diff --git a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
index 543195165..398c773ba 100644
--- a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
+++ b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.cxx
@@ -176,6 +176,22 @@ void FBSurfaceSDL2::invalidate()
   SDL_FillRect(mySurface, nullptr, 0);
 }
 
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+void FBSurfaceSDL2::invalidateRect(uInt32 x, uInt32 y, uInt32 w, uInt32 h)
+{
+  ASSERT_MAIN_THREAD;
+
+  // Clear the rectangle
+  SDL_Rect tmp;
+  tmp.x = x;
+  tmp.y = y;
+  tmp.w = w;
+  tmp.h = h;
+  // Note: Transparency has to be 0 to clear the rectangle foreground
+  //  without affecting the background display.
+  SDL_FillRect(mySurface, &tmp, 0);
+}
+
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void FBSurfaceSDL2::free()
 {
diff --git a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
index f446bb17b..c19808f27 100644
--- a/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
+++ b/src/common/FBSurfaceSDL2.hxx
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class FBSurfaceSDL2 : public FBSurface
     void translateCoords(Int32& x, Int32& y) const override;
     bool render() override;
     void invalidate() override;
+    void invalidateRect(uInt32 x, uInt32 y, uInt32 w, uInt32 h) override;
+
     void free() override;
     void reload() override;
     void resize(uInt32 width, uInt32 height) override;
diff --git a/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx b/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
index a018ac2c9..67eaa86d2 100644
--- a/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/FBSurface.hxx
@@ -325,6 +325,17 @@ class FBSurface
     */
     virtual void invalidate() = 0;
 
+    /**
+      This method should be called to reset a surface area to empty
+
+      @param x      The x coordinate
+      @param y      The y coordinate
+      @param w      The width of the area
+      @param h      The height of the area
+    */
+    virtual void invalidateRect(uInt32 x, uInt32 y, uInt32 w, uInt32 h) = 0;
+
+
     /**
       This method should be called to free any resources being used by
       the surface.
diff --git a/src/gui/Dialog.cxx b/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
index 6e81535c2..c691c545a 100644
--- a/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/Dialog.cxx
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ void Dialog::drawDialog()
 
   if(isDirty())
   {
-    //cerr << "*** draw dialog " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
+    cerr << "*** draw dialog " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
 
     // Dialog is still on top if e.g a ContextMenu is opened
     _onTop = parent().myDialogStack.top() == this
@@ -414,7 +414,11 @@ void Dialog::drawDialog()
     if(_flags & Widget::FLAG_CLEARBG)
     {
       //    cerr << "Dialog::drawDialog(): w = " << _w << ", h = " << _h << " @ " << &s << endl << endl;
-      s.fillRect(_x, _y + _th, _w, _h - _th, _onTop ? kDlgColor : kBGColorLo);
+
+      if(_flags & Widget::FLAG_TRANSPARENT)
+        s.invalidateRect(_x, _y + _th, _w, _h - _th);
+      else
+        s.fillRect(_x, _y + _th, _w, _h - _th, _onTop ? kDlgColor : kBGColorLo);
       if(_th)
       {
         s.fillRect(_x, _y, _w, _th, _onTop ? kColorTitleBar : kColorTitleBarLo);
diff --git a/src/gui/DialogContainer.cxx b/src/gui/DialogContainer.cxx
index af353f452..8577eb50f 100644
--- a/src/gui/DialogContainer.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/DialogContainer.cxx
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void DialogContainer::updateTime(uInt64 time)
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 bool DialogContainer::draw(bool full)
 {
-  cerr << "draw " << full << endl;
+  //cerr << "draw " << full << endl;
   if(myDialogStack.empty())
     return false;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/TimeLineWidget.cxx b/src/gui/TimeLineWidget.cxx
index 053d7bccf..94c4d3ef9 100644
--- a/src/gui/TimeLineWidget.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/TimeLineWidget.cxx
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ TimeLineWidget::TimeLineWidget(GuiObject* boss, const GUI::Font& font,
   : ButtonWidget(boss, font, x, y, w, h, label, cmd),
     _labelWidth(labelWidth)
 {
-  _flags = Widget::FLAG_ENABLED | Widget::FLAG_TRACK_MOUSE;
+  _flags = Widget::FLAG_ENABLED | Widget::FLAG_TRACK_MOUSE
+    | Widget::FLAG_CLEARBG | Widget::FLAG_TRANSPARENT;
+
   _bgcolor = kDlgColor;
+  //_bgcolor = kBGColor;
   _bgcolorhi = kDlgColor;
 
   if(!_label.empty() && _labelWidth == 0)
@@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ void TimeLineWidget::setStepValues(const IntArray& steps)
     if(steps.size() > _stepValue.capacity())
       _stepValue.reserve(2 * steps.size());
 
-    double scale = (_w - _labelWidth - 2 - HANDLE_W*0) / double(steps.back());
+    double scale = (_w - _labelWidth - 2 - HANDLE_W) / double(steps.back());
 
     // Skip the very last value; we take care of it outside the end of the loop
     for(uInt32 i = 0; i < steps.size() - 1; ++i)
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ void TimeLineWidget::setStepValues(const IntArray& steps)
 
     // Due to integer <-> double conversion, the last value is sometimes
     // slightly less than the maximum value; we assign it manually to fix this
-    _stepValue.push_back(_w - _labelWidth - 2 - HANDLE_W*0);
+    _stepValue.push_back(_w - _labelWidth - 2 - HANDLE_W);
   }
   else
     _stepValue.push_back(0);
@@ -141,17 +144,18 @@ void TimeLineWidget::drawWidget(bool hilite)
 {
   FBSurface& s = _boss->dialog().surface();
 
+  cerr << "TimeLineWidget::drawWidget " << typeid(s).name() << endl;
+
   // Draw the label, if any
   if(_labelWidth > 0)
     s.drawString(_font, _label, _x, _y + 2, _labelWidth,
                  isEnabled() ? kTextColor : kColor, TextAlign::Left);
 
-  int p = valueToPos(_value),
-    x = _x + _labelWidth,
-    w = _w - _labelWidth;
-
   // Frame the handle
   const int HANDLE_W2 = (HANDLE_W + 1) / 2;
+  int p = valueToPos(_value),
+    x = _x + _labelWidth + HANDLE_W2,
+    w = _w - _labelWidth - HANDLE_W;
   s.hLine(x + p - HANDLE_W2, _y + 0, x + p - HANDLE_W2 + HANDLE_W, kColorInfo);
   s.vLine(x + p - HANDLE_W2, _y + 1, _y + _h - 2, kColorInfo);
   s.hLine(x + p - HANDLE_W2 + 1, _y + _h - 1, x + p - HANDLE_W2 + 1 + HANDLE_W, kBGColor);
diff --git a/src/gui/TimeMachineDialog.cxx b/src/gui/TimeMachineDialog.cxx
index 3b591a62d..5982ba693 100644
--- a/src/gui/TimeMachineDialog.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/TimeMachineDialog.cxx
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ TimeMachineDialog::TimeMachineDialog(OSystem& osystem, DialogContainer& parent,
   // Add index info
   myCurrentIdxWidget = new StaticTextWidget(this, font, xpos, ypos, "1000", TextAlign::Left, kBGColor);
   myCurrentIdxWidget->setTextColor(kColorInfo);
+  myCurrentIdxWidget->setFlags(Widget::FLAG_CLEARBG | Widget::FLAG_TRANSPARENT);
   myLastIdxWidget = new StaticTextWidget(this, font, _w - H_BORDER - font.getStringWidth("1000"), ypos,
                                          "1000", TextAlign::Right, kBGColor);
   myLastIdxWidget->setTextColor(kColorInfo);
@@ -241,6 +242,7 @@ TimeMachineDialog::TimeMachineDialog(OSystem& osystem, DialogContainer& parent,
   // Add time info
   int ypos_s = ypos + (buttonHeight - font.getFontHeight() + 1) / 2; // align to button vertical center
   myCurrentTimeWidget = new StaticTextWidget(this, font, xpos, ypos_s, "00:00.00", TextAlign::Left, kBGColor);
+  myCurrentTimeWidget->setFlags(Widget::FLAG_CLEARBG | Widget::FLAG_TRANSPARENT);
   myCurrentTimeWidget->setTextColor(kColorInfo);
   myLastTimeWidget = new StaticTextWidget(this, font, _w - H_BORDER - font.getStringWidth("00:00.00"), ypos_s,
                                           "00:00.00", TextAlign::Right, kBGColor);
@@ -287,6 +289,7 @@ TimeMachineDialog::TimeMachineDialog(OSystem& osystem, DialogContainer& parent,
   // Add message
   myMessageWidget = new StaticTextWidget(this, font, xpos, ypos_s,
       "                                             ", TextAlign::Left, kBGColor);
+  myMessageWidget->setFlags(Widget::FLAG_CLEARBG | Widget::FLAG_TRANSPARENT);
   myMessageWidget->setTextColor(kColorInfo);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/Widget.cxx b/src/gui/Widget.cxx
index 33f6b632d..3c0252688 100644
--- a/src/gui/Widget.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/Widget.cxx
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ void Widget::setDirty()
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 bool Widget::isDirty() const
 {
-  string name = typeid(*this).name();
-  if(_dirty && name == "class TabWidget")
-    cerr << "is dirty " << typeid(*this).name() << endl;
+  //string name = typeid(*this).name();
+  //if(_dirty && name == "class TabWidget")
+  //  cerr << "is dirty " << typeid(*this).name() << endl;
 
   return _dirty;
 }
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void Widget::draw()
 
   if(isDirty())
   {
-    //cerr << "  *** draw widget " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
+    cerr << "  *** draw widget " << typeid(*this).name() << " ***" << endl;
 
     FBSurface& s = _boss->dialog().surface();
 
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ void Widget::draw()
       {
         x++; y++; w -= 2; h -= 2;
       }
-      s.fillRect(x, y, w, h, !onTop ? _bgcolorlo : (_flags & Widget::FLAG_HILITED) && isEnabled() ? _bgcolorhi : _bgcolor);
+      if(isTransparent())
+        s.invalidateRect(x, y, w, h);
+      else
+        s.fillRect(x, y, w, h, !onTop ? _bgcolorlo : (_flags & Widget::FLAG_HILITED) && isEnabled() ? _bgcolorhi : _bgcolor);
     }
 
     // Draw border
diff --git a/src/gui/Widget.hxx b/src/gui/Widget.hxx
index c5fd8dced..15e7a1d9c 100644
--- a/src/gui/Widget.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/Widget.hxx
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ class Widget : public GuiObject
       FLAG_TRACK_MOUSE   = 1 << 5,
       FLAG_RETAIN_FOCUS  = 1 << 6,
       FLAG_WANTS_TAB     = 1 << 7,
-      FLAG_WANTS_RAWDATA = 1 << 8
+      FLAG_WANTS_RAWDATA = 1 << 8,
+      FLAG_TRANSPARENT   = 1 << 9
     };
 
   public:
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ class Widget : public GuiObject
     virtual bool wantsFocus() const { return _flags & FLAG_RETAIN_FOCUS;    }
     bool wantsTab() const           { return _flags & FLAG_WANTS_TAB;       }
     bool wantsRaw() const           { return _flags & FLAG_WANTS_RAWDATA;   }
+    bool isTransparent() const      { return _flags & FLAG_TRANSPARENT;     }
 
     void setID(uInt32 id) { _id = id;   }
     uInt32 getID() const  { return _id; }