diff --git a/cpp/cucul++.cpp b/cpp/cucul++.cpp
index 0d8034b..b5f633e 100644
--- a/cpp/cucul++.cpp
+++ b/cpp/cucul++.cpp
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ void 	Cucul::printf ( int x , int y , char const * format,...)
 
 }
 
-void 	Cucul::clear ()
+void 	Cucul::clear ( unsigned char bg )
 {
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, bg);
 }
 
 void 	Cucul::blit ( int x, int y, Cucul* c1, Cucul* c2)
diff --git a/cpp/cucul++.h b/cpp/cucul++.h
index 3bf10d0..66e7ee2 100644
--- a/cpp/cucul++.h
+++ b/cpp/cucul++.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class Cucul {
     void 	printf ( int x , int y , char const * format,...);
     void putchar (int x, int y, char ch);
     void putstr (int x, int y, char *str);
-    void 	clear ();
+    void 	clear (unsigned char bg);
     void 	blit ( int, int, Cucul* c1, Cucul* c2);
     void 	invert ();
     void 	flip ();
diff --git a/cucul/canvas.c b/cucul/canvas.c
index da02b1f..fc3ead8 100644
--- a/cucul/canvas.c
+++ b/cucul/canvas.c
@@ -154,15 +154,18 @@ void cucul_printf(cucul_canvas_t *cv, int x, int y, char const *format, ...)
 
 /** \brief Clear the canvas.
  *
- *  This function clears the canvas using a black background.
+ *  This function clears the canvas using the given background colour.
+ *
+ *  \param cv The canvas to clear.
+ *  \param bg The background colour to use.
  */
-void cucul_clear(cucul_canvas_t *cv)
+void cucul_clear_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *cv, unsigned char bg)
 {
     uint16_t oldfg = cv->fgcolor;
     uint16_t oldbg = cv->bgcolor;
     int y = cv->height;
 
-    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_DEFAULT, bg);
 
     /* We could use SLsmg_cls() etc., but drawing empty lines is much faster */
     while(y--)
diff --git a/cucul/cucul.h b/cucul/cucul.h
index 77678b6..7f7b25f 100644
--- a/cucul/cucul.h
+++ b/cucul/cucul.h
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ char const *cucul_get_color_name(unsigned int);
 void cucul_putchar(cucul_canvas_t *, int, int, char);
 void cucul_putstr(cucul_canvas_t *, int, int, char const *);
 void cucul_printf(cucul_canvas_t *, int, int, char const *, ...);
-void cucul_clear(cucul_canvas_t *);
+void cucul_clear_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *, unsigned char);
 void cucul_blit(cucul_canvas_t *, int, int, cucul_canvas_t const *, cucul_canvas_t const *);
 /*  @} */
 
diff --git a/src/cacaview.c b/src/cacaview.c
index 5b79d91..1210bf4 100644
--- a/src/cacaview.c
+++ b/src/cacaview.c
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             free(buffer);
         }
 
-        cucul_clear(cv);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
 
         if(!items)
         {
diff --git a/src/img2irc.c b/src/img2irc.c
index bd20f48..3be8acd 100644
--- a/src/img2irc.c
+++ b/src/img2irc.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     lines = cols * i->h * 6 / i->w / 10;
 
     cucul_set_canvas_size(cv, cols, lines);
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_TRANSPARENT);
     cucul_dither_bitmap(cv, 0, 0, cols - 1, lines - 1, i->dither, i->pixels);
 
     unload_image(i);
diff --git a/test/colors.c b/test/colors.c
index 5c57a5d..07c3eb1 100644
--- a/test/colors.c
+++ b/test/colors.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if(!dp)
         return 1;
 
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
     for(i = 0; i < 16; i++)
     {
         cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
diff --git a/test/demo.c b/test/demo.c
index 07d58d3..c6299be 100644
--- a/test/demo.c
+++ b/test/demo.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 }
 
                 if(demo)
-                    cucul_clear(cv);
+                    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
             }
             else if(ev.type & CACA_EVENT_MOUSE_MOTION)
             {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ static void display_menu(void)
     int xo = cucul_get_canvas_width(cv) - 2;
     int yo = cucul_get_canvas_height(cv) - 2;
 
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
     cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
     cucul_draw_thin_box(cv, 1, 1, xo, yo);
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ static void demo_all(void)
 
     i++;
 
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
 
     /* Draw the sun */
     cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_YELLOW, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ static void demo_color(void)
     int i, j;
     char buf[BUFSIZ];
 
-    cucul_clear(cv);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
     for(i = 0; i < 16; i++)
     {
         sprintf(buf, "'%c': %i (%s)", 'a' + i, i, cucul_get_color_name(i));
diff --git a/test/event.c b/test/event.c
index 0059cb3..2ae68df 100644
--- a/test/event.c
+++ b/test/event.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         }
         while(ret);
 
-        cucul_clear(cv);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
 
         /* Print current event */
         cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_WHITE, CUCUL_COLOR_BLUE);
diff --git a/test/gamma.c b/test/gamma.c
index 568d28d..fd079f9 100644
--- a/test/gamma.c
+++ b/test/gamma.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ int main(void)
                             cucul_get_canvas_height(cw) - 1, right, buffer);
 
         /* Draw something on the mask */
-        cucul_clear(mask);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(mask, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
         cucul_set_color(mask, CUCUL_COLOR_WHITE, CUCUL_COLOR_WHITE);
         cucul_fill_ellipse(mask, (1.0 + sin(0.05 * (float)x))
                                    * 0.5 * cucul_get_canvas_width(mask),
diff --git a/test/spritedit.c b/test/spritedit.c
index b6cac90..e2acd55 100644
--- a/test/spritedit.c
+++ b/test/spritedit.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 
-        cucul_clear(cv);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
 
         cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
         cucul_draw_thin_box(cv, 0, 0, cucul_get_canvas_width(cv) - 1,