diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index 78dfd7d..3ec0a84 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     //center:       [0,0,0],
     center:       {spawn_coords},
     cacheMinutes: 0, // Change this to have browsers automatically request new images every x minutes
-    bg_color:     '#1A1A1A',
+    bg_color:     '{bg_color}',  // You can set this in settings.py
     debug:        false
   };
 
diff --git a/configParser.py b/configParser.py
index 88925d7..5b275f0 100644
--- a/configParser.py
+++ b/configParser.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import os.path
 import logging
 
 class OptionsResults(object):
-    pass
+    def get(self, *args):
+        return self.__dict__.get(*args)
 
 class ConfigOptionParser(object):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
diff --git a/googlemap.py b/googlemap.py
index f6f271e..630101a 100644
--- a/googlemap.py
+++ b/googlemap.py
@@ -59,14 +59,15 @@ def mirror_dir(src, dst, entities=None):
                 # if this stills throws an error, let it propagate up
 
 class MapGen(object):
-    def __init__(self, quadtrees, skipjs=False, web_assets_hook=None):
+    def __init__(self, quadtrees, configInfo):
         """Generates a Google Maps interface for the given list of
         quadtrees. All of the quadtrees must have the same destdir,
         image format, and world. 
         Note:tiledir for each quadtree should be unique. By default the tiledir is determined by the rendermode"""
         
-        self.skipjs = skipjs
-        self.web_assets_hook = web_assets_hook
+        self.skipjs = configInfo.get('skipjs', None)
+        self.web_assets_hook = configInfo.get('web_assets_hook', None)
+        self.bg_color = configInfo.get('bg_color')
         
         if not len(quadtrees) > 0:
             raise ValueError("there must be at least one quadtree to work on")
@@ -96,6 +97,8 @@ class MapGen(object):
         
         config = config.replace("{spawn_coords}",
                                 json.dumps(list(self.world.spawn)))
+
+        config = config.replace("{bg_color}", self.bg_color)
         
         # create generated map type data, from given quadtrees
         maptypedata = map(lambda q: {'label' : q.rendermode.capitalize(),
@@ -105,9 +108,10 @@ class MapGen(object):
         with open(os.path.join(self.destdir, "config.js"), 'w') as output:
             output.write(config)
 
+        bgcolor = (int(self.bg_color[1:3],16), int(self.bg_color[3:5],16), int(self.bg_color[5:7],16), 0)
+        blank = Image.new("RGBA", (1,1), bgcolor)
         # Write a blank image
         for quadtree in self.quadtrees:
-            blank = Image.new("RGBA", (1,1))
             tileDir = os.path.join(self.destdir, quadtree.tiledir)
             if not os.path.exists(tileDir): os.mkdir(tileDir)
             blank.save(os.path.join(tileDir, "blank."+self.imgformat))
diff --git a/overviewer.py b/overviewer.py
index 6e755bd..925d241 100755
--- a/overviewer.py
+++ b/overviewer.py
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ def main():
     parser.add_option("--rendermodes", dest="rendermode", help="Specifies the render types, separated by commas. Use --list-rendermodes to list them all.", type="choice", choices=avail_rendermodes, required=True, default=avail_rendermodes[0], listify=True)
     parser.add_option("--list-rendermodes", dest="list_rendermodes", action="store_true", help="List available render modes and exit.", commandLineOnly=True)
     parser.add_option("--imgformat", dest="imgformat", help="The image output format to use. Currently supported: png(default), jpg. NOTE: png will always be used as the intermediate image format.", configFileOnly=True )
+    parser.add_option("--bg_color", dest="bg_color", help="Configures the background color for the GoogleMap output.  Specify in #RRGGBB format", configFileOnly=True, type="string", default="#1A1A1A")
     parser.add_option("--optimize-img", dest="optimizeimg", help="If using png, perform image file size optimizations on the output. Specify 1 for pngcrush, 2 for pngcrush+optipng+advdef. This may double (or more) render times, but will produce up to 30% smaller images. NOTE: requires corresponding programs in $PATH or %PATH%", configFileOnly=True)
     parser.add_option("--web-assets-hook", dest="web_assets_hook", help="If provided, run this function after the web assets have been copied, but before actual tile rendering begins. It should accept a QuadtreeGen object as its only argument.", action="store", metavar="SCRIPT", type="function", configFileOnly=True)
     parser.add_option("-q", "--quiet", dest="quiet", action="count", default=0, help="Print less output. You can specify this option multiple times.")
@@ -214,10 +215,12 @@ def main():
 
     logging.info("Rending the following tilesets: %s", ",".join(options.rendermode))
 
+    bgcolor = (int(options.bg_color[1:3],16), int(options.bg_color[3:5],16), int(options.bg_color[5:7],16), 0)
+
     # create the quadtrees
     # TODO chunklist
     q = []
-    qtree_args = {'depth' : options.zoom, 'imgformat' : imgformat, 'optimizeimg' : optimizeimg}
+    qtree_args = {'depth' : options.zoom, 'imgformat' : imgformat, 'optimizeimg' : optimizeimg, 'bgcolor':bgcolor}
     for rendermode in options.rendermode:
         if rendermode == 'normal':
             qtree = quadtree.QuadtreeGen(w, destdir, rendermode=rendermode, tiledir='tiles', **qtree_args)
@@ -229,7 +232,7 @@ def main():
     r = rendernode.RenderNode(q)
     
     # write out the map and web assets
-    m = googlemap.MapGen(q, skipjs=options.skipjs, web_assets_hook=options.web_assets_hook)
+    m = googlemap.MapGen(q, configInfo=options)
     m.go(options.procs)
     
     # render the tiles!
diff --git a/quadtree.py b/quadtree.py
index 51cb46e..48d816f 100644
--- a/quadtree.py
+++ b/quadtree.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def iterate_base4(d):
     return itertools.product(xrange(4), repeat=d)
    
 class QuadtreeGen(object):
-    def __init__(self, worldobj, destdir, depth=None, tiledir=None, imgformat=None, optimizeimg=None, rendermode="normal"):
+    def __init__(self, worldobj, destdir, bgcolor, depth=None, tiledir=None, imgformat=None, optimizeimg=None, rendermode="normal"):
         """Generates a quadtree from the world given into the
         given dest directory
 
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class QuadtreeGen(object):
         assert(imgformat)
         self.imgformat = imgformat
         self.optimizeimg = optimizeimg
+        self.bgcolor = bgcolor
         
         self.lighting = rendermode in ("lighting", "night", "spawn")
         self.night = rendermode in ("night", "spawn")
@@ -320,7 +321,7 @@ class QuadtreeGen(object):
         #logging.debug("writing out innertile {0}".format(imgpath))
 
         # Create the actual image now
-        img = Image.new("RGBA", (384, 384), (38,92,255,0))
+        img = Image.new("RGBA", (384, 384), self.bgcolor)
         
         # we'll use paste (NOT alpha_over) for quadtree generation because
         # this is just straight image stitching, not alpha blending
@@ -442,7 +443,7 @@ class QuadtreeGen(object):
         #logging.debug("writing out worldtile {0}".format(imgpath))
 
         # Compile this image
-        tileimg = Image.new("RGBA", (width, height), (38,92,255,0))
+        tileimg = Image.new("RGBA", (width, height), self.bgcolor)
 
         world = self.world
         rendermode = self.rendermode