diff --git a/rtgui/guiutils.cc b/rtgui/guiutils.cc
index 368f0135f..7702031ae 100644
--- a/rtgui/guiutils.cc
+++ b/rtgui/guiutils.cc
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ void drawCrop (Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr, int imx, int imy, int imw, int
     double c2x = (cparams.x+cparams.w-1-startx)*scale;
     double c2y = (cparams.y+cparams.h-1-starty)*scale;
 
-    cr->set_source_rgba (0, 0, 0, 2.0/3.0);
+    cr->set_source_rgba (options.cutOverlayBrush[0], options.cutOverlayBrush[1], options.cutOverlayBrush[2], options.cutOverlayBrush[3]);
+
+    // TODO: not sure if this is right. Seems to leave a thin border on the left/top, but might be bug in calling code
     cr->rectangle (imx+0.5, imy+0.5, imw, c1y);
     cr->rectangle (imx+0.5, imy+0.5+c2y, imw, imh-c2y);
     cr->rectangle (imx+0.5, imy+0.5+c1y, c1x, c2y-c1y+1);
diff --git a/rtgui/options.cc b/rtgui/options.cc
index 7bf2892e9..52358685f 100644
--- a/rtgui/options.cc
+++ b/rtgui/options.cc
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ void Options::setDefaults () {
     tabbedUI = false;
     multiDisplayMode = 0;
 
+    cutOverlayBrush = std::vector<double> (4);
+    cutOverlayBrush[3] = 0.667;
+
     int babehav[] = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0};
     baBehav = std::vector<int> (babehav, babehav+ADDSET_PARAM_NUM);
     
@@ -272,6 +275,7 @@ if (keyFile.has_group ("GUI")) {
     if (keyFile.has_key ("GUI", "ToolPanelsExpanded"))  tpOpen            = keyFile.get_integer_list ("GUI", "ToolPanelsExpanded");
     if (keyFile.has_key ("GUI", "MultiDisplayMode"))    multiDisplayMode  = keyFile.get_integer ("GUI", "MultiDisplayMode");
     //if (keyFile.has_key ("GUI", "CurvePanelsExpanded")) crvOpen           = keyFile.get_integer_list ("GUI", "CurvePanelsExpanded");
+    if (keyFile.has_key ("GUI", "CutOverlayBrush"))     cutOverlayBrush   = keyFile.get_double_list ("GUI", "CutOverlayBrush");
 }
 
 
@@ -403,6 +407,8 @@ int Options::saveToFile (Glib::ustring fname) {
     Glib::ArrayHandle<int> tpopen = tpOpen;
     keyFile.set_integer_list ("GUI", "ToolPanelsExpanded", tpopen);
     keyFile.set_integer ("GUI", "MultiDisplayMode", multiDisplayMode);
+    keyFile.set_double_list ("GUI", "CutOverlayBrush", cutOverlayBrush);
+
     //Glib::ArrayHandle<int> crvopen = crvOpen;
     //keyFile.set_integer_list ("GUI", "CurvePanelsExpanded", crvopen);
 
diff --git a/rtgui/options.h b/rtgui/options.h
index 59758dc5c..26b1889cc 100644
--- a/rtgui/options.h
+++ b/rtgui/options.h
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ class Options {
     bool tabbedUI;
     int previewSizeTab,previewSizeBrowser;
     int multiDisplayMode;  // 0=none, 1=Edit panels on other display
+    std::vector<double> cutOverlayBrush;  // Red;Green;Blue;Alpha , all ranging 0..1
     
-    
-                Options         ();
+    Options ();
 
     Options*    copyFrom        (Options* other);
     void        setDefaults     ();