diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 70eb48c12..321c2abc6 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -2283,10 +2283,11 @@ appearing when you don't expect them to. See `no_prepend[]`
 * `draw_border` (optional): draw border
 
 #### `box[<X>,<Y>;<W>,<H>;<color>]`
-* Simple colored semitransparent box
+* Simple colored box
 * `x` and `y` position the box relative to the top left of the menu
 * `w` and `h` are the size of box
-* `color` is color specified as a `ColorString`
+* `color` is color specified as a `ColorString`.
+  If the alpha component is left blank, the box will be semitransparent.
 
 #### `dropdown[<X>,<Y>;<W>;<name>;<item 1>,<item 2>, ...,<item n>;<selected idx>]`
 * Show a dropdown field
diff --git a/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.cpp b/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.cpp
index e582c30de..12caf39eb 100644
--- a/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.cpp
@@ -1560,7 +1560,7 @@ void GUIFormSpecMenu::parseBox(parserData* data, const std::string &element)
 
 		video::SColor tmp_color;
 
-		if (parseColorString(parts[2], tmp_color, false)) {
+		if (parseColorString(parts[2], tmp_color, false, 0x8C)) {
 			BoxDrawSpec spec(pos, geom, tmp_color);
 
 			m_boxes.push_back(spec);
@@ -2515,8 +2515,6 @@ void GUIFormSpecMenu::drawMenu()
 	for (const GUIFormSpecMenu::BoxDrawSpec &spec : m_boxes) {
 		irr::video::SColor todraw = spec.color;
 
-		todraw.setAlpha(140);
-
 		core::rect<s32> rect(spec.pos.X,spec.pos.Y,
 							spec.pos.X + spec.geom.X,spec.pos.Y + spec.geom.Y);
 
diff --git a/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.h b/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.h
index 51d25a4f5..013ba65cb 100644
--- a/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.h
+++ b/src/gui/guiFormSpecMenu.h
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ class GUIFormSpecMenu : public GUIModalMenu
 
 	struct BoxDrawSpec
 	{
-		BoxDrawSpec(v2s32 a_pos, v2s32 a_geom,irr::video::SColor a_color):
+		BoxDrawSpec(v2s32 a_pos, v2s32 a_geom, irr::video::SColor a_color):
 			pos(a_pos),
 			geom(a_geom),
 			color(a_color)
diff --git a/src/util/string.cpp b/src/util/string.cpp
index 3eabcbe11..25f573420 100644
--- a/src/util/string.cpp
+++ b/src/util/string.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 	#define BSD_ICONV_USED
 #endif
 
-static bool parseHexColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color);
+static bool parseHexColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color,
+		unsigned char default_alpha = 0xff);
 static bool parseNamedColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color);
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
@@ -464,12 +465,13 @@ u64 read_seed(const char *str)
 	return num;
 }
 
-bool parseColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color, bool quiet)
+bool parseColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color, bool quiet,
+		unsigned char default_alpha)
 {
 	bool success;
 
 	if (value[0] == '#')
-		success = parseHexColorString(value, color);
+		success = parseHexColorString(value, color, default_alpha);
 	else
 		success = parseNamedColorString(value, color);
 
@@ -479,9 +481,10 @@ bool parseColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color, bool quiet
 	return success;
 }
 
-static bool parseHexColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color)
+static bool parseHexColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color,
+		unsigned char default_alpha)
 {
-	unsigned char components[] = { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff }; // R,G,B,A
+	unsigned char components[] = { 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, default_alpha }; // R,G,B,A
 
 	if (value[0] != '#')
 		return false;
diff --git a/src/util/string.h b/src/util/string.h
index 2840f1192..35b7cfa8a 100644
--- a/src/util/string.h
+++ b/src/util/string.h
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ std::string writeFlagString(u32 flags, const FlagDesc *flagdesc, u32 flagmask);
 size_t mystrlcpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t size);
 char *mystrtok_r(char *s, const char *sep, char **lasts);
 u64 read_seed(const char *str);
-bool parseColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color, bool quiet);
+bool parseColorString(const std::string &value, video::SColor &color, bool quiet,
+		unsigned char default_alpha = 0xff);
 
 
 /**