diff --git a/frontend/menu/disp/glui.c b/frontend/menu/disp/glui.c
index 6293088217..ea6084136f 100644
--- a/frontend/menu/disp/glui.c
+++ b/frontend/menu/disp/glui.c
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ static void glui_blit_line(float x, float y, const char *message, bool green)
                                       message, &params);
 }
 
-static void glui_render_background(void)
+static void glui_render_background(bool force_transparency)
 {
-   float alpha = 0.9f;
+   float alpha = 0.75f;
    gl_t *gl = NULL;
    glui_handle_t *glui = NULL;
 
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ static void glui_render_background(void)
 
    if ((g_settings.menu.pause_libretro
       || !g_extern.main_is_init || g_extern.libretro_dummy)
+      && !force_transparency
       && glui->bg)
    {
       coords.color = color;
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ static void glui_frame(void)
    if (end - begin > glui->term_height)
       end = begin + glui->term_height;
 
-   glui_render_background();
+   glui_render_background(false);
 
    file_list_get_last(driver.menu->menu_stack, &dir, &label, &menu_type);
 
@@ -352,7 +353,7 @@ static void glui_frame(void)
 
    if (glui->box_message[0] != '\0')
    {
-      glui_render_background();
+      glui_render_background(true);
       glui_render_messagebox(glui->box_message);
       glui->box_message[0] = '\0';
    }
diff --git a/frontend/menu/disp/lakka.c b/frontend/menu/disp/lakka.c
index cceba74a1e..14e404cf12 100644
--- a/frontend/menu/disp/lakka.c
+++ b/frontend/menu/disp/lakka.c
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ static void lakka_draw_text(lakka_handle_t *lakka,
                                       str, &params);
 }
 
-void lakka_draw_background(void)
+void lakka_draw_background(bool force_transparency)
 {
-   float alpha = 0.9f;
+   float alpha = 0.75f;
    gl_t *gl = NULL;
    lakka_handle_t *lakka = NULL;
 
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ void lakka_draw_background(void)
 
    if ((g_settings.menu.pause_libretro
       || !g_extern.main_is_init || g_extern.libretro_dummy)
+      && !force_transparency
       && lakka->textures[TEXTURE_BG].id)
    {
       coords.color = color;
@@ -567,11 +568,11 @@ static void lakka_frame(void)
    lakka_draw_arrow(lakka);
    glBindFramebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, 0);
    glViewport(0, 0, gl->win_width, gl->win_height);
-   lakka_draw_background();
+   lakka_draw_background(false);
    lakka_draw_fbo();
 #else
    glViewport(0, 0, gl->win_width, gl->win_height);
-   lakka_draw_background();
+   lakka_draw_background(false);
    lakka_draw_categories(lakka);
    lakka_draw_arrow(lakka);
 #endif
diff --git a/frontend/menu/disp/xmb.c b/frontend/menu/disp/xmb.c
index b370eac2cf..efb9452a0f 100644
--- a/frontend/menu/disp/xmb.c
+++ b/frontend/menu/disp/xmb.c
@@ -222,9 +222,9 @@ static void xmb_draw_text(const char *str, float x,
                                       str, &params);
 }
 
-static void xmb_render_background(void)
+static void xmb_render_background(bool force_transparency)
 {
-   float alpha = 0.9f;
+   float alpha = 0.75f;
    gl_t *gl = NULL;
    xmb_handle_t *xmb = NULL;
 
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ static void xmb_render_background(void)
 
    if ((g_settings.menu.pause_libretro
       || !g_extern.main_is_init || g_extern.libretro_dummy)
+      && !force_transparency
       && xmb->textures[XMB_TEXTURE_BG].id)
    {
       coords.color = color;
@@ -425,7 +426,7 @@ static void xmb_frame(void)
 
    glViewport(0, 0, gl->win_width, gl->win_height);
 
-   xmb_render_background();
+   xmb_render_background(false);
 
    file_list_get_last(driver.menu->menu_stack, &dir, &label, &menu_type);
 
@@ -525,7 +526,7 @@ static void xmb_frame(void)
 
    if (xmb->box_message[0] != '\0')
    {
-      xmb_render_background();
+      xmb_render_background(true);
       xmb_render_messagebox(xmb->box_message);
       xmb->box_message[0] = '\0';
    }