diff --git a/rem2pdf/bin/rem2pdf.in b/rem2pdf/bin/rem2pdf.in
index 06fc4db0..3333a4f5 100644
--- a/rem2pdf/bin/rem2pdf.in
+++ b/rem2pdf/bin/rem2pdf.in
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ my $settings = {
         header_color => '000000',
         daynum_color => '000000',
         smallcal_color => '000000',
-        bg_color => 'ffffff',
+        bg_color => '',
         weeks_per_page => 1,
 };
 
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ if ($help) {
 my $bad = 0;
 foreach my $setting (qw(bg_color line_color title_color header_color daynum_color smallcal_color)) {
         my $c = $settings->{$setting};
+        if ($setting eq 'bg_color' && $c eq '') {
+                $settings->{bg_color} = [-1, -1, -1];
+                next;
+        }
         my $color = Remind::PDF->get_rgb($c);
         if (!defined($color)) {
                 my $s = $setting;
@@ -585,7 +589,7 @@ The color of the small monthly calendars, if any.
 The color of the page background.
 
 Note that all colors default to black (000) except for the
-page background, which defaults to white (FFF)
+page background, which defaults to no color at all (ie, transparent).
 
 =item --wrap, -y
 
diff --git a/rem2pdf/lib/Remind/PDF.pm b/rem2pdf/lib/Remind/PDF.pm
index 665a3a08..08af1753 100644
--- a/rem2pdf/lib/Remind/PDF.pm
+++ b/rem2pdf/lib/Remind/PDF.pm
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ sub render
                 }
         }
         my ($r, $g, $b) = @{$settings->{bg_color}};
-        if ($r != 255 || $g != 255 || $b != 255) {
+        if ($r >= 0 && $g >= 0 && $b >= 0) {
                 $cr->save;
                 $self->set_cr_color($cr, $settings->{bg_color});
                 $cr->rectangle(0, 0, $settings->{width}, $settings->{height});
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ sub render
         }
         if ((($index-1) % $settings->{weeks_per_page}) == 0) {
                 my ($r, $g, $b) = @{$settings->{bg_color}};
-                if ($r != 255 || $g != 255 || $b != 255) {
+                if ($r >= 0 && $g >= 0 && $b >= 0) {
                         $cr->save;
                         $self->set_cr_color($cr, $settings->{bg_color});
                         $cr->rectangle(0, 0, $settings->{width}, $settings->{height});