diff --git a/containments/panel/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/containments/panel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
index bde7750cd7bf8b611938c5e6ab3803532ae81ceb..2a3c969f736874e704f47a013424de345e5eff42 100644
--- a/containments/panel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/containments/panel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -167,8 +167,16 @@ Item {
         height: root.height
         Rectangle {
             anchors.fill: parent
-            color: PlasmaCore.ColorScope.backgroundColor
-            opacity: showingApp
+            gradient: Gradient {
+                GradientStop {
+                    position: 1.0
+                    color: showingApp ? icons.backgroundColor : "transparent"
+                }
+                GradientStop {
+                    position: 0.0
+                    color: showingApp ? icons.backgroundColor : Qt.rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2)
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         Loader {
diff --git a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
index 6beb11dd9143998dcd68ed6f959ec48e97b242b3..e2d5d22612084e0542eae60343b54b02ad598e57 100644
--- a/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/containments/taskpanel/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
             anchors.fill: parent
 
             visible: plasmoid.configuration.PanelButtonsVisible
-
+/*
             Rectangle {
                 anchors.fill: parent
                 color: root.backgroundColor
@@ -131,6 +131,19 @@ PlasmaCore.ColorScope {
                     color: PlasmaCore.ColorScope.textColor
                     opacity: 0.2
                 }
+            }*/
+            Rectangle {
+                anchors.fill: parent
+                gradient: Gradient {
+                    GradientStop {
+                        position: 0
+                        color: showingApp ? PlasmaCore.ColorScope.backgroundColor : "transparent"
+                    }
+                    GradientStop {
+                        position: 1
+                        color: showingApp ? PlasmaCore.ColorScope.backgroundColor : Qt.rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2)
+                    }
+                }
             }
 
             Button {