diff --git a/src/Application.cpp b/src/Application.cpp
index e03a05007..d7731f487 100644
--- a/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/Application.cpp
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@
 
 using namespace Konsole;
 
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-Application::Application(Display* display , Qt::HANDLE visual, Qt::HANDLE colormap)
-    : KUniqueApplication(display,visual,colormap) 
-{
-    init();
-}
-#endif
-
 Application::Application() : KUniqueApplication()
 {
     init();
diff --git a/src/Application.h b/src/Application.h
index 2e3ce856d..094457835 100644
--- a/src/Application.h
+++ b/src/Application.h
@@ -52,11 +52,6 @@ Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
     /** Constructs a new Konsole application. */
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-    Application(Display* display , Qt::HANDLE visual, Qt::HANDLE colormap);
-#endif
-
-    /** Constructs a new Konsole application. */
     Application();
     
     virtual ~Application();
diff --git a/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/MainWindow.cpp
index d980351c1..e328ec227 100644
--- a/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <KActionCollection>
 #include <KActionMenu>
 #include <KApplication>
+#include <KCmdLineArgs>
 #include <KShortcutsDialog>
 #include <KLocale>
 #include <KMenu>
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <KToolInvocation>
 #include <KStandardAction>
 #include <KStandardGuiItem>
+#include <KWindowSystem>
 #include <KXMLGUIFactory>
 #include <KNotifyConfigWidget>
 
@@ -57,12 +59,25 @@
 
 using namespace Konsole;
 
+static bool useTransparency()
+{
+    KCmdLineArgs* args = KCmdLineArgs::parsedArgs();
+    bool compositingAvailable = KWindowSystem::compositingActive() ||
+                                args->isSet("force-transparency");
+    return compositingAvailable && args->isSet("transparency");
+}
+
 MainWindow::MainWindow()
  : KXmlGuiWindow() ,
    _bookmarkHandler(0),
    _pluggedController(0),
    _menuBarVisibilitySet(false)
 {
+    if (useTransparency()) {
+        setAttribute(Qt::WA_TranslucentBackground);
+        setAttribute(Qt::WA_NoSystemBackground, false);
+    }
+
     // create actions for menus
     setupActions();
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 7bd8bfe87..06c2a5886 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -25,31 +25,19 @@
 // Unix
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-// X11
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-#include <X11/Xlib.h>
-#include <X11/extensions/Xrender.h>
-#endif
-
 // KDE
 #include <KAboutData>
 #include <KCmdLineArgs>
 #include <KLocale>
-#include <KWindowSystem>
 
 #define KONSOLE_VERSION "2.4"
 
 using namespace Konsole;
 
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-void getDisplayInformation(Display*& display , Visual*& visual , Colormap& colormap);
-#endif
-
 // fills the KAboutData structure with information about contributors to 
 // Konsole
 void fillAboutData(KAboutData& aboutData);
 void fillCommandLineOptions(KCmdLineOptions& options);
-bool useTransparency();     // returns true if transparency should be enabled
 bool forceNewProcess();     // returns true if new instance should use a new
                             // process (instead of re-using an existing one)
 void restoreSession(Application& app);
@@ -83,26 +71,10 @@ extern "C" int KDE_EXPORT kdemain(int argc,char** argv)
     {
         exit(0);
     }
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11 
-    if ( useTransparency() ) 
-    {
-        Display* display = 0;
-        Visual* visual = 0;
-        Colormap colormap = 0;
-
-        getDisplayInformation(display,visual,colormap);
-
-        Application app(display,(Qt::HANDLE)visual,(Qt::HANDLE)colormap);
-        restoreSession(app);
-        return app.exec();
-    }
-    else
-#endif 
-    {
-        Application app;
-        restoreSession(app);
-        return app.exec();
-    }   
+    
+    Application app;
+    restoreSession(app);
+    return app.exec();
 }
 bool forceNewProcess()
 {
@@ -113,13 +85,7 @@ bool forceNewProcess()
     KCmdLineArgs* args = KCmdLineArgs::parsedArgs();
     return isatty(1) && !args->isSet("new-tab");
 }
-bool useTransparency()
-{
-    KCmdLineArgs* args = KCmdLineArgs::parsedArgs();
-    bool compositingAvailable = KWindowSystem::compositingActive() ||
-                                args->isSet("force-transparency");
-    return compositingAvailable && args->isSet("transparency");
-}
+
 void fillCommandLineOptions(KCmdLineOptions& options)
 {
     options.add("profile <file>", ki18n("Name of profile to use for new Konsole instance"));
@@ -209,46 +175,6 @@ void fillAboutData(KAboutData& aboutData)
   aboutData.setProgramIconName("utilities-terminal");
 }
 
-// code taken from the Qt 4 graphics dojo examples
-// at http://labs.trolltech.com 
-#ifdef Q_WS_X11
-void getDisplayInformation(Display*& display , Visual*& visual , Colormap& colormap)
-{
-    display = XOpenDisplay(0); // open default display
-    if (!display) {
-        kWarning("Cannot connect to the X server");
-        exit(1);
-    }
-
-    int screen = DefaultScreen(display);
-    int eventBase, errorBase;
-
-    if (XRenderQueryExtension(display, &eventBase, &errorBase)) {
-        int nvi;
-        XVisualInfo templ;
-        templ.screen  = screen;
-        templ.depth = 32;
-        templ.c_class = TrueColor;
-        XVisualInfo *xvi = XGetVisualInfo(display, VisualScreenMask |
-                                          VisualDepthMask |
-                                          VisualClassMask, &templ, &nvi);
-    
-        for (int i = 0; i < nvi; ++i) {
-            XRenderPictFormat* format = XRenderFindVisualFormat(display,
-                                                                xvi[i].visual);
-            if (format->type == PictTypeDirect && format->direct.alphaMask) {
-                visual = xvi[i].visual;
-                colormap = XCreateColormap(display, RootWindow(display, screen),
-                                           visual, AllocNone);
-
-                // found ARGB visual
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-#endif
-
 void restoreSession(Application& app)
 {
     if (app.isSessionRestored())