diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 041beea..987f52d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ mytextbox:set_tooltip("foo bar")
 The "underlay" is the opposite of an overlay. Think of it as a background label.
 Radical add this option to all Awesome widget by calling the `set_underlay`
 method. The first argument is the text (or table of string) and the second is
-an array with the `style` and `alpha` keys.
+an array with the `style`, `color` and `alpha` keys.
 
 ## Options
 
diff --git a/base.lua b/base.lua
index 739d309..c770ebe 100644
--- a/base.lua
+++ b/base.lua
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ local function new(args)
       fkeys_prefix    = args.fkeys_prefix or false,
       underlay_alpha  = args.underlay_alpha or beautiful.underlay_alpha  or 0.7,
       underlay_style  = args.underlay_style or nil,
+      filter_underlay = args.filter_underlay or nil,
       filter_prefix   = args.filter_prefix or "Filter:",
       enable_keyboard = (args.enable_keyboard ~= false),
       max_items       = args.max_items or nil,
@@ -287,6 +288,9 @@ local function new(args)
       overlay         = args.overlay or nil,
       opacity         = args.opacity or beautiful.menu_opacity or 1,
       icon_transformation = args.icon_transformation or nil,
+      filter_underlay_style = args.filter_underlay_style or nil,
+      filter_underlay_color = args.filter_underlay_color,
+      filter_placeholder    = args.filter_placeholder or "",
     },
     force_private = {
       parent  = true,
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 6ff02ef..10c4703 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ end
 
 local function _underlay_draw(self,w, cr, width, height)
   cr:save()
-  local udl = underlay.draw(self._underlay,{height=height,style = self._underlay_style})
+  local udl = underlay.draw(self._underlay,{height=height,style = self._underlay_style,bg=self._underlay_color})
   cr:set_source_surface(udl,width-udl:get_width()-3)
   cr:paint_with_alpha(self._underlay_alpha or beautiful.underlay_alpha or 0.7)
   cr:restore()
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ local function set_underlay(self,udl,args)
   self._underlay = udl
   self._underlay_style = args.style
   self._underlay_alpha = args.alpha
+  self._underlay_color = args.color
   self:emit_signal("widget::updated")
 end
 
diff --git a/widgets/filter.lua b/widgets/filter.lua
index 09a6b16..d87e46f 100644
--- a/widgets/filter.lua
+++ b/widgets/filter.lua
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ local function new(data)
   local bg = wibox.widget.background()
   bg:set_bg(data.bg_highlight)
   bg:set_widget(filter_tb)
-  filter_tb:set_markup(" <b>".. data.filter_prefix .."</b> ")
+  filter_tb:set_markup(" <b>".. data.filter_prefix .."</b> "..data.filter_placeholder)
   filter_tb.fit = function(tb,width,height)
     return width,data.item_height
   end
+  filter_tb:set_underlay(data.filter_underlay,{alpha=data.filter_underlay_alpha,color=data.filter_underlay_color})
   data:connect_signal("filter_string::changed",function()
-    filter_tb:set_markup(" <b>".. data.filter_prefix .."</b> "..data.filter_string)
+    local is_empty = data.filter_string == ""
+    filter_tb:set_markup(" <b>".. data.filter_prefix .."</b> "..(is_empty and data.filter_placeholder or data.filter_string))
   end)
   bg.widget = filter_tb
   return bg