diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 3eacf50f23..22a872c014 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ static const unsigned fullscreen_y = 0;
 // Force 16-bit colors.
 static const bool force_16bit = false;
 
+// Forcibly disable composition. Only valid on Windows Vista/7 for now.
+static const bool disable_composition = false;
+
 // Video VSYNC (recommended)
 static const bool vsync = true;
 
diff --git a/general.h b/general.h
index 9494a8ed92..4754249e91 100644
--- a/general.h
+++ b/general.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ struct settings
       float msg_pos_y;
 
       bool force_16bit;
+      bool disable_composition;
 
       char external_driver[256];
    } video;
diff --git a/gfx/ext.c b/gfx/ext.c
index d4e866e528..ce7fcbf42a 100644
--- a/gfx/ext.c
+++ b/gfx/ext.c
@@ -224,6 +224,15 @@ static bool setup_video(ext_t *ext, const video_info_t *video, const input_drive
       return false;
    }
 
+   const char *cg_shader = NULL;
+   const char *xml_shader = NULL;
+   enum ssnes_shader_type type = g_settings.video.shader_type;
+   if ((type == SSNES_SHADER_CG || type == SSNES_SHADER_AUTO) && *g_settings.video.cg_shader_path)
+      cg_shader = g_settings.video.cg_shader_path;
+   else if ((type == SSNES_SHADER_BSNES || type == SSNES_SHADER_AUTO) && *g_settings.video.bsnes_shader_path)
+      xml_shader = g_settings.video.bsnes_shader_path;
+
+
    ssnes_video_info_t info = {
       .width = video->width,
       .height = video->height,
@@ -234,8 +243,8 @@ static bool setup_video(ext_t *ext, const video_info_t *video, const input_drive
       .smooth = video->smooth,
       .input_scale = video->input_scale,
       .color_format = video->rgb32 ? SSNES_COLOR_FORMAT_ARGB8888 : SSNES_COLOR_FORMAT_XRGB1555,
-      .xml_shader = g_settings.video.bsnes_shader_path,
-      .cg_shader = g_settings.video.cg_shader_path,
+      .xml_shader = xml_shader,
+      .cg_shader = cg_shader,
       .ttf_font = *g_settings.video.font_path ? g_settings.video.font_path : NULL,
       .ttf_font_size = g_settings.video.font_size
    };
diff --git a/gfx/gfx_common.c b/gfx/gfx_common.c
index ee49e8b755..89c47243aa 100644
--- a/gfx/gfx_common.c
+++ b/gfx/gfx_common.c
@@ -60,4 +60,56 @@ bool gfx_window_title(char *buf, size_t size)
    return ret;
 }
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#include <windows.h>
+#include "dynamic.h"
+// We only load this library once, so we let it be unloaded at application shutdown,
+// since unloading it early seems to cause issues on some systems.
+
+static dylib_t dwmlib = NULL;
+
+static void gfx_dwm_shutdown(void)
+{
+   if (dwmlib)
+      dylib_close(dwmlib);
+}
+
+void gfx_set_dwm(void)
+{
+   static bool inited = false;
+   if (inited)
+      return;
+   inited = true;
+
+   dwmlib = dylib_load("dwmapi.dll");
+   if (!dwmlib)
+   {
+      SSNES_LOG("Did not find dwmapi.dll");
+      return;
+   }
+   atexit(gfx_dwm_shutdown);
+
+   HRESULT (WINAPI *mmcss)(BOOL) = (HRESULT (WINAPI*)(BOOL))dylib_proc(dwmlib, "DwmEnableMMCSS");
+   if (mmcss)
+   {
+      SSNES_LOG("Setting multimedia scheduling for DWM.\n");
+      mmcss(TRUE);
+   }
+
+   if (!g_settings.video.disable_composition)
+      return;
+
+   HRESULT (WINAPI *composition_enable)(UINT) = (HRESULT (WINAPI*)(UINT))dylib_proc(dwmlib, "DwmEnableComposition");
+   if (!composition_enable)
+   {
+      SSNES_ERR("Did not find DwmEnableComposition ...\n");
+      return;
+   }
+
+   HRESULT ret = composition_enable(0);
+   if (FAILED(ret))
+      SSNES_ERR("Failed to set composition state ...\n");
+}
+
+#endif
 
diff --git a/gfx/gfx_common.h b/gfx/gfx_common.h
index 97baee203b..e73f757f02 100644
--- a/gfx/gfx_common.h
+++ b/gfx/gfx_common.h
@@ -24,4 +24,8 @@
 bool gfx_window_title(char *buf, size_t size);
 void gfx_window_title_reset(void);
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+void gfx_set_dwm(void);
+#endif
+
 #endif
diff --git a/gfx/gl.c b/gfx/gl.c
index ac6f469b0d..4fd2a91d46 100644
--- a/gfx/gl.c
+++ b/gfx/gl.c
@@ -1036,6 +1036,10 @@ static void gl_set_nonblock_state(void *data, bool state)
 
 static void* gl_init(const video_info_t *video, const input_driver_t **input, void **input_data)
 {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+   gfx_set_dwm();
+#endif
+
    if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0)
       return NULL;
 
diff --git a/settings.c b/settings.c
index 00b12022c9..d56e3f031a 100644
--- a/settings.c
+++ b/settings.c
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ static void set_defaults(void)
    g_settings.video.fullscreen_x = fullscreen_x;
    g_settings.video.fullscreen_y = fullscreen_y;
    g_settings.video.force_16bit = force_16bit;
+   g_settings.video.disable_composition = disable_composition;
    g_settings.video.vsync = vsync;
    g_settings.video.smooth = video_smooth;
    g_settings.video.force_aspect = force_aspect;
@@ -302,6 +303,7 @@ static void parse_config_file(void)
    }
 
    CONFIG_GET_BOOL(video.force_16bit, "video_force_16bit");
+   CONFIG_GET_BOOL(video.disable_composition, "video_disable_composition");
    CONFIG_GET_BOOL(video.vsync, "video_vsync");
    CONFIG_GET_BOOL(video.smooth, "video_smooth");
    CONFIG_GET_BOOL(video.force_aspect, "video_force_aspect");
diff --git a/ssnes.cfg b/ssnes.cfg
index c31cb263cd..595f1d5368 100644
--- a/ssnes.cfg
+++ b/ssnes.cfg
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 # Force 16-bit colors. Apparently some video cards in use today have troubles with 32-bit ...
 # video_force_16bit = false
 
+# Forcibly disable composition. Only works in Windows Vista/7 for now.
+# video_disable_composition = false
+
 # Video vsync.
 # video_vsync = true