diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/DisplayManager.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/DisplayManager.cs
index 855dc7e148..826a08aada 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/DisplayManager.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/DisplayManager.cs
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 		/// </summary>
 		int currEmuWidth, currEmuHeight;
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// additional pixels added at the unscaled level for the use of lua drawing. essentially increases the input video provider dimensions
+		/// </summary>
+		public System.Windows.Forms.Padding GameExtraPadding;
+
 		TextureFrugalizer VideoTextureFrugalizer;
 		Dictionary<string, TextureFrugalizer> LuaSurfaceFrugalizers = new Dictionary<string, TextureFrugalizer>();
 		RenderTargetFrugalizer[] ShaderChainFrugalizers;
@@ -318,6 +323,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Attempts to calculate a good client size with the given zoom factor, considering the user's DisplayManager preferences
+		/// TODO - this needs to be redone with a concept different from zoom factor. 
+		/// basically, each increment of a 'zoomlike' factor should definitely increase the viewable area somehow, even if it isnt strictly by an entire zoom level.
 		/// </summary>
 		public Size CalculateClientSize(IVideoProvider videoProvider, int zoom)
 		{
@@ -339,6 +346,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				virtualHeight = Global.Config.DispCustomUserARHeight;
 			}
 
+
+			bufferWidth += GameExtraPadding.Left + GameExtraPadding.Right;
+			virtualWidth += GameExtraPadding.Left + GameExtraPadding.Right;
+			bufferHeight += GameExtraPadding.Top + GameExtraPadding.Bottom;
+			virtualHeight += GameExtraPadding.Top + GameExtraPadding.Bottom;
+
+
 			//Console.WriteLine("DISPZOOM " + zoom); //test
 
 			//old stuff
@@ -429,6 +443,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				chain_outsize = new Size(bufferWidth * zoom, bufferHeight * zoom);
 			}
 
+			//add requested lua layer canvas extension
+
 			var job = new JobInfo
 			{
 				videoProvider = fvp,
@@ -477,11 +493,18 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				}
 			}
 
+			//vw += GameExtraPadding.Left + GameExtraPadding.Right;
+			//vh += GameExtraPadding.Top + GameExtraPadding.Bottom;
+
 			int[] videoBuffer = videoProvider.GetVideoBuffer();
 			
 TESTEROO:
 			int bufferWidth = videoProvider.BufferWidth;
 			int bufferHeight = videoProvider.BufferHeight;
+
+			//bufferWidth += GameExtraPadding.Left + GameExtraPadding.Right;
+			//bufferHeight += GameExtraPadding.Top + GameExtraPadding.Bottom;
+
 			bool isGlTextureId = videoBuffer.Length == 1;
 
 			//TODO - need to do some work here for GDI+ to repair gl texture ID importing
@@ -543,6 +566,7 @@ TESTEROO:
 			
 			//setup the final presentation filter
 			Filters.FinalPresentation fPresent = filterProgram["presentation"] as Filters.FinalPresentation;
+			fPresent.InputPadding = GameExtraPadding;
 			fPresent.VirtualTextureSize = new Size(vw, vh);
 			fPresent.TextureSize = new Size(bufferWidth, bufferHeight);
 			fPresent.BackgroundColor = videoProvider.BackgroundColor;
diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
index bc0887770b..60d0e37ce0 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/DisplayManager/Filters/Gui.cs
@@ -35,13 +35,24 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 		public float WidthScale, HeightScale;
 
 		//do maths on the viewport and the native resolution and the user settings to get a display rectangle
-		public LetterboxingLogic(bool maintainAspect, bool maintainInteger, int targetWidth, int targetHeight, int sourceWidth, int sourceHeight, Size textureSize, Size virtualSize)
+		public LetterboxingLogic(System.Windows.Forms.Padding inputPadding, bool maintainAspect, bool maintainInteger, int targetWidth, int targetHeight, int sourceWidth, int sourceHeight, Size textureSize, Size virtualSize)
 		{
+			//when using inputPadding, the output will already be sized to accept it. the inptu size will be untouched.
+			//heres how we handle it:
+			//1. pretend the input is larger
+			int padw = inputPadding.Left + inputPadding.Right;
+			int padh = inputPadding.Top + inputPadding.Bottom;
+
 			int textureWidth = textureSize.Width;
 			int textureHeight = textureSize.Height;
 			int virtualWidth = virtualSize.Width;
 			int virtualHeight = virtualSize.Height;
 
+			textureWidth += padw;
+			textureHeight += padh;
+			virtualWidth += padw;
+			virtualHeight += padh;
+
 			//zero 02-jun-2014 - we passed these in, but ignored them. kind of weird..
 			int oldSourceWidth = sourceWidth;
 			int oldSourceHeight = sourceHeight;
@@ -128,13 +139,16 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 					PS = trials[bestIndex];
 				}
 
-				vw = (int)(PS.X * textureWidth);
-				vh = (int)(PS.Y * textureHeight);
+				//accomodate padding here to keep pixel precision
+				vw = (int)(PS.X * (textureWidth-padw));
+				vh = (int)(PS.Y * (textureHeight-padh));
 				widthScale = PS.X;
 				heightScale = PS.Y;
 			}
 			else
 			{
+				widthScale /= (sourceWidth / (float)(sourceWidth - padw));
+				heightScale /= (sourceHeight / (float)(sourceHeight - padh));
 				vw = (int)(widthScale * sourceWidth);
 				vh = (int)(heightScale * sourceHeight);
 			}
@@ -150,6 +164,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 			//HeightScale = heightScale;
 			WidthScale = (float)vw / oldSourceWidth;
 			HeightScale = (float)vh / oldSourceHeight;
+
+			//now add the padding, as best we can.
+			//it's a little hard because: ...
+			//vx += (int)(inputPadding.Left * WidthScale);
+			//vy += (int)(inputPadding.Top * HeightScale);
+			//vx += inputPadding.Left;
+			//vy += inputPadding.Top;
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -178,6 +199,11 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 		LetterboxingLogic LL;
 		Size ContentSize;
 
+		/// <summary>
+		/// How much should padding should be added to the input (for canvas extension)
+		/// </summary>
+		public System.Windows.Forms.Padding InputPadding;
+
 		public override void Initialize()
 		{
 			DeclareInput();
@@ -200,7 +226,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 			if (FilterOption != eFilterOption.Bicubic)
 				return size;
 
-			LL = new LetterboxingLogic(Global.Config.DispFixAspectRatio, Global.Config.DispFixScaleInteger, OutputSize.Width, OutputSize.Height, size.Width, size.Height, TextureSize, VirtualTextureSize);
+			LL = new LetterboxingLogic(InputPadding, Global.Config.DispFixAspectRatio, Global.Config.DispFixScaleInteger, OutputSize.Width, OutputSize.Height, size.Width, size.Height, TextureSize, VirtualTextureSize);
 
 			return size;
 		}
@@ -223,7 +249,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk.Filters
 			FindInput().SurfaceDisposition = SurfaceDisposition.Texture;
 			DeclareOutput(new SurfaceState(new SurfaceFormat(OutputSize), SurfaceDisposition.RenderTarget));
 			InputSize = state.SurfaceFormat.Size;
-			LL = new LetterboxingLogic(Global.Config.DispFixAspectRatio, Global.Config.DispFixScaleInteger, OutputSize.Width, OutputSize.Height, InputSize.Width, InputSize.Height, TextureSize, VirtualTextureSize);
+			LL = new LetterboxingLogic(InputPadding, Global.Config.DispFixAspectRatio, Global.Config.DispFixScaleInteger, OutputSize.Width, OutputSize.Height, InputSize.Width, InputSize.Height, TextureSize, VirtualTextureSize);
 			ContentSize = new Size(LL.vw,LL.vh);
 		}