diff --git a/examples/overlaysExample.js b/examples/overlaysExample.js
index fef502c761..c7bc28db96 100644
--- a/examples/overlaysExample.js
+++ b/examples/overlaysExample.js
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@ var text = Overlays.addOverlay("text", {
                     color: { red: 255, green: 0, blue: 0},
                     topMargin: 4,
                     leftMargin: 4,
-                    text: "Here is some text.\nAnd a second line."
+                    text: "Here is some text.\nAnd a second line.",
+                    alpha: 0.7
                 });
 
 // This will create an image overlay, which starts out as invisible
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
index fed041d6ea..65725ab4ec 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.cpp
@@ -69,14 +69,16 @@ int TextRenderer::calculateHeight(const char* str) {
     return maxHeight;
 }
 
-int TextRenderer::draw(int x, int y, const char* str) {
+int TextRenderer::draw(int x, int y, const char* str, float alpha) {
     // Grab the current color
     float currentColor[4];
     glGetFloatv(GL_CURRENT_COLOR, currentColor);
-    int compactColor =  ((int( currentColor[0] * 255.f) & 0xFF)) |
-                        ((int( currentColor[1] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 8) |
-                        ((int( currentColor[2] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 16) |
-                        ((int( currentColor[3] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 24);
+    alpha = std::max(0.f, std::min(alpha, 1.f));
+    currentColor[3] *= alpha;
+    int compactColor = ((int(currentColor[0] * 255.f) & 0xFF)) |
+                       ((int(currentColor[1] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 8) |
+                       ((int(currentColor[2] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 16) |
+                       ((int(currentColor[3] * 255.f) & 0xFF) << 24);
 
 // TODO: Remove that code once we test for performance improvments
     //glEnable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
index bcb0ce8890..325420cf2a 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/TextRenderer.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public:
     int calculateHeight(const char* str);
 
     // also returns the height of the tallest character
-    int draw(int x, int y, const char* str);
+    int draw(int x, int y, const char* str, float alpha = 1.f);
     
     int computeWidth(char ch);
     int computeWidth(const char* str);
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/overlays/Text3DOverlay.cpp b/interface/src/ui/overlays/Text3DOverlay.cpp
index d8febbf0eb..072b52768a 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/overlays/Text3DOverlay.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/overlays/Text3DOverlay.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ void Text3DOverlay::render(RenderArgs* args) {
         QStringList lines = _text.split("\n");
         int lineOffset = maxHeight;
         foreach(QString thisLine, lines) {
-            textRenderer->draw(0, lineOffset, qPrintable(thisLine));
+            textRenderer->draw(0, lineOffset, qPrintable(thisLine), alpha);
             lineOffset += maxHeight;
         }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/overlays/TextOverlay.cpp b/interface/src/ui/overlays/TextOverlay.cpp
index 530b30a856..85ecca6d32 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/overlays/TextOverlay.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/overlays/TextOverlay.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ void TextOverlay::render(RenderArgs* args) {
         if (lineOffset == 0) {
             lineOffset = textRenderer->calculateHeight(qPrintable(thisLine));
         }
-        lineOffset += textRenderer->draw(x, y + lineOffset, qPrintable(thisLine));
+        lineOffset += textRenderer->draw(x, y + lineOffset, qPrintable(thisLine), alpha);
 
         const int lineGap = 2;
         lineOffset += lineGap;