diff --git a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
index 50132d13..5590be21 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ void CConfigManager::setDefaultVars() {
     configValues["misc:groupbar_titles_font_size"].intValue    = 8;
     configValues["misc:groupbar_gradients"].intValue           = 1;
     configValues["misc:groupbar_text_color"].intValue          = 0xffffffff;
+    configValues["misc:background_color"].intValue             = 0x111111;
 
     configValues["debug:int"].intValue                = 0;
     configValues["debug:log_damage"].intValue         = 0;
diff --git a/src/render/Renderer.cpp b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
index cf6877f3..aaa15b86 100644
--- a/src/render/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/render/Renderer.cpp
@@ -825,6 +825,7 @@ void CHyprRenderer::renderMonitor(CMonitor* pMonitor) {
     static auto* const                                    PVFR                = &g_pConfigManager->getConfigValuePtr("misc:vfr")->intValue;
     static auto* const                                    PZOOMFACTOR         = &g_pConfigManager->getConfigValuePtr("misc:cursor_zoom_factor")->floatValue;
     static auto* const                                    PRENDERTEX          = &g_pConfigManager->getConfigValuePtr("misc:disable_hyprland_logo")->intValue;
+    static auto* const                                    PBACKGROUNDCOLOR    = &g_pConfigManager->getConfigValuePtr("misc:background_color")->intValue;
     static auto* const                                    PANIMENABLED        = &g_pConfigManager->getConfigValuePtr("animations:enabled")->intValue;
 
     static int                                            damageBlinkCleanup = 0; // because double-buffered
@@ -1014,7 +1015,7 @@ void CHyprRenderer::renderMonitor(CMonitor* pMonitor) {
         g_pHyprOpenGL->blend(false);
         if (!canSkipBackBufferClear(pMonitor)) {
             if (*PRENDERTEX /* inverted cfg flag */)
-                g_pHyprOpenGL->clear(CColor(17.0 / 255.0, 17.0 / 255.0, 17.0 / 255.0, 1.0));
+                g_pHyprOpenGL->clear(CColor(*PBACKGROUNDCOLOR));
             else
                 g_pHyprOpenGL->clearWithTex(); // will apply the hypr "wallpaper"
         }