diff --git a/patch/reflow.c b/patch/reflow.c
index 92b67f1..2fd80f0 100644
--- a/patch/reflow.c
+++ b/patch/reflow.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ treflow(int col, int row)
 	int oce, nce, bot, scr;
 	int ox = 0, oy = -term.histf, nx = 0, ny = -1, len;
 	int cy = -1; /* proxy for new y coordinate of cursor */
-	int buflen, nlines, del;
+	int buflen, nlines;
 	Line *buf, bufline, line;
 	#if SIXEL_PATCH
 	ImageList *im, *next;
@@ -219,21 +219,14 @@ treflow(int col, int row)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* expand images into new text cells or
-	 * delete images if there is text behind them */
+	/* expand images into new text cells */
 	for (im = term.images; im; im = next) {
 		next = im->next;
 		if (im->x < col) {
 			line = TLINE(im->y);
 			x2 = MIN(im->x + im->cols, col);
-			for (del = 0, x = im->x; x < x2; x++) {
-				if ((del = line[x].mode & ATTR_SET))
-					break;
-				line[x].u = ' ';
-				line[x].mode = ATTR_SIXEL;
-			}
-			if (del)
-				delete_image(im);
+			for (x = im->x; x < x2; x++)
+				line[x].mode |= ATTR_SIXEL;
 		}
 	}
 	#endif // SIXEL_PATCH
diff --git a/sixel.c b/sixel.c
index de526c5..ad6f6bc 100644
--- a/sixel.c
+++ b/sixel.c
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ delete_image(ImageList *im)
 		im->next->prev = im->prev;
 	if (im->pixmap)
 		XFreePixmap(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap);
+	if (im->clipmask)
+		XFreePixmap(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->clipmask);
 	free(im->pixels);
 	free(im);
 }
@@ -217,6 +219,7 @@ sixel_image_deinit(sixel_image_t *image)
 
 int
 sixel_parser_init(sixel_state_t *st,
+                  int transparent,
                   sixel_color_t fgcolor, sixel_color_t bgcolor,
                   unsigned char use_private_register,
                   int cell_width, int cell_height)
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@ sixel_parser_init(sixel_state_t *st,
 	st->attributed_pad = 1;
 	st->attributed_ph = 0;
 	st->attributed_pv = 0;
+	st->transparent = transparent;
 	st->repeat_count = 1;
 	st->color_index = 16;
 	st->grid_width = cell_width;
@@ -240,7 +244,7 @@ sixel_parser_init(sixel_state_t *st,
 	st->param = 0;
 
 	/* buffer initialization */
-	status = sixel_image_init(&st->image, 1, 1, fgcolor, bgcolor, use_private_register);
+	status = sixel_image_init(&st->image, 1, 1, fgcolor, transparent ? 0 : bgcolor, use_private_register);
 
 	return status;
 }
@@ -304,8 +308,10 @@ sixel_parser_finalize(sixel_state_t *st, ImageList **newimages, int cx, int cy,
 			im->height = MIN(h - ch * i, ch);
 			im->pixels = malloc(im->width * im->height * 4);
 			im->pixmap = NULL;
+			im->clipmask = NULL;
 			im->cw = cw;
 			im->ch = ch;
+			im->transparent = st->transparent;
 		}
 		if (!im || !im->pixels) {
 			for (im = *newimages; im; im = next) {
@@ -652,3 +658,35 @@ sixel_parser_deinit(sixel_state_t *st)
 	if (st)
 		sixel_image_deinit(&st->image);
 }
+
+Pixmap
+sixel_create_clipmask(char *pixels, int width, int height)
+{
+	char c, *clipdata, *dst;
+	int b, i, n, y, w;
+	int msb = (XBitmapBitOrder(xw.dpy) == MSBFirst);
+	sixel_color_t *src = (sixel_color_t *)pixels;
+	Pixmap clipmask;
+
+	clipdata = dst = malloc((width+7)/8 * height);
+	if (!clipdata)
+		return (Pixmap)None;
+
+	for (y = 0; y < height; y++) {
+		for (w = width; w > 0; w -= n) {
+			n = MIN(w, 8);
+			if (msb) {
+				for (b = 0x80, c = 0, i = 0; i < n; i++, b >>= 1)
+					c |= (*src++) ? b : 0;
+			} else {
+				for (b = 0x01, c = 0, i = 0; i < n; i++, b <<= 1)
+					c |= (*src++) ? b : 0;
+			}
+			*dst++ = c;
+		}
+	}
+
+	clipmask = XCreateBitmapFromData(xw.dpy, xw.win, clipdata, width, height);
+	free(clipdata);
+	return clipmask;
+}
diff --git a/sixel.h b/sixel.h
index 7b2266e..7d14f8a 100644
--- a/sixel.h
+++ b/sixel.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ typedef struct parser_context {
 	int attributed_pad;
 	int attributed_ph;
 	int attributed_pv;
+	int transparent;
 	int repeat_count;
 	int color_index;
 	int bgindex;
@@ -52,10 +53,11 @@ typedef struct parser_context {
 
 void scroll_images(int n);
 void delete_image(ImageList *im);
-int sixel_parser_init(sixel_state_t *st, sixel_color_t fgcolor, sixel_color_t bgcolor, unsigned char use_private_register, int cell_width, int cell_height);
+int sixel_parser_init(sixel_state_t *st, int transparent, sixel_color_t fgcolor, sixel_color_t bgcolor, unsigned char use_private_register, int cell_width, int cell_height);
 int sixel_parser_parse(sixel_state_t *st, const unsigned char *p, size_t len);
 int sixel_parser_set_default_color(sixel_state_t *st);
 int sixel_parser_finalize(sixel_state_t *st, ImageList **newimages, int cx, int cy, int cw, int ch);
 void sixel_parser_deinit(sixel_state_t *st);
+Pixmap sixel_create_clipmask(char *pixels, int width, int height);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 2830e27..b2a96f5 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -2714,14 +2714,18 @@ strhandle(void)
 			y1 = newimages->y;
 			x2 = x1 + newimages->cols;
 			y2 = y1 + numimages;
-			for (tail = NULL, im = term.images; im; im = next) {
-				next = im->next;
-				if (im->x >= x1 && im->x + im->cols <= x2 &&
-					im->y >= y1 && im->y <= y2) {
-					delete_image(im);
-					continue;
+			if (newimages->transparent) {
+				for (tail = term.images; tail && tail->next; tail = tail->next);
+			} else {
+				for (tail = NULL, im = term.images; im; im = next) {
+					next = im->next;
+					if (im->x >= x1 && im->x + im->cols <= x2 &&
+					    im->y >= y1 && im->y <= y2) {
+						delete_image(im);
+						continue;
+					}
+					tail = im;
 				}
-				tail = im;
 			}
 			if (tail) {
 				tail->next = newimages;
@@ -2747,8 +2751,7 @@ strhandle(void)
 					line = term.line[term.c.y];
 				}
 				for (x = im->x; x < x2; x++) {
-					line[x].u = ' ';
-					line[x].mode = ATTR_SIXEL;
+					line[x].mode |= ATTR_SIXEL;
 				}
 				term.dirty[MIN(im->y, term.row-1)] = 1;
 				if (!IS_SET(MODE_SIXEL_SDM) && i < numimages-1) {
@@ -3097,7 +3100,7 @@ tcontrolcode(uchar ascii)
 void
 dcshandle(void)
 {
-	int bgcolor;
+	int bgcolor, transparent;
 	unsigned char r, g, b, a = 255;
 
 	switch (csiescseq.mode[0]) {
@@ -3119,6 +3122,7 @@ dcshandle(void)
 		break;
 	#endif // SYNC_PATCH
 	case 'q': /* DECSIXEL */
+		transparent = (csiescseq.narg >= 2 && csiescseq.arg[1] == 1);
 		if (IS_TRUECOL(term.c.attr.bg)) {
 			r = term.c.attr.bg >> 16 & 255;
 			g = term.c.attr.bg >> 8 & 255;
@@ -3129,7 +3133,7 @@ dcshandle(void)
 				a = dc.col[defaultbg].pixel >> 24 & 255;
 		}
 		bgcolor = a << 24 | r << 16 | g << 8 | b;
-		if (sixel_parser_init(&sixel_st, (255 << 24), bgcolor, 1, win.cw, win.ch) != 0)
+		if (sixel_parser_init(&sixel_st, transparent, (255 << 24), bgcolor, 1, win.cw, win.ch) != 0)
 			perror("sixel_parser_init() failed");
 		term.mode |= MODE_SIXEL;
 		break;
@@ -3632,10 +3636,8 @@ tresize(int col, int row)
 			line = term.line[im->y];
 			#endif // SCROLLBACK_PATCH
 			x2 = MIN(im->x + im->cols, term.col);
-			for (x = im->x; x < x2; x++) {
-				line[x].u = ' ';
-				line[x].mode = ATTR_SIXEL;
-			}
+			for (x = im->x; x < x2; x++)
+				line[x].mode |= ATTR_SIXEL;
 		}
 		tswapscreen();
 	}
diff --git a/st.h b/st.h
index aeb4ca1..95d1be1 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ typedef struct _ImageList {
 	struct _ImageList *next, *prev;
 	unsigned char *pixels;
 	void *pixmap;
+	void *clipmask;
 	int width;
 	int height;
 	int x;
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ typedef struct _ImageList {
 	int cols;
 	int cw;
 	int ch;
+	int transparent;
 } ImageList;
 #endif // SIXEL_PATCH
 
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 805849e..5940238 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -325,7 +325,10 @@ zoomabs(const Arg *arg)
 	for (im = term.images; im; im = im->next) {
 		if (im->pixmap)
 			XFreePixmap(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap);
+		if (im->clipmask)
+			XFreePixmap(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->clipmask);
 		im->pixmap = NULL;
+		im->clipmask = NULL;
 	}
 	#endif // SIXEL_PATCH
 
@@ -3138,7 +3141,7 @@ xfinishdraw(void)
 	XGCValues gcvalues;
 	GC gc;
 	int width, height;
-	int x, x2, del;
+	int x, x2, del, destx, desty;
 	Line line;
 	#endif // SIXEL_PATCH
 
@@ -3161,6 +3164,8 @@ xfinishdraw(void)
 				DefaultDepth(xw.dpy, xw.scr)
 				#endif // ALPHA_PATCH
 			);
+			if (!im->pixmap)
+				continue;
 			if (win.cw == im->cw && win.ch == im->ch) {
 				XImage ximage = {
 					.format = ZPixmap,
@@ -3181,12 +3186,15 @@ xfinishdraw(void)
 					#endif // ALPHA_PATCH
 				};
 				XPutImage(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap, dc.gc, &ximage, 0, 0, 0, 0, width, height);
+				if (im->transparent)
+					im->clipmask = (void *)sixel_create_clipmask((char *)im->pixels, width, height);
 			} else {
 				origin = imlib_create_image_using_data(im->width, im->height, (DATA32 *)im->pixels);
 				if (!origin)
 					continue;
 				imlib_context_set_image(origin);
 				imlib_image_set_has_alpha(1);
+				imlib_context_set_anti_alias(im->transparent ? 0 : 1); /* anti-aliasing messes up the clip mask */
 				scaled = imlib_create_cropped_scaled_image(0, 0, im->width, im->height, width, height);
 				imlib_free_image_and_decache();
 				if (!scaled)
@@ -3212,6 +3220,8 @@ xfinishdraw(void)
 					#endif // ALPHA_PATCH
 				};
 				XPutImage(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap, dc.gc, &ximage, 0, 0, 0, 0, width, height);
+				if (im->transparent)
+					im->clipmask = (void *)sixel_create_clipmask((char *)imlib_image_get_data_for_reading_only(), width, height);
 				imlib_free_image_and_decache();
 			}
 		}
@@ -3240,12 +3250,17 @@ xfinishdraw(void)
 		gcvalues.graphics_exposures = False;
 		gc = XCreateGC(xw.dpy, xw.win, GCGraphicsExposures, &gcvalues);
 		#if ANYSIZE_PATCH
-		XCopyArea(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap, xw.buf, gc, 0, 0,
-			width, height, win.hborderpx + im->x * win.cw, win.vborderpx + im->y * win.ch);
+		destx = win.hborderpx + im->x * win.cw;
+		desty = win.vborderpx + im->y * win.ch;
 		#else
-		XCopyArea(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap, xw.buf, gc, 0, 0,
-			width, height, borderpx + im->x * win.cw, borderpx + im->y * win.ch);
+		destx = borderpx + im->x * win.cw;
+		desty = borderpx + im->y * win.ch;
 		#endif // ANYSIZE_PATCH
+		if (im->clipmask) {
+			XSetClipMask(xw.dpy, gc, (Drawable)im->clipmask);
+			XSetClipOrigin(xw.dpy, gc, destx, desty);
+		}
+		XCopyArea(xw.dpy, (Drawable)im->pixmap, xw.buf, gc, 0, 0, width, height, destx, desty);
 		XFreeGC(xw.dpy, gc);
 	}
 	#endif // SIXEL_PATCH