diff --git a/minetest.conf.example b/minetest.conf.example
index f7dac6b7b..b7f4b24a7 100644
--- a/minetest.conf.example
+++ b/minetest.conf.example
@@ -213,6 +213,8 @@
 #font_size = 13
 # Font shadow offset, if 0 then shadow will not be drawn.
 #font_shadow = 1
+# Font shadow alpha (opaqueness, between 0 and 255)
+#font_shadow_alpha = 128
 #mono_font_path = fonts/liberationmono.ttf
 #mono_font_size = 13
 
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@
 #fallback_font_path = fonts/DroidSansFallbackFull.ttf
 #fallback_font_size = 13
 #fallback_font_shadow = 1
+#fallback_font_shadow_alpha = 128
 
 #
 # Server stuff
diff --git a/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.cpp b/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.cpp
index b9c979090..9a702cad7 100644
--- a/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.cpp
+++ b/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.cpp
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ void SGUITTGlyph::unload()
 
 //////////////////////
 
-CGUITTFont* CGUITTFont::createTTFont(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias, const bool transparency, const u32 shadow)
+CGUITTFont* CGUITTFont::createTTFont(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias, const bool transparency, const u32 shadow, const u32 shadow_alpha)
 {
 	if (!c_libraryLoaded)
 	{
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ CGUITTFont* CGUITTFont::createTTFont(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filen
 	}
 
 	font->shadow_offset = shadow;
+	font->shadow_alpha = shadow_alpha;
 
 	return font;
 }
@@ -631,7 +632,7 @@ void CGUITTFont::draw(const core::stringw& text, const core::rect<s32>& position
 		if (shadow_offset) {
 			for (size_t i = 0; i < page->render_positions.size(); ++i)
 				page->render_positions[i] += core::vector2di(shadow_offset, shadow_offset);
-			Driver->draw2DImageBatch(page->texture, page->render_positions, page->render_source_rects, clip, video::SColor(255, 0, 0, 0), true);
+			Driver->draw2DImageBatch(page->texture, page->render_positions, page->render_source_rects, clip, video::SColor(shadow_alpha,0,0,0), true);
 			for (size_t i = 0; i < page->render_positions.size(); ++i)
 				page->render_positions[i] -= core::vector2di(shadow_offset, shadow_offset);
 		}
diff --git a/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.h b/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.h
index a58873da6..e24d8f18b 100644
--- a/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.h
+++ b/src/cguittfont/CGUITTFont.h
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ namespace gui
 			//! \param antialias set the use_monochrome (opposite to antialias) flag
 			//! \param transparency set the use_transparency flag
 			//! \return Returns a pointer to a CGUITTFont.  Will return 0 if the font failed to load.
-			static CGUITTFont* createTTFont(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias = true, const bool transparency = true, const u32 shadow = 0);
+			static CGUITTFont* createTTFont(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias = true, const bool transparency = true, const u32 shadow = 0, const u32 shadow_alpha = 255);
 			static CGUITTFont* createTTFont(IrrlichtDevice *device, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias = true, const bool transparency = true);
 			static CGUITTFont* create(IGUIEnvironment *env, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias = true, const bool transparency = true);
 			static CGUITTFont* create(IrrlichtDevice *device, const io::path& filename, const u32 size, const bool antialias = true, const bool transparency = true);
@@ -370,6 +370,7 @@ namespace gui
 			s32 GlobalKerningHeight;
 			core::ustring Invisible;
 			u32 shadow_offset;
+			u32 shadow_alpha;
 	};
 
 } // end namespace gui
diff --git a/src/defaultsettings.cpp b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
index a217fda40..e93c1d4c8 100644
--- a/src/defaultsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/defaultsettings.cpp
@@ -155,11 +155,13 @@ void set_default_settings(Settings *settings)
 	settings->setDefault("font_path", porting::getDataPath("fonts" DIR_DELIM "liberationsans.ttf"));
 	settings->setDefault("font_size", "13");
 	settings->setDefault("font_shadow", "1");
+	settings->setDefault("font_shadow_alpha", "128");
 	settings->setDefault("mono_font_path", porting::getDataPath("fonts" DIR_DELIM "liberationmono.ttf"));
 	settings->setDefault("mono_font_size", "13");
 	settings->setDefault("fallback_font_path", porting::getDataPath("fonts" DIR_DELIM "DroidSansFallbackFull.ttf"));
 	settings->setDefault("fallback_font_size", "13");
 	settings->setDefault("fallback_font_shadow", "1");
+	settings->setDefault("fallback_font_shadow_alpha", "128");
 #else
 	settings->setDefault("freetype", "false");
 	settings->setDefault("font_path", porting::getDataPath("fonts" DIR_DELIM "fontlucida.png"));
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 480e885c2..8186e26c8 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1477,7 +1477,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		u16 font_size = g_settings->getU16(fallback + "font_size");
 		font_path = g_settings->get(fallback + "font_path");
 		u32 font_shadow = g_settings->getU16(fallback + "font_shadow");
-		font = gui::CGUITTFont::createTTFont(guienv, font_path.c_str(), font_size, true, true, font_shadow);
+		u32 font_shadow_alpha = g_settings->getU16(fallback + "font_shadow_alpha");
+		font = gui::CGUITTFont::createTTFont(guienv, font_path.c_str(), font_size, true, true, font_shadow, font_shadow_alpha);
 	} else {
 		font = guienv->getFont(font_path.c_str());
 	}