diff --git a/src/switch-wm.scm b/src/switch-wm.scm
index 8fd52d2..d5d377d 100644
--- a/src/switch-wm.scm
+++ b/src/switch-wm.scm
@@ -72,10 +72,7 @@
 		 (data:titlebars data))
        (exit 'deinit-manager))
 
-      ((draw-main-window)
-       (set-gc-foreground! dpy gc (black-pixel dpy))
-       (fill-rectangle* dpy window gc
-			(clip-rectangle dpy window)))
+      ((draw-main-window) #t)
 
       ((fit-windows)
        (fit-titlebars wm data)
@@ -151,9 +148,9 @@
 	 ;; it's a list of a client and it's transients.
 	 (let ((cc (wm-current-client wm))
 	       (top (last clients)))
+	   (map-window dpy (client:client-window top))
 	   (if (and cc (window-mapped? dpy (client:client-window cc)))
-	       (unmap-window dpy (client:client-window cc)))
-	   (map-window dpy (client:client-window top)))))
+	       (unmap-window dpy (client:client-window cc))))))
 
       (else (warn "unhandled switch-wm message" wm msg)))))
 
@@ -285,9 +282,24 @@
 
 (define (fit-client wm client)
   (let ((window (client:window client))
+	(client-window (client:client-window client))
 	(dpy (wm:dpy wm)))
     (if (window-exists? dpy window)
-	(maximize-window dpy window))))
+	(begin
+	  (maximize-window dpy window)
+	  ;; if the client fills the full client-window, we set the
+	  ;; client-window to transparent, so if the client is
+	  ;; transparent too, the root-windows pixmap can be seen.
+	  (let ((r1 (clip-rectangle dpy window))
+		(r2 (clip-rectangle dpy client-window)))
+	    (if (and (equal? (rectangle:width r1) (rectangle:width r2))
+		     (equal? (rectangle:height r1) (rectangle:height r2)))
+		;; client fill client-window completely, make it transparent
+		(set-window-background-pixmap! dpy client-window
+					       parent-relative)
+		;; otherwise make it black
+		(set-window-background-pixel! dpy client-window
+					      (black-pixel dpy))))))))
 
 (define (fit-client-window wm client)
   (let* ((dpy (wm:dpy wm))