diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 14b8643..dfa8435 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AC_PREREQ(2.50)
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(autotools)
 AC_CANONICAL_SYSTEM
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libcaca, 0.10)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libcaca, 0.10.beta1)
 LT_VERSION="10:0:10"
 AC_SUBST(LT_VERSION)
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
diff --git a/cpp/cucul++.cpp b/cpp/cucul++.cpp
index 3383901..d17f993 100644
--- a/cpp/cucul++.cpp
+++ b/cpp/cucul++.cpp
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ void Cucul::printf(int x, int y, char const * format,...)
     putstr(x, y, buf);
 }
 
-void Cucul::clear(unsigned char bg )
+void Cucul::clear(void)
 {
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, bg);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
 }
 
 void Cucul::blit(int x, int y, Cucul* c1, Cucul* c2)
diff --git a/cpp/cucul++.h b/cpp/cucul++.h
index b3d03b9..5464217 100644
--- a/cpp/cucul++.h
+++ b/cpp/cucul++.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ 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(unsigned char bg);
+    void clear(void);
     void blit(int, int, Cucul* c1, Cucul* c2);
     void invert();
     void flip();
diff --git a/cucul/canvas.c b/cucul/canvas.c
index fc3ead8..2b2e4ce 100644
--- a/cucul/canvas.c
+++ b/cucul/canvas.c
@@ -154,25 +154,21 @@ void cucul_printf(cucul_canvas_t *cv, int x, int y, char const *format, ...)
 
 /** \brief Clear the canvas.
  *
- *  This function clears the canvas using the given background colour.
+ *  This function clears the canvas using the current background colour.
  *
  *  \param cv The canvas to clear.
- *  \param bg The background colour to use.
  */
-void cucul_clear_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *cv, unsigned char bg)
+void cucul_clear_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *cv)
 {
-    uint16_t oldfg = cv->fgcolor;
-    uint16_t oldbg = cv->bgcolor;
-    int y = cv->height;
-
-    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_DEFAULT, bg);
+    uint32_t color = (cv->bgcolor << 16) | cv->fgcolor;
+    unsigned int n;
 
     /* We could use SLsmg_cls() etc., but drawing empty lines is much faster */
-    while(y--)
-        cucul_putstr(cv, 0, y, cv->empty_line);
-
-    cv->fgcolor = oldfg;
-    cv->bgcolor = oldbg;
+    for(n = cv->width * cv->height; n--; )
+    {
+        cv->chars[n] = (uint32_t)' ';
+        cv->attr[n] = color;
+    }
 }
 
 /** \brief Blit a canvas onto another one.
diff --git a/cucul/cucul.h b/cucul/cucul.h
index 1cece8a..36aee45 100644
--- a/cucul/cucul.h
+++ b/cucul/cucul.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ 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_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *, unsigned char);
+void cucul_clear_canvas(cucul_canvas_t *);
 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 11eb3c5..1243395 100644
--- a/src/cacaview.c
+++ b/src/cacaview.c
@@ -321,7 +321,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             free(buffer);
         }
 
-        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_WHITE, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
 
         if(!items)
         {
diff --git a/src/img2irc.c b/src/img2irc.c
index f06a89e..aadcd3d 100644
--- a/src/img2irc.c
+++ b/src/img2irc.c
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     lines = cols * i->h * 6 / i->w / 10;
 
     cucul_set_canvas_size(cv, cols, lines);
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_TRANSPARENT);
+    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_DEFAULT, CUCUL_COLOR_TRANSPARENT);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
     cucul_dither_bitmap(cv, 0, 0, cols, lines, i->dither, i->pixels);
 
     unload_image(i);
diff --git a/test/colors.c b/test/colors.c
index a7244ba..c4f1730 100644
--- a/test/colors.c
+++ b/test/colors.c
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if(!dp)
         return 1;
 
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
     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 50428df..9512514 100644
--- a/test/demo.c
+++ b/test/demo.c
@@ -142,7 +142,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 }
 
                 if(demo)
-                    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+                {
+                    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+                    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
+                }
             }
             else if(ev.type & CACA_EVENT_MOUSE_MOTION)
             {
@@ -196,8 +199,8 @@ static void display_menu(void)
     int xo = cucul_get_canvas_width(cv) - 2;
     int yo = cucul_get_canvas_height(cv) - 2;
 
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
     cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
     cucul_draw_thin_box(cv, 1, 1, xo, yo);
 
     cucul_putstr(cv, (xo - strlen("libcaca demo")) / 2, 3, "libcaca demo");
@@ -236,7 +239,8 @@ static void demo_all(void)
 
     i++;
 
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
 
     /* Draw the sun */
     cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_YELLOW, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
@@ -349,7 +353,8 @@ static void demo_color(void)
     int i, j;
     char buf[BUFSIZ];
 
-    cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+    cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
     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 d084e44..7869bc6 100644
--- a/test/event.c
+++ b/test/event.c
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         }
         while(ret);
 
-        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
 
         /* Print current event */
         cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_WHITE, CUCUL_COLOR_BLUE);
diff --git a/test/gamma.c b/test/gamma.c
index cc253b7..7cc8432 100644
--- a/test/gamma.c
+++ b/test/gamma.c
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ int main(void)
                             cucul_get_canvas_height(cw), right, buffer);
 
         /* Draw something on the mask */
-        cucul_clear_canvas(mask, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(mask);
         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 861e775..c79a35b 100644
--- a/test/spritedit.c
+++ b/test/spritedit.c
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 
-        cucul_clear_canvas(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
-
         cucul_set_color(cv, CUCUL_COLOR_LIGHTGRAY, CUCUL_COLOR_BLACK);
+        cucul_clear_canvas(cv);
+
         cucul_draw_thin_box(cv, 0, 0, cucul_get_canvas_width(cv) - 1,
                             cucul_get_canvas_height(cv) - 1);