diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsfillsymbollayerv2.cpp b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsfillsymbollayerv2.cpp
index d039b360689f..134b3830795b 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsfillsymbollayerv2.cpp
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsfillsymbollayerv2.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,9 @@ QString QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayerV2::layerType() const
 
 void QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayerV2::startRender( QgsSymbolV2RenderContext& context )
 {
-  mColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() );
-  mBrush = QBrush( mColor, mBrushStyle );
+  QColor fillColor = mColor;
+  fillColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() * mColor.alphaF() );
+  mBrush = QBrush( fillColor, mBrushStyle );
 
   // scale brush content for printout
   double rasterScaleFactor = context.renderContext().rasterScaleFactor();
@@ -87,8 +88,10 @@ void QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayerV2::startRender( QgsSymbolV2RenderContext& context
   // this would mean symbols with "no fill" look the same whether or not they are selected
   if ( selectFillStyle )
     mSelBrush.setStyle( mBrushStyle );
-  mBorderColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() );
-  mPen = QPen( mBorderColor );
+
+  QColor borderColor = mBorderColor;
+  borderColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() * mBorderColor.alphaF());
+  mPen = QPen( borderColor );
   mSelPen = QPen( selPenColor );
   mPen.setStyle( mBorderStyle );
   mPen.setWidthF( context.outputLineWidth( mBorderWidth ) );
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgslinesymbollayerv2.cpp b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgslinesymbollayerv2.cpp
index 36450a53d0a3..41773b8305bf 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgslinesymbollayerv2.cpp
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgslinesymbollayerv2.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ QString QgsSimpleLineSymbolLayerV2::layerType() const
 void QgsSimpleLineSymbolLayerV2::startRender( QgsSymbolV2RenderContext& context )
 {
   QColor penColor = mColor;
-  penColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() );
+  penColor.setAlphaF( mColor.alphaF() * context.alpha() );
   mPen.setColor( penColor );
   double scaledWidth = context.outputLineWidth( mWidth );
   mPen.setWidthF( scaledWidth );
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsmarkersymbollayerv2.cpp b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsmarkersymbollayerv2.cpp
index b3ea7bdad85d..fd24affe0550 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsmarkersymbollayerv2.cpp
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsmarkersymbollayerv2.cpp
@@ -97,11 +97,10 @@ void QgsSimpleMarkerSymbolLayerV2::startRender( QgsSymbolV2RenderContext& contex
 {
   QColor brushColor = mColor;
   QColor penColor = mBorderColor;
-  if ( context.alpha() < 1 )
-  {
-    penColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() );
-    brushColor.setAlphaF( context.alpha() );
-  }
+
+  brushColor.setAlphaF( mColor.alphaF() * context.alpha() );
+  penColor.setAlphaF( mBorderColor.alphaF() * context.alpha() );
+
   mBrush = QBrush( brushColor );
   mPen = QPen( penColor );
   mPen.setWidthF( context.outputLineWidth( mPen.widthF() ) );
diff --git a/src/gui/symbology-ng/qgssymbollayerv2widget.cpp b/src/gui/symbology-ng/qgssymbollayerv2widget.cpp
index de16c02fb20e..488b5f479657 100644
--- a/src/gui/symbology-ng/qgssymbollayerv2widget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/symbology-ng/qgssymbollayerv2widget.cpp
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@ void QgsSimpleLineSymbolLayerV2Widget::colorChanged()
   // Native Mac dialog works only for Qt Carbon
   // Qt bug: http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-14889
   // FIXME need to also check max QT_VERSION when Qt bug fixed
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog | QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #else
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #endif
   if ( !color.isValid() )
     return;
@@ -259,9 +259,9 @@ void QgsSimpleMarkerSymbolLayerV2Widget::setColorBorder()
   // Native Mac dialog works only for Qt Carbon
   // Qt bug: http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-14889
   // FIXME need to also check max QT_VERSION when Qt bug fixed
-  QColor borderColor = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog );
+  QColor borderColor = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog | QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel );
 #else
-  QColor borderColor = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this );
+  QColor borderColor = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel );
 #endif
   if ( !borderColor.isValid() )
     return;
@@ -276,9 +276,9 @@ void QgsSimpleMarkerSymbolLayerV2Widget::setColorFill()
   // Native Mac dialog works only for Qt Carbon
   // Qt bug: http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-14889
   // FIXME need to also check max QT_VERSION when Qt bug fixed
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog | QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel );
 #else
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel );
 #endif
   if ( !color.isValid() )
     return;
@@ -357,9 +357,9 @@ void QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayerV2Widget::setColor()
   // Native Mac dialog works only for Qt Carbon
   // Qt bug: http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-14889
   // FIXME need to also check max QT_VERSION when Qt bug fixed
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog | QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #else
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->color(), this, "", QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #endif
   if ( !color.isValid() )
     return;
@@ -374,9 +374,9 @@ void QgsSimpleFillSymbolLayerV2Widget::setBorderColor()
   // Native Mac dialog works only for Qt Carbon
   // Qt bug: http://bugreports.qt.nokia.com/browse/QTBUG-14889
   // FIXME need to also check max QT_VERSION when Qt bug fixed
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::DontUseNativeDialog | QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #else
-  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this );
+  QColor color = QColorDialog::getColor( mLayer->borderColor(), this, "", QColorDialog::ShowAlphaChannel);
 #endif
   if ( !color.isValid() )
     return;