diff --git a/app/viewmainpage.cpp b/app/viewmainpage.cpp
--- a/app/viewmainpage.cpp
+++ b/app/viewmainpage.cpp
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@
 
     void applyPalette(bool fullScreenMode)
     {
-        mDocumentViewContainer->setPalette(mGvCore->palette(fullScreenMode ? GvCore::FullScreenViewPalette : GvCore::NormalViewPalette));
+        mDocumentViewContainer->applyPalette(mGvCore->palette(fullScreenMode ? GvCore::FullScreenViewPalette : GvCore::NormalViewPalette));
         setupThumbnailBarStyleSheet();
     }
 };
diff --git a/lib/documentview/documentview.h b/lib/documentview/documentview.h
--- a/lib/documentview/documentview.h
+++ b/lib/documentview/documentview.h
@@ -134,12 +134,6 @@
     int sortKey() const;
     void setSortKey(int sortKey);
 
-    /**
-     * If true, areas around the document will be painted with the default brush.
-     * If false they will be kept transparent.
-     */
-    void setEraseBorders(bool);
-
     bool isAnimated() const;
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
diff --git a/lib/documentview/documentview.cpp b/lib/documentview/documentview.cpp
--- a/lib/documentview/documentview.cpp
+++ b/lib/documentview/documentview.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <QGraphicsScene>
 #include <QGraphicsSceneMouseEvent>
 #include <QGraphicsSceneWheelEvent>
+#include <QGraphicsOpacityEffect>
 #include <QPainter>
 #include <QPropertyAnimation>
 #include <QPointer>
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@
     BirdEyeView* mBirdEyeView;
     QPointer<QPropertyAnimation> mMoveAnimation;
     QPointer<QPropertyAnimation> mFadeAnimation;
+    QGraphicsOpacityEffect* mOpacityEffect;
 
     LoadingIndicator* mLoadingIndicator;
 
@@ -99,7 +101,6 @@
     DocumentView::Setup mSetup;
     bool mCurrent;
     bool mCompareMode;
-    bool mEraseBorders;
     int controlWheelAccumulatedDelta;
 
     void setCurrentAdapter(AbstractDocumentViewAdapter* adapter)
@@ -319,8 +320,8 @@
             }
         }
         // Create a new fade animation
-        QPropertyAnimation* anim = new QPropertyAnimation(q, "opacity");
-        anim->setStartValue(q->opacity());
+        QPropertyAnimation* anim = new QPropertyAnimation(mOpacityEffect, "opacity");
+        anim->setStartValue(mOpacityEffect->opacity());
         anim->setEndValue(value);
         if (qFuzzyCompare(value, 1)) {
             QObject::connect(anim, SIGNAL(finished()),
@@ -346,10 +347,16 @@
     d->mBirdEyeView = 0;
     d->mCurrent = false;
     d->mCompareMode = false;
-    d->mEraseBorders = false;
     d->controlWheelAccumulatedDelta = 0;
 
-    setOpacity(0);
+    // We use an opacity effect instead of using the opacity property directly, because the latter operates at
+    // the painter level, which means if you draw multiple layers in paint(), all layers get the specified
+    // opacity, resulting in all layers being visible when 0 < opacity < 1.
+    // QGraphicsEffects on the other hand, operate after all painting is done, therefore 'flattening' all layers.
+    // This is important for fade effects, where we don't want any background layers visible during the fade.
+    d->mOpacityEffect = new QGraphicsOpacityEffect(this);
+    d->mOpacityEffect->setOpacity(0);
+    setGraphicsEffect(d->mOpacityEffect);
 
     scene->addItem(this);
 
@@ -627,16 +634,13 @@
 
 void DocumentView::paint(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem* /*option*/, QWidget* /*widget*/)
 {
-    QRectF visibleRect = mapRectFromItem(d->mAdapter->widget(), d->mAdapter->visibleDocumentRect());
-    if (d->mEraseBorders) {
-        QRegion borders = QRegion(boundingRect().toRect())
-            - QRegion(visibleRect.toRect());
-        Q_FOREACH(const QRect& rect, borders.rects()) {
-            painter->eraseRect(rect);
-        }
-    }
+    // Fill background manually, because setAutoFillBackground(true) fill with QPalette::Window,
+    // but our palettes use QPalette::Base for the background color/texture
+    painter->fillRect(rect(), palette().base());
 
+    // Selection indicator/highlight
     if (d->mCompareMode && d->mCurrent) {
+        QRectF visibleRect = mapRectFromItem(d->mAdapter->widget(), d->mAdapter->visibleDocumentRect());
         painter->save();
         painter->setBrush(Qt::NoBrush);
         painter->setPen(QPen(palette().highlight().color(), 2));
@@ -801,11 +805,6 @@
     d->mSortKey = sortKey;
 }
 
-void DocumentView::setEraseBorders(bool value)
-{
-    d->mEraseBorders = value;
-}
-
 void DocumentView::hideAndDeleteLater()
 {
     hide();
diff --git a/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.h b/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.h
--- a/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.h
+++ b/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.h
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@
 
     void showMessageWidget(QGraphicsWidget*, Qt::Alignment);
 
+    /**
+     * Set palette on this and all document views
+     */
+    void applyPalette(const QPalette& palette);
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void updateLayout();
 
diff --git a/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.cpp b/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.cpp
--- a/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.cpp
+++ b/lib/documentview/documentviewcontainer.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@
 DocumentView* DocumentViewContainer::createView()
 {
     DocumentView* view = new DocumentView(d->mScene);
+    view->setPalette(palette());
     d->mAddedViews << view;
     view->show();
     connect(view, &DocumentView::fadeInFinished, this, &DocumentViewContainer::slotFadeInFinished);
@@ -185,7 +186,6 @@
         DocumentView* newView = *d->mAddedViews.begin();
 
         newView->setGeometry(rect());
-        newView->setEraseBorders(true);
         QPropertyAnimation* anim = newView->fadeIn();
 
         oldView->setZValue(-1);
@@ -256,7 +256,8 @@
             } else {
                 // Not animated, set final geometry and opacity now
                 view->setGeometry(rect);
-                view->setOpacity(1);
+                // Assumes opacity set using QGraphicsOpacityEffect, and not the opacity() property
+                view->setGraphicsEffect(0);
             }
 
             ++col;
@@ -300,7 +301,6 @@
     }
     d->mAddedViews.remove(view);
     d->mViews.insert(view);
-    view->setEraseBorders(false);
 }
 
 void DocumentViewContainer::slotConfigChanged()
@@ -331,4 +331,12 @@
     widget->setZValue(1);
 }
 
+void DocumentViewContainer::applyPalette(const QPalette& palette)
+{
+    setPalette(palette);
+    for (DocumentView* view : (d->mViews | d->mAddedViews)) {
+        view->setPalette(palette);
+    }
+}
+
 } // namespace
diff --git a/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.h b/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.h
--- a/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.h
+++ b/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
     QGraphicsSvgItem* mSvgItem;
     AbstractImageView::AlphaBackgroundMode mAlphaBackgroundMode;
     QColor mAlphaBackgroundColor;
+    bool mDocumentFullyLoaded;
+
     void adjustItemPos();
     void drawAlphaBackground(QPainter* painter);
     void paint(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem* option, QWidget* widget) override;
diff --git a/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.cpp b/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.cpp
--- a/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.cpp
+++ b/lib/documentview/svgviewadapter.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 , mSvgItem(new QGraphicsSvgItem(this))
 , mAlphaBackgroundMode(AbstractImageView::AlphaBackgroundCheckBoard)
 , mAlphaBackgroundColor(Qt::black)
+, mDocumentFullyLoaded(false)
 {
     // So we aren't unnecessarily drawing the background for every paint()
     setCacheMode(QGraphicsItem::DeviceCoordinateCache);
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@
     }
     applyPendingScrollPos();
     completed();
+    mDocumentFullyLoaded = true;
 }
 
 void SvgImageView::onZoomChanged()
@@ -138,7 +140,9 @@
 
 void SvgImageView::paint(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionGraphicsItem* /*option*/, QWidget* /*widget*/)
 {
-    drawAlphaBackground(painter);
+    if (mDocumentFullyLoaded) {
+        drawAlphaBackground(painter);
+    }
 }
 
 //// SvgViewAdapter ////