diff --git a/examples/simple/testdata/TestApp.golden b/examples/simple/testdata/TestApp.golden
index 2c245f9c58..e6b1988210 100644
--- a/examples/simple/testdata/TestApp.golden
+++ b/examples/simple/testdata/TestApp.golden
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-[?25l[?2004h[?2027h[?2027$p
Hi. This program will exit in 10 seconds.
+[?25l[?2004h[?2027h[?2027$p]11;?
Hi. This program will exit in 10 seconds.
 
 To quit sooner press ctrl-c, or press ctrl-z to suspend...
 Hi. This program will exit in 9 seconds.
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 08fb7403ec..2ae2568145 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -268,3 +268,12 @@ func WithoutGraphemeClustering() ProgramOption {
 		p.startupOptions |= withoutGraphemeClustering
 	}
 }
+
+// WithoutBackgroundColor starts the program without querying the terminal for
+// its background color. This is useful if you want to disable automatic
+// background color detection for your program.
+func WithoutBackgroundColor() ProgramOption {
+	return func(p *Program) {
+		p.startupOptions |= withoutBackgroundColor
+	}
+}
diff --git a/screen_test.go b/screen_test.go
index 4e569fd50f..e8f69d8077 100644
--- a/screen_test.go
+++ b/screen_test.go
@@ -17,62 +17,62 @@ func TestClearMsg(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "clear_screen",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{ClearScreen},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "altscreen",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{EnterAltScreen, ExitAltScreen},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\x1b[?25l\x1b[?1049l\x1b[?25l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\x1b[?25l\x1b[?1049l\x1b[?25l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "altscreen_autoexit",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{EnterAltScreen},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\x1b[?25l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[2;0H\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1049l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[1;1H\x1b[?25l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[2;0H\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1049l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "mouse_cellmotion",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{EnableMouseCellMotion},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?1002h\x1b[?1006h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?1002h\x1b[?1006h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "mouse_allmotion",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{EnableMouseAllMotion},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?1003h\x1b[?1006h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?1003h\x1b[?1006h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "mouse_disable",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{EnableMouseAllMotion, DisableMouse},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?1003h\x1b[?1006h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?1003h\x1b[?1006h\x1b[?1002l\x1b[?1003l\x1b[?1006l\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "cursor_hide",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{HideCursor},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "cursor_hideshow",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{HideCursor, ShowCursor},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?25h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?25h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "bp_stop_start",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{DisableBracketedPaste, EnableBracketedPaste},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?2004h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?2004h\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "read_set_clipboard",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{ReadClipboard, SetClipboard("success")},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]52;c;?\a\x1b]52;c;c3VjY2Vzcw==\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]52;c;?\a\x1b]52;c;c3VjY2Vzcw==\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "bg_fg_cur_color",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{ForegroundColor, BackgroundColor, CursorColor},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]10;?\a\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]12;?\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]10;?\a\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]12;?\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "bg_set_color",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{SetBackgroundColor(color.RGBA{255, 255, 255, 255})},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;#ffffff\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b]111\a",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]11;#ffffff\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b]111\a",
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ func TestClearMsg(t *testing.T) {
 		tests = append(tests, test{
 			name:     "kitty_start",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{DisableKeyboardEnhancements, EnableKeyboardEnhancements(WithKeyReleases)},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b]11;?\a\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h",
 		})
 	} else {
 		tests = append(tests, test{
 			name:     "kitty_start",
 			cmds:     []Cmd{DisableKeyboardEnhancements, EnableKeyboardEnhancements(WithKeyReleases)},
-			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b[>4;1m\x1b[>3u\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[>4;0m\x1b[>0u",
+			expected: "\x1b[?25l\x1b[?2004h\x1b[?2027h\x1b[?2027$p\x1b]11;?\a\x1b[>4;1m\x1b[>3u\rsuccess\r\n\x1b[D\x1b[2K\r\x1b[?2004l\x1b[?25h\x1b[>4;0m\x1b[>0u",
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/tea.go b/tea.go
index 22a07bc8db..ef8b1afec1 100644
--- a/tea.go
+++ b/tea.go
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ const (
 	withReportFocus
 	withKeyboardEnhancements
 	withoutGraphemeClustering
+	withoutBackgroundColor
 )
 
 // channelHandlers manages the series of channels returned by various processes.
@@ -768,6 +769,9 @@ func (p *Program) Run() (Model, error) {
 			p.execute(ansi.RequestKittyKeyboard)
 		}
 	}
+	if p.startupOptions&withoutBackgroundColor == 0 {
+		p.execute(ansi.RequestBackgroundColor)
+	}
 
 	// Start the renderer.
 	p.startRenderer()