diff --git a/changes.txt b/changes.txt
index 327e8549..40f1ddcc 100644
--- a/changes.txt
+++ b/changes.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 --------------------------
 Changes in 1.9 (not yet released)
+- Add IGUIImage::setDrawBackground to allow disabling background drawing even when no texture is set.
 - Add gui event EGET_ELEMENT_REMOVED.
 - Fix: IGUIContextMenu now raises sub-menu when they would otherwise be displayed below bottom-border of root gui element.
 - Prevent initializing/quitting SDL several times when using more than one Irrlicht device.
diff --git a/include/IGUIImage.h b/include/IGUIImage.h
index c7977034..c99de0dd 100644
--- a/include/IGUIImage.h
+++ b/include/IGUIImage.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ namespace video
 }
 namespace gui
 {
-
 	//! GUI element displaying an image.
 	class IGUIImage : public IGUIElement
 	{
@@ -71,6 +70,14 @@ namespace gui
 
 		//! Get drawing-area restrictions.
 		virtual core::rect<f32> getDrawBounds() const = 0;
+
+		//! Sets whether to draw a background color (EGDC_3D_DARK_SHADOW) when no texture is set
+		/** By default it's enabled */
+		virtual void setDrawBackground(bool draw) = 0;
+
+		//! Checks if a background is drawn when no texture is set
+		/** \return true if background drawing is enabled, false otherwise */
+		virtual bool isDrawBackgroundEnabled() const = 0;
 	};
 
 
diff --git a/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.cpp b/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.cpp
index 40057756..a963b347 100644
--- a/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.cpp
+++ b/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ namespace gui
 //! constructor
 CGUIImage::CGUIImage(IGUIEnvironment* environment, IGUIElement* parent, s32 id, core::rect<s32> rectangle)
 : IGUIImage(environment, parent, id, rectangle), Texture(0), Color(255,255,255,255),
-	UseAlphaChannel(false), ScaleImage(false), DrawBounds(0.f, 0.f, 1.f, 1.f)
+	UseAlphaChannel(false), ScaleImage(false), DrawBounds(0.f, 0.f, 1.f, 1.f), DrawBackground(true)
 {
 	#ifdef _DEBUG
 	setDebugName("CGUIImage");
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void CGUIImage::draw()
 				&clippingRect, Color, UseAlphaChannel);
 		}
 	}
-	else
+	else if ( DrawBackground )
 	{
 		core::rect<s32> clippingRect(AbsoluteClippingRect);
 		checkBounds(clippingRect);
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ void CGUIImage::serializeAttributes(io::IAttributes* out, io::SAttributeReadWrit
 	out->addFloat   ("DrawBoundsY1", DrawBounds.UpperLeftCorner.Y);
 	out->addFloat   ("DrawBoundsX2", DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.X);
 	out->addFloat   ("DrawBoundsY2", DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.Y);
+	out->addBool    ("DrawBackground", DrawBackground);
 }
 
 
@@ -207,6 +208,8 @@ void CGUIImage::deserializeAttributes(io::IAttributes* in, io::SAttributeReadWri
 	DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.X = in->getAttributeAsFloat("DrawBoundsX2", DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.X);
 	DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.Y = in->getAttributeAsFloat("DrawBoundsY2", DrawBounds.LowerRightCorner.Y);
 	setDrawBounds(DrawBounds);
+
+	setDrawBackground(in->getAttributeAsBool("DrawBackground", DrawBackground));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.h b/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.h
index 1de4eedf..034a8903 100644
--- a/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.h
+++ b/source/Irrlicht/CGUIImage.h
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ namespace gui
 		//! Get drawing-area restrictions.
 		virtual core::rect<f32> getDrawBounds() const _IRR_OVERRIDE_;
 
+		//! Sets whether to draw a background color (EGDC_3D_DARK_SHADOW) when no texture is set
+		virtual void setDrawBackground(bool draw) _IRR_OVERRIDE_
+		{
+			DrawBackground = draw;
+		}
+
+		//! Checks if a background is drawn when no texture is set
+		virtual bool isDrawBackgroundEnabled() const  _IRR_OVERRIDE_
+		{
+			return DrawBackground;
+		}
+
 		//! Writes attributes of the element.
 		virtual void serializeAttributes(io::IAttributes* out, io::SAttributeReadWriteOptions* options) const _IRR_OVERRIDE_;
 
@@ -89,6 +101,7 @@ namespace gui
 		bool ScaleImage;
 		core::rect<s32> SourceRect;
 		core::rect<f32> DrawBounds;
+		bool DrawBackground;
 	};