diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ab0374160..72cfd47eb 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2008-05-25	Tobias Doerffel	<tobydox/at/users/dot/sourceforge/dot/net>
+
+	* include/main_window.h:
+	* src/gui/main_window.cpp:
+	* src/core/main.cpp:
+	* data/themes/default/splash.png:
+	new transparent splash-screen without obsolete text-messages
+
 2008-05-25  Paul Giblock	<drfaygo/at/gmail/dot/com>
 
 	* include/embed.h:
diff --git a/data/themes/default/splash.png b/data/themes/default/splash.png
index 4c5bda864..d3034416b 100644
Binary files a/data/themes/default/splash.png and b/data/themes/default/splash.png differ
diff --git a/include/main_window.h b/include/main_window.h
index 1319e667b..bbae3c16f 100644
--- a/include/main_window.h
+++ b/include/main_window.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ class QAction;
 class QDomElement;
 class QGridLayout;
 class QMdiArea;
-class QSplashScreen;
 
 class configManager;
 class pluginView;
@@ -82,8 +81,6 @@ public:
 		return( m_keyMods.m_alt );
 	}
 
-	static QSplashScreen * s_splashScreen;
-
 	static void saveWidgetState( QWidget * _w, QDomElement & _de );
 	static void restoreWidgetState( QWidget * _w, const QDomElement & _de );
 
diff --git a/src/core/main.cpp b/src/core/main.cpp
index 32c4a3fb5..47f0621b4 100644
--- a/src/core/main.cpp
+++ b/src/core/main.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <QtCore/QTimer>
 #include <QtCore/QTranslator>
 #include <QtGui/QApplication>
+#include <QtGui/QBitmap>
+#include <QtGui/QPainter>
 #include <QtGui/QSplashScreen>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SCHED_H
@@ -55,8 +57,6 @@ static inline QString baseName( const QString & _file )
 }
 
 
-int splash_alignment_flags = Qt::AlignTop | Qt::AlignLeft;
-
 inline void loadTranslation( const QString & _tname,
 	const QString & _dir = configManager::inst()->localeDir() )
 {
@@ -334,18 +334,29 @@ int main( int argc, char * * argv )
 		qApp->setPalette( pal );
 
 
-		// init splash screen
-		QPixmap splash = embed::getIconPixmap( "splash" );
-		mainWindow::s_splashScreen = new QSplashScreen( splash );
-		mainWindow::s_splashScreen->show();
+		// init splash screen - this is a bit difficult as we have a
+		// semi-transparent splash-image therefore we first need to grab
+		// the screen, paint the splash onto it and then set a mask
+		// which covers all pixels which are not fully transparent in
+		// splash-image - otherwise we get nasty edges etc.
+		const QPixmap splash = embed::getIconPixmap( "splash" );
+    		const QPoint pt = QApplication::desktop()->
+			availableGeometry().center() - splash.rect().center();
+		QPixmap pm = QPixmap::grabWindow(
+					QApplication::desktop()->winId(),
+					pt.x(), pt.y(),
+					splash.width(), splash.height() );
+		QPainter p( &pm );
+		p.drawPixmap( 0, 0, splash );
+		p.end();
 
-		mainWindow::s_splashScreen->showMessage( mainWindow::tr(
-								"Setting up main-"
-								"window and "
-								"workspace..." ),
-								splash_alignment_flags,
-								Qt::white );
+		QSplashScreen * ss = new QSplashScreen( pm );
+		ss->setWindowOpacity( 0.85 );
+		ss->setMask( splash.alphaChannel().createMaskFromColor( QColor( 0, 0, 0 ) ) );
+		ss->show();
+		qApp->processEvents();
 
+		// init central engine which handles all components of LMMS
 		engine::init();
 
 		// we try to load given file
@@ -372,9 +383,7 @@ int main( int argc, char * * argv )
 			engine::getMainWindow()->resize( 200, 500 );
 		}
 
-
-		delete mainWindow::s_splashScreen;
-		mainWindow::s_splashScreen = NULL;
+		delete ss;
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/gui/main_window.cpp b/src/gui/main_window.cpp
index 3d8713a49..6cd217a50 100644
--- a/src/gui/main_window.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/main_window.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 #include <QtGui/QMdiSubWindow>
 #include <QtGui/QMenuBar>
 #include <QtGui/QMessageBox>
-#include <QtGui/QSplashScreen>
 #include <QtGui/QSplitter>
 
 
@@ -70,9 +69,6 @@
 #include "templates.h"
 
 
-QSplashScreen * mainWindow::s_splashScreen = NULL;
-extern int splash_alignment_flags;
-
 
 
 mainWindow::mainWindow( void ) :
@@ -190,23 +186,6 @@ mainWindow::~mainWindow()
 
 void mainWindow::finalize( void )
 {
-	if( qApp->argc() > 1 )
-	{
-		s_splashScreen->showMessage( tr( "Loading song..." ),
-							splash_alignment_flags,
-								Qt::white );
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		s_splashScreen->showMessage( tr( "Creating new song..." ),
-							splash_alignment_flags,
-								Qt::white );
-	}
-
-
-	s_splashScreen->showMessage( tr( "Creating GUI..." ),
-							splash_alignment_flags,
-								Qt::white );
 	resetWindowTitle();
 	setWindowIcon( embed::getIconPixmap( "icon" ) );