diff --git a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
--- a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
+++ b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.h
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
 
 #include "canvas/kis_canvas_decoration.h"
 
+#include <QFont>
+
+class QGraphicsScene;
+class QGraphicsPixmapItem;
+class QGraphicsDropShadowEffect;
+
 class KisFpsDecoration : public KisCanvasDecoration
 {
 public:
@@ -31,7 +37,15 @@
     static const QString idTag;
 
 private:
-    void draw(QPainter& gc);
+    bool draw(const QString &text, QSize &outSize);
+	QString getText() const;
+
+    QFont m_font;
+    QPixmap m_pixmap;
+
+    QGraphicsScene *m_scene;
+    QGraphicsPixmapItem *m_pixmapItem;
+    QGraphicsDropShadowEffect *m_shadow;
 };
 
 #endif /* __KIS_FPS_DECORATION_H */
diff --git a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
--- a/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
+++ b/libs/ui/kis_fps_decoration.cpp
@@ -23,37 +23,90 @@
 #include "kis_coordinates_converter.h"
 #include "opengl/kis_opengl_canvas_debugger.h"
 #include <KisStrokeSpeedMonitor.h>
+#include <QGraphicsScene>
+#include <QGraphicsPixmapItem>
+#include <QGraphicsDropShadowEffect>
 
 const QString KisFpsDecoration::idTag = "fps_decoration";
 
 KisFpsDecoration::KisFpsDecoration(QPointer<KisView> view)
     : KisCanvasDecoration(idTag, view)
+    , m_font(QApplication::font())
+    , m_pixmap(1, 1) // need non-zero pixmap for initial setup
 {
     setVisible(true);
+
+    m_shadow = new QGraphicsDropShadowEffect(this);
+    m_shadow->setBlurRadius(0.5);
+    m_shadow->setOffset(0);
+    m_shadow->setColor(QColor(0x30, 0x30, 0x30));
+
+    m_scene = new QGraphicsScene(this);
+    m_pixmapItem = m_scene->addPixmap(m_pixmap);
+    m_pixmapItem->setGraphicsEffect(m_shadow);
 }
 
 KisFpsDecoration::~KisFpsDecoration()
 {
 }
 
 void KisFpsDecoration::drawDecoration(QPainter& gc, const QRectF& /*updateRect*/, const KisCoordinatesConverter */*converter*/, KisCanvas2* /*canvas*/)
 {
-#ifdef Q_OS_OSX
-    QPixmap pixmap(320, 128);
-    pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
-    {
-        QPainter painter(&pixmap);
-        draw(painter);
+    // we always paint into a pixmap instead of directly into gc, as the latter
+    // approach is known to cause garbled graphics on macOS, Windows, and even
+    // sometimes Linux.
+
+    const QString text = getText();
+
+    // note that USUALLY the pixmap will have the right size. in very rare cases
+    // (e.g. on the very first call) the computed bounding rect will not be right
+    // and the pixmap will need a resize. it is faster to NOT usually calculate
+    // the necessary bounds with an extra call like QFontMetrics::boundingRect()
+    // here, as USUALLY the pixmap will be right and thus an extra call would be
+    // unnecessary overhead.
+
+    QSize size;
+
+    if (!draw(text, size)) {
+        // the pixmap is too small, we need to make it larger. make it 10% wider
+        // than the measured width to avoid resizing again as soon as the text
+        // gets a bit wider due to different content.
+
+        m_pixmap = QPixmap(size.width() * 1.1f, size.height());
+
+        KIS_ASSERT(draw(text, size));
     }
-    gc.drawPixmap(0, 0, pixmap);
-#else
-    draw(gc);
-#endif
+
+    QRectF r = m_pixmap.rect();
+    r |= m_shadow->boundingRectFor(r);
+
+    m_pixmapItem->setPixmap(m_pixmap);
+    m_scene->render(&gc, r.translated(20, 20), r);
 }
 
+bool KisFpsDecoration::draw(const QString &text, QSize &outSize)
+{
+    m_pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
+
+    const int flags = Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignTop | Qt::TextDontClip;
+    QRect bounds;
+
+    QPainter painter(&m_pixmap);
+    painter.setFont(m_font);
 
+    painter.setPen(QPen(QColor(0xF0, 0xF0, 0xF0)));
+    painter.drawText(m_pixmap.rect().translated(1, 1), flags, text, &bounds);
 
-void KisFpsDecoration::draw(QPainter& gc)
+    outSize = bounds.size() + QSize(1, 1);
+
+    if (m_pixmap.width() < outSize.width() || m_pixmap.height() != outSize.height()) {
+        return false; // pixmap is too small and needs a resize. rarely happens.
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+QString KisFpsDecoration::getText() const
 {
     QStringList lines;
 
@@ -66,34 +119,18 @@
 
     if (monitor->haveStrokeSpeedMeasurement()) {
         lines << QString("Last cursor/brush speed (px/ms): %1/%2%3")
-                     .arg(monitor->lastCursorSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
-                     .arg(monitor->lastRenderingSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
-                     .arg(monitor->lastStrokeSaturated() ? " (!)" : "");
+                .arg(monitor->lastCursorSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
+                .arg(monitor->lastRenderingSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
+                .arg(monitor->lastStrokeSaturated() ? " (!)" : "");
         lines << QString("Last brush framerate: %1 fps")
-                     .arg(monitor->lastFps(), 0, 'f', 1);
+                .arg(monitor->lastFps(), 0, 'f', 1);
 
         lines << QString("Average cursor/brush speed (px/ms): %1/%2")
-                     .arg(monitor->avgCursorSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
-                     .arg(monitor->avgRenderingSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1);
+                .arg(monitor->avgCursorSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1)
+                .arg(monitor->avgRenderingSpeed(), 0, 'f', 1);
         lines << QString("Average brush framerate: %1 fps")
-                     .arg(monitor->avgFps(), 0, 'f', 1);
-    }
-
-
-    QPoint startPoint(20,30);
-    const int lineSpacing = QFontMetrics(gc.font()).lineSpacing();
-
-
-    gc.save();
-
-    Q_FOREACH (const QString &line, lines) {
-        gc.setPen(QPen(Qt::white));
-        gc.drawText(startPoint + QPoint(1,1), line);
-        gc.setPen(QPen(Qt::black));
-        gc.drawText(startPoint, line);
-
-        startPoint += QPoint(0, lineSpacing);
+                .arg(monitor->avgFps(), 0, 'f', 1);
     }
 
-    gc.restore();
+    return lines.join('\n');
 }