diff --git a/src/draw.c b/src/draw.c
index 14dfd8b..931f36c 100644
--- a/src/draw.c
+++ b/src/draw.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <pango/pango-layout.h>
 #include <pango/pango-types.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
 
 #include "dunst.h"
 #include "icon.h"
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ struct window_x11 *win;
 
 PangoFontDescription *pango_fdesc;
 
+#define UINT_MAX_N(bits) ((1 << bits) - 1)
+
 void draw_setup(void)
 {
         x_setup();
@@ -41,12 +44,16 @@ void draw_setup(void)
         pango_fdesc = pango_font_description_from_string(settings.font);
 }
 
-static struct color hex_to_color(int hexValue)
+static struct color hex_to_color(uint32_t hexValue, int dpc)
 {
+        const int bpc = 4 * dpc;
+        const unsigned single_max = UINT_MAX_N(bpc);
+
         struct color ret;
-        ret.r = ((hexValue >> 16) & 0xFF) / 255.0;
-        ret.g = ((hexValue >> 8) & 0xFF) / 255.0;
-        ret.b = ((hexValue) & 0xFF) / 255.0;
+        ret.r = ((hexValue >> 3 * bpc) & single_max) / (double)single_max;
+        ret.g = ((hexValue >> 2 * bpc) & single_max) / (double)single_max;
+        ret.b = ((hexValue >> 1 * bpc) & single_max) / (double)single_max;
+        ret.a = ((hexValue)            & single_max) / (double)single_max;
 
         return ret;
 }
@@ -54,15 +61,24 @@ static struct color hex_to_color(int hexValue)
 static struct color string_to_color(const char *str)
 {
         char *end;
-        long int val = strtol(str+1, &end, 16);
-        if (*end != '\0' && *(end+1) != '\0') {
+        uint_fast32_t val = strtoul(str+1, &end, 16);
+        if (end[0] != '\0' && end[1] != '\0') {
                 LOG_W("Invalid color string: '%s'", str);
         }
 
-        return hex_to_color(val);
+        switch (end - (str+1)) {
+                case 3:  return hex_to_color((val << 4) | 0xF, 1);
+                case 6:  return hex_to_color((val << 8) | 0xFF, 2);
+                case 4:  return hex_to_color(val, 1);
+                case 8:  return hex_to_color(val, 2);
+        }
+
+        /* return black on error */
+        LOG_W("Invalid color string: '%s'", str);
+        return hex_to_color(0xF, 1);
 }
 
-static double color_apply_delta(double base, double delta)
+static inline double color_apply_delta(double base, double delta)
 {
         base += delta;
         if (base > 1)
@@ -481,6 +497,12 @@ static cairo_surface_t *render_background(cairo_surface_t *srf,
 
         cairo_t *c = cairo_create(srf);
 
+        /* stroke area doesn't intersect with main area */
+        cairo_set_fill_rule(c, CAIRO_FILL_RULE_EVEN_ODD);
+
+        /* for correct combination of adjacent areas */
+        cairo_set_operator(c, CAIRO_OPERATOR_ADD);
+
         if (first)
                 height += settings.frame_width;
         if (last)
@@ -488,11 +510,8 @@ static cairo_surface_t *render_background(cairo_surface_t *srf,
         else
                 height += settings.separator_height;
 
-        if (settings.frame_width > 0)
-        {
-                cairo_set_source_rgb(c, cl->frame.r, cl->frame.g, cl->frame.b);
+        if (settings.frame_width > 0) {
                 draw_rounded_rect(c, x, y, width, height, corner_radius, first, last);
-                cairo_fill(c);
 
                 /* adding frame */
                 x += settings.frame_width;
@@ -509,17 +528,23 @@ static cairo_surface_t *render_background(cairo_surface_t *srf,
                         height -= settings.separator_height;
 
                 radius_int = frame_internal_radius (corner_radius, settings.frame_width, height);
+
+                draw_rounded_rect(c, x, y, width, height, radius_int, first, last);
+                cairo_set_source_rgba(c, cl->frame.r, cl->frame.g, cl->frame.b, cl->frame.a);
+                cairo_fill(c);
         }
 
-        cairo_set_source_rgb(c, cl->bg.r, cl->bg.g, cl->bg.b);
         draw_rounded_rect(c, x, y, width, height, radius_int, first, last);
+        cairo_set_source_rgba(c, cl->bg.r, cl->bg.g, cl->bg.b, cl->bg.a);
         cairo_fill(c);
 
+        cairo_set_operator(c, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+
         if (   settings.sep_color.type != SEP_FRAME
             && settings.separator_height > 0
             && !last) {
                 struct color sep_color = layout_get_sepcolor(cl, cl_next);
-                cairo_set_source_rgb(c, sep_color.r, sep_color.g, sep_color.b);
+                cairo_set_source_rgba(c, sep_color.r, sep_color.g, sep_color.b, sep_color.a);
 
                 cairo_rectangle(c, settings.frame_width, y + height, width, settings.separator_height);
 
@@ -561,7 +586,7 @@ static void render_content(cairo_t *c, struct colored_layout *cl, int width)
         }
         cairo_move_to(c, text_x, text_y);
 
-        cairo_set_source_rgb(c, cl->fg.r, cl->fg.g, cl->fg.b);
+        cairo_set_source_rgba(c, cl->fg.r, cl->fg.g, cl->fg.b, cl->fg.a);
         pango_cairo_update_layout(c, cl->l);
         pango_cairo_show_layout(c, cl->l);
 
diff --git a/src/x11/x.h b/src/x11/x.h
index 3ed21e3..9874b7f 100644
--- a/src/x11/x.h
+++ b/src/x11/x.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct color {
         double r;
         double g;
         double b;
+        double a;
 };
 
 extern struct x_context xctx;