creation, which causes a resize event and all the associated processing.
     // The temp window is used to get the DPI.