diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 9d0812f..0d0b470 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub struct TextGrid {
 #[pymethods]
 impl TextGrid {
     #[new]
-    #[pyo3(signature = (rows, cols, title=None, font_path=None, color_font_path=None, on_key=None, appearance_changed=None, event_loop=None, on_close=None))]
+    #[pyo3(signature = (rows, cols, title=None, font_path=None, color_font_path=None, on_key=None, appearance_changed=None, event_loop=None, on_close=None, bg_color=None))]
     fn new(
         rows: u32,
         cols: u32,
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@ impl TextGrid {
         appearance_changed: Option<PyObject>,
         event_loop: Option<PyObject>,
         on_close: Option<PyObject>,
+        bg_color: Option<(u8, u8, u8)>,
     ) -> PyResult<Self> {
+        let bg = bg_color.map(|(r, g, b)| (r as f32 / 255.0, g as f32 / 255.0, b as f32 / 255.0))
+            .unwrap_or((0.0, 0.0, 0.0));
         let needs_render = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(true));
         let notify_pair = Arc::new((Mutex::new(false), Condvar::new()));
         let close_requested = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ impl TextGrid {
                     ra,
                     event_loop,
                     on_close,
+                    bg,
                 );
             })
             .map_err(|e| PyValueError::new_err(format!("failed to spawn render thread: {e}")))?;
diff --git a/src/renderer.rs b/src/renderer.rs
index 3e77355..1193429 100644
--- a/src/renderer.rs
+++ b/src/renderer.rs
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub fn start(
     rows_atomic: Arc<AtomicU32>,
     event_loop: Option<PyObject>,
     on_close: Option<PyObject>,
+    bg_color: (f32, f32, f32),
 ) {
     // ----- Font loading & cell metrics -----
     let (font_set, scale) = font::load_font(font_path.as_deref());
@@ -528,9 +529,9 @@ pub fn start(
                         resolve_target: None,
                         ops: wgpu::Operations {
                             load: wgpu::LoadOp::Clear(wgpu::Color {
-                                r: 0.06,
-                                g: 0.06,
-                                b: 0.1,
+                                r: bg_color.0 as f64,
+                                g: bg_color.1 as f64,
+                                b: bg_color.2 as f64,
                                 a: 1.0,
                             }),
                             store: wgpu::StoreOp::Store,