diff --git a/kitty/config_data.py b/kitty/config_data.py
index 3d2c2ab93..6960cf30b 100644
--- a/kitty/config_data.py
+++ b/kitty/config_data.py
@@ -864,6 +864,12 @@ Path to a background image. Must be in PNG format.'''))
 o('background_image_layout', 'tiled', option_type=choices('tiled', 'scaled', 'mirror-tiled'), long_text=_('''
 Whether to tile or scale the background image.'''))
 
+o('background_image_tint', 0.5, option_type=unit_float, long_text=_('''
+How much to tint the background image by the background area. The tint is applied
+only under the text area, not margin/borders. Makes it easier to read the text.
+Tinting is done using the current background color for each window.
+'''))
+
 o('background_image_linear', False, long_text=_('''
 When background image is scaled, whether linear interpolation should be used.'''))
 
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 43cc3d1a3..fc569aa54 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include "gl.h"
 #include <stddef.h>
 
-enum { CELL_PROGRAM, CELL_BG_PROGRAM, CELL_SPECIAL_PROGRAM, CELL_FG_PROGRAM, BORDERS_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PREMULT_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_ALPHA_MASK_PROGRAM, BLIT_PROGRAM, BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, NUM_PROGRAMS };
+enum { CELL_PROGRAM, CELL_BG_PROGRAM, CELL_SPECIAL_PROGRAM, CELL_FG_PROGRAM, BORDERS_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PREMULT_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_ALPHA_MASK_PROGRAM, BLIT_PROGRAM, BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, TINT_PROGRAM, NUM_PROGRAMS };
 enum { SPRITE_MAP_UNIT, GRAPHICS_UNIT, BLIT_UNIT, BGIMAGE_UNIT };
 
 // Sprites {{{
@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@ typedef struct {
     GLint image_location, tiled_location, sizes_location, opacity_location;
 } BGImageProgramLayout;
 static BGImageProgramLayout bgimage_program_layout = {0};
+typedef struct {
+    GLint tint_color_location, edges_location;
+} TintProgramLayout;
+static TintProgramLayout tint_program_layout = {0};
 
 static void
 init_cell_program(void) {
@@ -190,6 +194,8 @@ init_cell_program(void) {
     bgimage_program_layout.opacity_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "opacity");
     bgimage_program_layout.sizes_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "sizes");
     bgimage_program_layout.tiled_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "tiled");
+    tint_program_layout.tint_color_location = get_uniform_location(TINT_PROGRAM, "tint_color");
+    tint_program_layout.edges_location = get_uniform_location(TINT_PROGRAM, "edges");
 }
 
 #define CELL_BUFFERS enum { cell_data_buffer, selection_buffer, uniform_buffer };
@@ -434,15 +440,23 @@ has_bgimage(OSWindow *w) {
 }
 
 static void
-draw_cells_interleaved(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, OSWindow *w) {
+draw_cells_interleaved(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, OSWindow *w, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GLfloat width, GLfloat height) {
     glEnable(GL_BLEND);
     BLEND_ONTO_OPAQUE;
 
-    bind_program(CELL_BG_PROGRAM);
     // draw background for all cells
     if (!has_bgimage(w)) {
+        bind_program(CELL_BG_PROGRAM);
         glUniform1ui(cell_program_layouts[CELL_BG_PROGRAM].draw_bg_bitfield_location, 3);
         glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns);
+    } else if (OPT(background_image_tint) > 0) {
+        bind_program(TINT_PROGRAM);
+        color_type window_bg = colorprofile_to_color(screen->color_profile, screen->color_profile->overridden.default_bg, screen->color_profile->configured.default_bg);
+#define C(shift) ((((GLfloat)((window_bg >> shift) & 0xFF)) / 255.0f))
+        glUniform4f(tint_program_layout.tint_color_location, C(16), C(8), C(0), OPT(background_image_tint));
+#undef C
+        glUniform4f(tint_program_layout.edges_location, xstart, ystart - height, xstart + width, ystart);
+        glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4);
     }
 
     if (screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || has_bgimage(w)) {
@@ -610,7 +624,7 @@ draw_cells(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GL
         if (screen->grman->count || has_bgimage(os_window)) draw_cells_interleaved_premult(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
         else draw_cells_simple(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen);
     } else {
-        if (screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs || screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || has_bgimage(os_window)) draw_cells_interleaved(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
+        if (screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs || screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || has_bgimage(os_window)) draw_cells_interleaved(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window, xstart, ystart, w, h);
         else draw_cells_simple(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen);
     }
 }
@@ -779,7 +793,7 @@ static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
 bool
 init_shaders(PyObject *module) {
 #define C(x) if (PyModule_AddIntConstant(module, #x, x) != 0) { PyErr_NoMemory(); return false; }
-    C(CELL_PROGRAM); C(CELL_BG_PROGRAM); C(CELL_SPECIAL_PROGRAM); C(CELL_FG_PROGRAM); C(BORDERS_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_PREMULT_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_ALPHA_MASK_PROGRAM); C(BLIT_PROGRAM); C(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM);
+    C(CELL_PROGRAM); C(CELL_BG_PROGRAM); C(CELL_SPECIAL_PROGRAM); C(CELL_FG_PROGRAM); C(BORDERS_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_PREMULT_PROGRAM); C(GRAPHICS_ALPHA_MASK_PROGRAM); C(BLIT_PROGRAM); C(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM); C(TINT_PROGRAM);
     C(GLSL_VERSION);
     C(GL_VERSION);
     C(GL_VENDOR);
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index 412de2e46..a30cfc010 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -560,6 +560,7 @@ PYWRAP1(set_options) {
     S(cursor_stop_blinking_after, parse_s_double_to_monotonic_t);
     S(background_opacity, PyFloat_AsFloat);
     S(background_image_layout, bglayout);
+    S(background_image_tint, PyFloat_AsFloat);
     S(background_image_linear, PyObject_IsTrue);
     S(dim_opacity, PyFloat_AsFloat);
     S(dynamic_background_opacity, PyObject_IsTrue);
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 71fdb4f9a..d3394e1bf 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ typedef struct {
     char* background_image;
     BackgroundImageLayout background_image_layout;
     bool background_image_linear;
+    float background_image_tint;
 
     bool dynamic_background_opacity;
     float inactive_text_alpha;
diff --git a/kitty/tint_fragment.glsl b/kitty/tint_fragment.glsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce3b849af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kitty/tint_fragment.glsl
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#version GLSL_VERSION
+
+uniform vec4 tint_color;
+out vec4 color;
+
+void main() {
+    color = tint_color;
+}
diff --git a/kitty/tint_vertex.glsl b/kitty/tint_vertex.glsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f8c85ece7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kitty/tint_vertex.glsl
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#version GLSL_VERSION
+
+uniform vec4 edges;
+
+void main() {
+    float left = edges[0];
+    float top = edges[1];
+    float right = edges[2];
+    float bottom = edges[3];
+    vec2 pos_map[] = vec2[4](
+        vec2(left, top),
+        vec2(left, bottom),
+        vec2(right, bottom),
+        vec2(right, top)
+    );
+
+
+    gl_Position = vec4(pos_map[gl_VertexID], 0, 1);
+}
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 7faf76dc1..23771ca61 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ from .fast_data_types import (
     CELL_PROGRAM, CELL_SPECIAL_PROGRAM, CSI, DCS, DECORATION, DIM,
     GRAPHICS_ALPHA_MASK_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PREMULT_PROGRAM, GRAPHICS_PROGRAM,
     MARK, MARK_MASK, OSC, REVERSE, SCROLL_FULL, SCROLL_LINE, SCROLL_PAGE,
-    STRIKETHROUGH, Screen, add_window, cell_size_for_window, compile_program,
-    get_clipboard_string, init_cell_program, set_clipboard_string,
-    set_titlebar_color, set_window_render_data, update_window_title,
-    update_window_visibility, viewport_for_window
+    STRIKETHROUGH, TINT_PROGRAM, Screen, add_window, cell_size_for_window,
+    compile_program, get_clipboard_string, init_cell_program,
+    set_clipboard_string, set_titlebar_color, set_window_render_data,
+    update_window_title, update_window_visibility, viewport_for_window
 )
 from .keys import defines, extended_key_event, keyboard_mode_name
 from .rgb import to_color
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ def load_shader_programs(semi_transparent=False):
 
     v, f = load_shaders('bgimage')
     compile_program(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, v, f)
+    v, f = load_shaders('tint')
+    compile_program(TINT_PROGRAM, v, f)
     init_cell_program()