diff --git a/common/xutil.c b/common/xutil.c
index 1f9f56f38..1d617b7ce 100644
--- a/common/xutil.c
+++ b/common/xutil.c
@@ -272,8 +272,9 @@ xutil_get_class_hint(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_window_t win)
 
     class_hint_r = xcb_get_property_reply(conn, class_hint_c, NULL);
 
-    if(!class_hint_r || class_hint_r->type != STRING ||
-       class_hint_r->format != 8)
+    if(!class_hint_r
+       || class_hint_r->type != STRING
+       || class_hint_r->format != 8)
     {
         p_delete(&class_hint_r);
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index 2361d0760..3fefe24e2 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -42,9 +42,23 @@ extern bool running;
 static void
 statusbar_draw(statusbar_t *statusbar)
 {
+    xcb_window_t rootwin;
+    xcb_pixmap_t rootpix;
     widget_node_t *w;
     int left = 0, right = 0;
+    char *data;
+    xcb_get_property_reply_t *prop_r;
+    xcb_get_property_cookie_t prop_c;
     area_t rectangle = { 0, 0, 0, 0, NULL, NULL };
+    xcb_atom_t rootpix_atom, pixmap_atom;
+    xutil_intern_atom_request_t rootpix_atom_req, pixmap_atom_req;
+
+    /* Send requests needed for transparency */
+    if(statusbar->transparency)
+    {
+        pixmap_atom_req = xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, &globalconf.atoms, "PIXMAP");
+        rootpix_atom_req = xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, &globalconf.atoms, "_XROOTPMAP_ID");
+    }
 
     statusbar->need_update.value = false;
 
@@ -53,8 +67,33 @@ statusbar_draw(statusbar_t *statusbar)
 
     rectangle.width = statusbar->width;
     rectangle.height = statusbar->height;
-    draw_rectangle(statusbar->ctx, rectangle, 1.0, true,
-                   statusbar->colors.bg);
+
+    if(statusbar->transparency)
+    {
+        rootwin = xcb_aux_get_screen(globalconf.connection, statusbar->phys_screen)->root;
+        pixmap_atom = xutil_intern_atom_reply(globalconf.connection, &globalconf.atoms, pixmap_atom_req);
+        rootpix_atom = xutil_intern_atom_reply(globalconf.connection, &globalconf.atoms, rootpix_atom_req);
+        prop_c = xcb_get_property_unchecked(globalconf.connection, false, rootwin, rootpix_atom,
+                                            pixmap_atom, 0, 1);
+        if((prop_r = xcb_get_property_reply(globalconf.connection, prop_c, NULL)))
+        {
+            if((data = xcb_get_property_value(prop_r)))
+            {
+               rootpix = *(xcb_pixmap_t *) data;
+               printf("data %d\n", rootpix);
+               xcb_copy_area(globalconf.connection, rootpix,
+                             statusbar->sw->drawable, statusbar->sw->gc,
+                             statusbar->sw->geometry.x, statusbar->sw->geometry.y,
+                             0, 0,
+                             statusbar->sw->geometry.width,
+                             statusbar->sw->geometry.height);
+            }
+            p_delete(&prop_r);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+        draw_rectangle(statusbar->ctx, rectangle, 1.0, true,
+                       statusbar->colors.bg);
 
     for(w = statusbar->widgets; w; w = w->next)
         if(w->widget->isvisible && w->widget->align == AlignLeft)
@@ -526,6 +565,18 @@ luaA_statusbar_new(lua_State *L)
     return luaA_settype(L, "statusbar");
 }
 
+/** Set statusbar transparency.
+ * \param A boolean value, true to enable, false to disable.
+ */
+static int
+luaA_statusbar_transparency_set(lua_State *L)
+{
+    statusbar_t **sb = luaL_checkudata(L, 1, "statusbar");
+    (*sb)->transparency = luaA_checkboolean(L, 2);
+    statusbar_needupdate(*sb);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /** Handle statusbar garbage collection.
  */
 static int
@@ -549,6 +600,7 @@ const struct luaL_reg awesome_statusbar_meta[] =
     { "align_set", luaA_statusbar_align_set },
     { "add", luaA_statusbar_add },
     { "remove", luaA_statusbar_remove },
+    { "transparency_set", luaA_statusbar_transparency_set },
     { "__gc", luaA_statusbar_gc },
     { "__eq", luaA_statusbar_eq },
     { "__tostring", luaA_statusbar_tostring },
diff --git a/structs.h b/structs.h
index 2f2be8096..e5b3f550a 100644
--- a/structs.h
+++ b/structs.h
@@ -213,6 +213,8 @@ struct statusbar_t
     widget_node_t *widgets;
     /** Draw context */
     draw_context_t *ctx;
+    /** Transparency */
+    bool transparency;
     /** Need update */
     struct
     {
diff --git a/widgets/tasklist.c b/widgets/tasklist.c
index 53efbb83d..879bed6d2 100644
--- a/widgets/tasklist.c
+++ b/widgets/tasklist.c
@@ -113,8 +113,9 @@ tasklist_draw(widget_node_t *w, statusbar_t *statusbar, int offset, int used)
                 area.height = statusbar->height;
                 area.width = box_width;
 
-                draw_rectangle(statusbar->ctx, area, 1.0, true,
-                               statusbar->colors.bg);
+                if(!statusbar->transparency)
+                    draw_rectangle(statusbar->ctx, area, 1.0, true,
+                                   statusbar->colors.bg);
 
                 if(c->icon_path)
                 {