diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsAppState.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsAppState.java
index c2ff0ca13..1fb644a18 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsAppState.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsAppState.java
@@ -35,8 +35,13 @@ import com.jme3.app.state.AbstractAppState;
 import com.jme3.app.state.AppStateManager;
 import com.jme3.font.BitmapFont;
 import com.jme3.font.BitmapText;
+import com.jme3.material.Material;
+import com.jme3.material.RenderState.BlendMode;
+import com.jme3.math.ColorRGBA;
+import com.jme3.scene.Geometry;
 import com.jme3.scene.Node;
 import com.jme3.scene.Spatial.CullHint;
+import com.jme3.scene.shape.Quad;
 
 
 /**
@@ -50,14 +55,17 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
     private Application app;
     protected StatsView statsView;
     protected boolean showSettings = true;
-    private  boolean showFps = true;
-    private  boolean showStats = true;
+    private boolean showFps = true;
+    private boolean showStats = true;
+    private boolean darkenBehind = true;
     
     protected Node guiNode;
     protected float secondCounter = 0.0f;
     protected int frameCounter = 0;
     protected BitmapText fpsText;
     protected BitmapFont guiFont;
+    protected Geometry darkenFps;
+    protected Geometry darkenStats;
 
     public StatsAppState() {
     }    
@@ -110,6 +118,15 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
         }
     }
 
+    public void setDarkenBehind(boolean darkenBehind) {
+        this.darkenBehind = darkenBehind;
+        setEnabled(isEnabled());
+    }
+
+    public boolean isDarkenBehind() {
+        return darkenBehind;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void initialize(AppStateManager stateManager, Application app) {
         super.initialize(stateManager, app);
@@ -133,6 +150,7 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
         
         loadFpsText();  
         loadStatsView();      
+        loadDarken();
     }
             
     /**
@@ -148,6 +166,7 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
         fpsText.setText("Frames per second");
         fpsText.setCullHint(showFps ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
         guiNode.attachChild(fpsText);
+        
     }
 
     /**
@@ -166,18 +185,40 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
         guiNode.attachChild(statsView);
     }
         
+    public void loadDarken() {
+        Material mat = new Material(app.assetManager, "Common/MatDefs/Misc/Unshaded.j3md");
+        mat.setColor("Color", new ColorRGBA(0,0,0,0.5f));
+        mat.getAdditionalRenderState().setBlendMode(BlendMode.Alpha);
+        
+        darkenFps = new Geometry("StatsDarken", new Quad(200, fpsText.getLineHeight()));
+        darkenFps.setMaterial(mat);
+        darkenFps.setLocalTranslation(0, 0, -1);
+        darkenFps.setCullHint(showFps && darkenBehind ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
+        guiNode.attachChild(darkenFps);
+        
+        darkenStats = new Geometry("StatsDarken", new Quad(200, statsView.getHeight()));
+        darkenStats.setMaterial(mat);
+        darkenStats.setLocalTranslation(0, fpsText.getHeight(), -1);
+        darkenStats.setCullHint(showStats && darkenBehind ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
+        guiNode.attachChild(darkenStats);
+    }
+    
     @Override
     public void setEnabled(boolean enabled) {
         super.setEnabled(enabled);
         
         if (enabled) {
             fpsText.setCullHint(showFps ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
+            darkenFps.setCullHint(showFps && darkenBehind ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
             statsView.setEnabled(showStats);
             statsView.setCullHint(showStats ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);        
+            darkenStats.setCullHint(showStats && darkenBehind ? CullHint.Never : CullHint.Always);
         } else {
             fpsText.setCullHint(CullHint.Always);
+            darkenFps.setCullHint(CullHint.Always);
             statsView.setEnabled(false);
             statsView.setCullHint(CullHint.Always);        
+            darkenStats.setCullHint(CullHint.Always);
         }
     }
     
@@ -201,6 +242,8 @@ public class StatsAppState extends AbstractAppState {
         
         guiNode.detachChild(statsView);
         guiNode.detachChild(fpsText);
+        guiNode.detachChild(darkenFps);
+        guiNode.detachChild(darkenStats);
     }
 
 
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsView.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsView.java
index 2dbd23ec7..680abea7d 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsView.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/StatsView.java
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ public class StatsView extends Node implements Control {
         addControl(this);
     }
 
+    public float getHeight() {
+        return labels[0].getLineHeight() * statLabels.length;
+    }
+    
     public void update(float tpf) {
     
         if (!isEnabled())