diff --git a/src/protocols/ssh/client.c b/src/protocols/ssh/client.c
index 43985b3f..cb615831 100644
--- a/src/protocols/ssh/client.c
+++ b/src/protocols/ssh/client.c
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ int guac_client_init(guac_client* client, int argc, char** argv) {
     client_data->term = guac_terminal_create(client,
             client_data->font_name, client_data->font_size,
             client->info.optimal_resolution,
-            client->info.optimal_width, client->info.optimal_height);
+            client->info.optimal_width, client->info.optimal_height,
+            7, 0);
 
     /* Fail if terminal init failed */
     if (client_data->term == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/protocols/telnet/client.c b/src/protocols/telnet/client.c
index a083df39..424dd6cf 100644
--- a/src/protocols/telnet/client.c
+++ b/src/protocols/telnet/client.c
@@ -200,7 +200,8 @@ int guac_client_init(guac_client* client, int argc, char** argv) {
     client_data->term = guac_terminal_create(client,
             client_data->font_name, client_data->font_size,
             client->info.optimal_resolution,
-            client->info.optimal_width, client->info.optimal_height);
+            client->info.optimal_width, client->info.optimal_height,
+            7, 0);
 
     /* Fail if terminal init failed */
     if (client_data->term == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/terminal/display.c b/src/terminal/display.c
index b54e27e4..c90c2882 100644
--- a/src/terminal/display.c
+++ b/src/terminal/display.c
@@ -306,8 +306,8 @@ guac_terminal_display* guac_terminal_display_alloc(guac_client* client,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    display->glyph_foreground = foreground;
-    display->glyph_background = background;
+    display->default_foreground = display->glyph_foreground = foreground;
+    display->default_background = display->glyph_background = background;
 
     /* Calculate character dimensions */
     display->char_width =
@@ -475,12 +475,12 @@ void guac_terminal_display_resize(guac_terminal_display* display, int width, int
     guac_terminal_operation* current;
     int x, y;
 
-    /* Fill with background color (index 0) */
+    /* Fill with background color */
     guac_terminal_char fill = {
         .value = 0,
         .attributes = {
-            .foreground = 0,
-            .background = 0
+            .foreground = display->default_background,
+            .background = display->default_background
         },
         .width = 1
     };
diff --git a/src/terminal/display.h b/src/terminal/display.h
index 084ece81..c9eb1c38 100644
--- a/src/terminal/display.h
+++ b/src/terminal/display.h
@@ -139,6 +139,16 @@ typedef struct guac_terminal_display {
      */
     int char_height;
 
+    /**
+     * Default foreground color for all glyphs.
+     */
+    int default_foreground;
+
+    /**
+     * Default background color for all glyphs and the terminal itself.
+     */
+    int default_background;
+
     /**
      * Color of glyphs in copy buffer
      */
diff --git a/src/terminal/terminal.c b/src/terminal/terminal.c
index 5c688d61..c7c64ac7 100644
--- a/src/terminal/terminal.c
+++ b/src/terminal/terminal.c
@@ -190,20 +190,57 @@ void guac_terminal_reset(guac_terminal* term) {
 
 }
 
+/**
+ * Paints or repaints the background of the terminal display. This painting
+ * occurs beneath the actual terminal and scrollbar layers, and thus will not
+ * overwrite any text or other content currently on the screen. This is only
+ * necessary to paint over parts of the terminal background which may otherwise
+ * be transparent (the default layer background).
+ *
+ * @param terminal
+ *     The terminal whose background should be painted or repainted.
+ *
+ * @param width
+ *     The width of the background to draw, in pixels.
+ *
+ * @param height
+ *     The height of the background to draw, in pixels.
+ */
+static void guac_terminal_paint_background(guac_terminal* terminal,
+        int width, int height) {
+
+    guac_terminal_display* display = terminal->display;
+    guac_client* client = display->client;
+    guac_socket* socket = client->socket;
+
+    /* Get background color */
+    const guac_terminal_color* color =
+        &guac_terminal_palette[display->default_background];
+
+    /* Paint background color */
+    guac_protocol_send_rect(socket, GUAC_DEFAULT_LAYER, 0, 0, width, height);
+    guac_protocol_send_cfill(socket, GUAC_COMP_OVER, GUAC_DEFAULT_LAYER,
+            color->red, color->green, color->blue, 0xFF);
+
+}
+
 guac_terminal* guac_terminal_create(guac_client* client,
         const char* font_name, int font_size, int dpi,
-        int width, int height) {
+        int width, int height,
+        int default_foreground,
+        int default_background) {
 
     guac_terminal_char default_char = {
         .value = 0,
         .attributes = {
-            .foreground = 7,
-            .background = 0,
+            .foreground = default_foreground,
+            .background = default_background,
             .bold       = false,
             .reverse    = false,
             .underscore = false
         },
-        .width = 1};
+        .width = 1
+    };
 
     /* Calculate available display area */
     int available_width = width - GUAC_TERMINAL_SCROLLBAR_WIDTH;
@@ -260,6 +297,7 @@ guac_terminal* guac_terminal_create(guac_client* client,
     /* Size display */
     guac_protocol_send_size(term->display->client->socket,
             GUAC_DEFAULT_LAYER, width, height);
+    guac_terminal_paint_background(term, width, height);
     guac_terminal_display_resize(term->display,
             term->term_width, term->term_height);
 
@@ -1234,6 +1272,7 @@ int guac_terminal_resize(guac_terminal* terminal, int width, int height) {
 
     /* Resize default layer to given pixel dimensions */
     guac_protocol_send_size(socket, GUAC_DEFAULT_LAYER, width, height);
+    guac_terminal_paint_background(terminal, width, height);
 
     /* Notify scrollbar of resize */
     guac_terminal_scrollbar_parent_resized(terminal->scrollbar, width, height, rows);
diff --git a/src/terminal/terminal.h b/src/terminal/terminal.h
index 7c6b7507..43a1be92 100644
--- a/src/terminal/terminal.h
+++ b/src/terminal/terminal.h
@@ -348,10 +348,45 @@ struct guac_terminal {
 /**
  * Creates a new guac_terminal, having the given width and height, and
  * rendering to the given client.
+ *
+ * @param client
+ *     The client to which the terminal will be rendered.
+ *
+ * @param font_name
+ *     The name of the font to use when rendering glyphs.
+ *
+ * @param font_size
+ *     The size of each glyph, in points.
+ *
+ * @param dpi
+ *     The DPI of the display. The given font size will be adjusted to produce
+ *     glyphs at the given DPI.
+ *
+ * @param width
+ *     The width of the terminal, in pixels.
+ *
+ * @param height
+ *     The height of the terminal, in pixels.
+ *
+ * @param default_foreground
+ *     The default foreground color for all glyphs whose foreground has not
+ *     been explicitly set through terminal codes. This color is the color
+ *     index within the terminal palette - a value between 0 and 15 inclusive.
+ *
+ * @param default_background
+ *     The default background color for all glyphs whose background has not
+ *     been explicitly set through terminal codes, and the background of the
+ *     terminal as a whole. This color is the color index within the terminal
+ *     palette - a value between 0 and 15 inclusive.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *     A new guac_terminal having the given font, dimensions, and attributes
+ *     which renders all text to the given client.
  */
 guac_terminal* guac_terminal_create(guac_client* client,
         const char* font_name, int font_size, int dpi,
-        int width, int height);
+        int width, int height,
+        int default_foreground, int default_background);
 
 /**
  * Frees all resources associated with the given terminal.