--- eggtray/source/eggtrayicon.c
+++ eggtray/source/eggtrayicon.c
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@
 static void egg_tray_icon_realize   (GtkWidget *widget);
 static void egg_tray_icon_unrealize (GtkWidget *widget);
 
+static void egg_tray_icon_add (GtkContainer *container,
+			       GtkWidget    *widget);
+
 #ifdef GDK_WINDOWING_X11
 static void egg_tray_icon_update_manager_window    (EggTrayIcon *icon,
 						    gboolean     dock_if_realized);
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@
 {
   GObjectClass *gobject_class = (GObjectClass *)klass;
   GtkWidgetClass *widget_class = (GtkWidgetClass *)klass;
+  GtkContainerClass *container_class = (GtkContainerClass *)klass;
 
   parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
@@ -117,6 +121,8 @@
   widget_class->realize   = egg_tray_icon_realize;
   widget_class->unrealize = egg_tray_icon_unrealize;
 
+  container_class->add = egg_tray_icon_add;
+
   g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class,
 				   PROP_ORIENTATION,
 				   g_param_spec_enum ("orientation",
@@ -363,6 +369,36 @@
 
 #endif
 
+static gboolean
+transparent_expose_event (GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventExpose *event, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  gdk_window_clear_area (widget->window, event->area.x, event->area.y,
+			 event->area.width, event->area.height);
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+static void
+make_transparent_again (GtkWidget *widget, GtkStyle *previous_style,
+			gpointer user_data)
+{
+  gdk_window_set_back_pixmap (widget->window, NULL, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+make_transparent (GtkWidget *widget, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  if (GTK_WIDGET_NO_WINDOW (widget) || GTK_WIDGET_APP_PAINTABLE (widget))
+    return;
+
+  gtk_widget_set_app_paintable (widget, TRUE);
+  gtk_widget_set_double_buffered (widget, FALSE);
+  gdk_window_set_back_pixmap (widget->window, NULL, TRUE);
+  g_signal_connect (widget, "expose_event",
+		    G_CALLBACK (transparent_expose_event), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect_after (widget, "style_set",
+			  G_CALLBACK (make_transparent_again), NULL);
+}	
+
 static void
 egg_tray_icon_realize (GtkWidget *widget)
 {
@@ -377,6 +413,8 @@
   if (GTK_WIDGET_CLASS (parent_class)->realize)
     GTK_WIDGET_CLASS (parent_class)->realize (widget);
 
+  make_transparent (widget, NULL);
+
   screen = gtk_widget_get_screen (widget);
   display = gdk_screen_get_display (screen);
   xdisplay = gdk_x11_display_get_xdisplay (display);
@@ -409,6 +447,14 @@
 #endif
 }
 
+static void
+egg_tray_icon_add (GtkContainer *container, GtkWidget *widget)
+{
+  g_signal_connect (widget, "realize",
+		    G_CALLBACK (make_transparent), NULL);
+  GTK_CONTAINER_CLASS (parent_class)->add (container, widget);
+}
+
 EggTrayIcon *
 egg_tray_icon_new_for_screen (GdkScreen *screen, const char *name)
 {
