diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/BPFunctions.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/BPFunctions.cpp
index e18748b8a8..fb31063b12 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/BPFunctions.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoCommon/Src/BPFunctions.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 bool textureChanged[8];
 const bool renderFog = false;
-u32 prev_pix_format = -1;
 
 namespace BPFunctions
 {
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ void CopyEFB(const BPCmd &bp, const EFBRectangle &rc, const u32 &address, const
 /* Explanation of the magic behind ClearScreen:
 	There's numerous possible formats for the pixel data in the EFB.
 	However, in the HW accelerated plugins we're always using RGBA8
-	for the EFB format, which implicates some problems:
+	for the EFB format, which causes some problems:
 	- We're using an alpha channel although the game doesn't (1)
 	- If the actual EFB format is PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24, we are using more bits per channel than the native HW (2)
 	- When doing a z copy (EFB copy target format GX_TF_Z24X8 (and possibly others?)), the native HW assumes that the EFB format is RGB8 when clearing.
@@ -101,10 +100,9 @@ void CopyEFB(const BPCmd &bp, const EFBRectangle &rc, const u32 &address, const
 
 	To properly emulate the above points, we're doing the following:
 	(1)
-		- disable alpha channel writing in any kind of rendering if the actual EFB format doesn't use an alpha channel
-		- when clearing:
-			- if the actual EFB format uses an alpha channel, enable alpha channel writing if alphaupdate is set
-			- if the actual EFB format doesn't use an alpha channel, set the alpha channel to 0xFF
+		- disable alpha channel writing of any kind of rendering if the actual EFB format doesn't use an alpha channel
+		- NOTE: Always make sure that the EFB has been cleared to an alpha value of 0xFF in this case!
+		- Same for color channels, these need to be cleared to 0x00 though.
 	(2)
 		- just scale down the RGBA8 color to RGBA6 and upscale it to RGBA8 again
 	(3)
@@ -117,17 +115,39 @@ void CopyEFB(const BPCmd &bp, const EFBRectangle &rc, const u32 &address, const
 */
 void ClearScreen(const BPCmd &bp, const EFBRectangle &rc)
 {
+	UPE_Copy PE_copy = bpmem.triggerEFBCopy;
 	bool colorEnable = bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate;
-	bool alphaEnable = bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate || (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format != PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24); // (1)
+	bool alphaEnable = bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate;
 	bool zEnable = bpmem.zmode.updateenable;
 
+	// (1): Disable unused color channels
+	switch (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format)
+	{
+		case PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24:
+			if (colorEnable && PE_copy.tp_realFormat() == GX_TF_Z24X8) // (3): alpha update forced
+				alphaEnable = true;
+			break;
+
+		case PIXELFMT_RGB8_Z24:
+		case PIXELFMT_RGB565_Z16:
+			alphaEnable = false;
+			break;
+
+		case PIXELFMT_Z24:
+			alphaEnable = colorEnable = false;
+			break;
+
+		default:
+			// TODO?
+			break;
+	}
+
 	if (colorEnable || alphaEnable || zEnable)
 	{
 		u32 color = (bpmem.clearcolorAR << 16) | bpmem.clearcolorGB;
 		u32 z = bpmem.clearZValue;
 		if (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24)
 		{
-			UPE_Copy PE_copy = bpmem.triggerEFBCopy;
 			// TODO: Not sure whether there's more formats to check for here - maybe GX_TF_Z8 and GX_TF_Z16?
 			if (PE_copy.tp_realFormat() == GX_TF_Z24X8) // (3): Reinterpret RGB8 color as RGBA6
 			{
@@ -150,11 +170,11 @@ void ClearScreen(const BPCmd &bp, const EFBRectangle &rc)
 				color |= (color >> 6) & 0x3030303;
 			}
 		}
-		else // (1): Clear alpha channel to 0xFF if no alpha channel is supposed to be there
+		if (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB565_Z16)
 		{
-			color |= (prev_pix_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24) ? 0x0 : 0xFF000000;
+			z >>=8;
+			z = z | (z>>16);
 		}
-		prev_pix_format = bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format;
 		g_renderer->ClearScreen(rc, colorEnable, alphaEnable, zEnable, color, z);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX11/Src/Render.cpp b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX11/Src/Render.cpp
index d38a8d2156..e66c2c7f1c 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX11/Src/Render.cpp
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX11/Src/Render.cpp
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ Renderer::Renderer()
 	for (unsigned int stage = 0; stage < 8; stage++)
 		D3D::gfxstate->samplerdesc[stage].MaxAnisotropy = g_ActiveConfig.iMaxAnisotropy;
 
-	float ClearColor[4] = { 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 0.f };
+	float ClearColor[4] = { 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.f };
 	D3D::context->ClearRenderTargetView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorTexture()->GetRTV(), ClearColor);
 	D3D::context->ClearDepthStencilView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthTexture()->GetDSV(), D3D11_CLEAR_DEPTH, 1.f, 0);
 
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ void Renderer::SetColorMask()
 	UINT8 color_mask = 0;
 	if (bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24))
 		color_mask = D3D11_COLOR_WRITE_ENABLE_ALPHA;
-	if (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate)
+	if (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB8_Z24 || bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24 || bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB565_Z16))
 		color_mask |= D3D11_COLOR_WRITE_ENABLE_RED | D3D11_COLOR_WRITE_ENABLE_GREEN | D3D11_COLOR_WRITE_ENABLE_BLUE;
 	D3D::gfxstate->SetRenderTargetWriteMask(color_mask);
 }
@@ -677,6 +677,9 @@ void Renderer::UpdateViewport()
 			g_framebuffer_manager = new FramebufferManager;
 
 			D3D::context->OMSetRenderTargets(1, &FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorTexture()->GetRTV(), FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthTexture()->GetDSV());
+			float clear_col[4] = { 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.f };
+			D3D::context->ClearRenderTargetView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorTexture()->GetRTV(), clear_col);
+			D3D::context->ClearDepthStencilView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthTexture()->GetDSV(), D3D11_CLEAR_DEPTH, 1.f, 0);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -978,6 +981,9 @@ void Renderer::Swap(u32 xfbAddr, FieldType field, u32 fbWidth, u32 fbHeight,cons
 		
 		delete g_framebuffer_manager;
 		g_framebuffer_manager = new FramebufferManager;
+		float clear_col[4] = { 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.f };
+		D3D::context->ClearRenderTargetView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorTexture()->GetRTV(), clear_col);
+		D3D::context->ClearDepthStencilView(FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthTexture()->GetDSV(), D3D11_CLEAR_DEPTH, 1.f, 0);
 	}
 
 	// begin next frame
diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX9/Src/Render.cpp b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX9/Src/Render.cpp
index d58e9c6f91..9db8afd4b5 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX9/Src/Render.cpp
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoDX9/Src/Render.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ Renderer::Renderer()
 	vp.Width  = s_target_width;
 	vp.Height = s_target_height;
 	D3D::dev->SetViewport(&vp);
-	D3D::dev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_TARGET | D3DCLEAR_ZBUFFER, 0x0, 1.0f, 0);
+	D3D::dev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_TARGET | D3DCLEAR_ZBUFFER, D3DCOLOR_ARGB(255,0,0,0), 1.0f, 0);
 	D3D::BeginFrame();
 	D3D::SetRenderState(D3DRS_SCISSORTESTENABLE, true);
 	D3D::dev->CreateOffscreenPlainSurface(s_backbuffer_width,s_backbuffer_height, D3DFMT_X8R8G8B8, D3DPOOL_SYSTEMMEM, &ScreenShootMEMSurface, NULL );
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ void Renderer::SetColorMask()
 	DWORD color_mask = 0;
 	if (bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24))
 		color_mask = D3DCOLORWRITEENABLE_ALPHA;
-	if (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate)
+	if (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB565_Z16 || bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB8_Z24|| bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24))
 		color_mask |= D3DCOLORWRITEENABLE_RED | D3DCOLORWRITEENABLE_GREEN | D3DCOLORWRITEENABLE_BLUE;
 	D3D::SetRenderState(D3DRS_COLORWRITEENABLE, color_mask);
 }
@@ -771,6 +771,7 @@ void Renderer::UpdateViewport()
 
 			D3D::dev->SetRenderTarget(0, FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorRTSurface());
 			D3D::dev->SetDepthStencilSurface(FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthRTSurface());
+			D3D::dev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_TARGET | D3DCLEAR_ZBUFFER, D3DCOLOR_ARGB(255,0,0,0), 1.0f, 0);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1159,6 +1160,7 @@ void Renderer::Swap(u32 xfbAddr, FieldType field, u32 fbWidth, u32 fbHeight,cons
 		}
 		D3D::dev->SetRenderTarget(0, FramebufferManager::GetEFBColorRTSurface());
 		D3D::dev->SetDepthStencilSurface(FramebufferManager::GetEFBDepthRTSurface());
+		D3D::dev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_TARGET | D3DCLEAR_ZBUFFER, D3DCOLOR_ARGB(255,0,0,0), 1.0f, 0);
 	}
 
 	// Place messages on the picture, then copy it to the screen
diff --git a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/Render.cpp b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/Render.cpp
index 2063837d09..96da8572c0 100644
--- a/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/Render.cpp
+++ b/Source/Plugins/Plugin_VideoOGL/Src/Render.cpp
@@ -662,8 +662,11 @@ bool Renderer::SetScissorRect()
 void Renderer::SetColorMask()
 {
 	// Only enable alpha channel if it's supported by the current EFB format
-	GLenum ColorMask = (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate) ? GL_TRUE : GL_FALSE;
-	GLenum AlphaMask = (bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24)) ? GL_TRUE : GL_FALSE;
+	GLenum ColorMask = GL_FALSE, AlphaMask = GL_FALSE;
+	if (bpmem.blendmode.colorupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB8_Z24 || bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24 || bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGB565_Z16))
+		AlphaMask = GL_TRUE;
+	if (bpmem.blendmode.alphaupdate && (bpmem.zcontrol.pixel_format == PIXELFMT_RGBA6_Z24))
+		ColorMask = GL_TRUE;
 	glColorMask(ColorMask,  ColorMask,  ColorMask,  AlphaMask);
 }