diff --git a/background-image.c b/background-image.c
index 3eae832..ca43178 100644
--- a/background-image.c
+++ b/background-image.c
@@ -22,28 +22,35 @@ enum background_mode parse_background_mode(const char *mode) {
 }
 
 cairo_surface_t *load_background_image(const char *path) {
-	cairo_surface_t *image;
-#if HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
-	GError *err = NULL;
-	GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file(path, &err);
-	if (!pixbuf) {
-		swaybg_log(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to load background image (%s).",
-				err->message);
-		return NULL;
+	cairo_surface_t *image = NULL;
+
+	// Prefer to load PNG images with Cairo, since it can load images with
+	// higher bit depths at full precision
+	const char *suffix = strrchr(path, '.');
+	if (suffix && (!strcmp(suffix, ".png") || !strcmp(suffix, ".PNG"))) {
+		image = cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(path);
 	}
-	// Correct for embedded image orientation; typical images are not
-	// rotated and will be handled efficiently
-	GdkPixbuf *oriented = gdk_pixbuf_apply_embedded_orientation(pixbuf);
-	g_object_unref(pixbuf);
-	image = gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(oriented);
-	g_object_unref(oriented);
-#else
-	image = cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(path);
-#endif // HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
+
+	// if not a PNG image, try to load with gdk-pixbuf
+#if HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
 	if (!image) {
-		swaybg_log(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to read background image.");
-		return NULL;
+		GError *err = NULL;
+		GdkPixbuf *pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file(path, &err);
+		if (!pixbuf) {
+			swaybg_log(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to load background image (%s).",
+					err->message);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+
+		// Correct for embedded image orientation; typical images are not
+		// rotated and will be handled efficiently
+		GdkPixbuf *oriented = gdk_pixbuf_apply_embedded_orientation(pixbuf);
+		g_object_unref(pixbuf);
+		image = gdk_cairo_image_surface_create_from_pixbuf(oriented);
+		g_object_unref(oriented);
 	}
+#endif // HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
+
 	if (cairo_surface_status(image) != CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
 		swaybg_log(LOG_ERROR, "Failed to read background image: %s."
 #if !HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
diff --git a/cairo.c b/cairo.c
index ee7d3ad..0271aec 100644
--- a/cairo.c
+++ b/cairo.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <cairo.h>
 #include "cairo_util.h"
@@ -13,20 +14,25 @@ void cairo_set_source_u32(cairo_t *cairo, uint32_t color) {
 			(color >> (0*8) & 0xFF) / 255.0);
 }
 
-cairo_subpixel_order_t to_cairo_subpixel_order(enum wl_output_subpixel subpixel) {
-	switch (subpixel) {
-	case WL_OUTPUT_SUBPIXEL_HORIZONTAL_RGB:
-		return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_RGB;
-	case WL_OUTPUT_SUBPIXEL_HORIZONTAL_BGR:
-		return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_BGR;
-	case WL_OUTPUT_SUBPIXEL_VERTICAL_RGB:
-		return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_VRGB;
-	case WL_OUTPUT_SUBPIXEL_VERTICAL_BGR:
-		return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_VBGR;
-	default:
-		return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_DEFAULT;
+void cairo_rgb30_swap_rb(cairo_surface_t *surface) {
+	assert(cairo_image_surface_get_format(surface) == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB30);
+
+	unsigned char *data = cairo_image_surface_get_data(surface);
+	int w = cairo_image_surface_get_width(surface);
+	int h = cairo_image_surface_get_height(surface);
+	int stride = cairo_image_surface_get_stride(surface);
+	for (int y = 0; y < h; y++) {
+		uint32_t *row = (uint32_t *)(data + stride * y);
+		for (int x = 0; x < w; x++) {
+			uint32_t pix = row[x];
+			// swap blue (0:10) and red (20:30)
+			pix = (pix & 0xc00ffc00) | ((pix & 0x3ff00000) >> 20) |
+				((pix & 0x3ff) << 20);
+			row[x] = pix;
+		}
 	}
-	return CAIRO_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_DEFAULT;
+
+	cairo_surface_mark_dirty(surface);
 }
 
 #if HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
diff --git a/include/cairo_util.h b/include/cairo_util.h
index fd611b6..eb3998d 100644
--- a/include/cairo_util.h
+++ b/include/cairo_util.h
@@ -9,10 +9,8 @@
 #endif
 
 void cairo_set_source_u32(cairo_t *cairo, uint32_t color);
-cairo_subpixel_order_t to_cairo_subpixel_order(enum wl_output_subpixel subpixel);
 
-cairo_surface_t *cairo_image_surface_scale(cairo_surface_t *image,
-		int width, int height);
+void cairo_rgb30_swap_rb(cairo_surface_t *surface);
 
 #if HAVE_GDK_PIXBUF
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index fc6725e..7baf6a0 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ struct swaybg_state {
 	struct wl_list outputs;  // struct swaybg_output::link
 	struct wl_list images;   // struct swaybg_image::link
 	bool run_display;
+	bool has_xrgb2101010;
+	bool has_xbgr2101010;
 };
 
 struct swaybg_image {
@@ -99,48 +101,58 @@ struct swaybg_output {
 // Create a wl_buffer with the specified dimensions and content
 static struct wl_buffer *draw_buffer(const struct swaybg_output *output,
 		cairo_surface_t *surface, uint32_t buffer_width, uint32_t buffer_height) {
+	uint32_t bg_color = output->config->color ? output->config->color : 0x3f3f3fff;
+
 	if (buffer_width == 1 && buffer_height == 1 &&
 			output->config->mode == BACKGROUND_MODE_SOLID_COLOR &&
 			output->state->single_pixel_buffer_manager) {
 		// create and return single pixel buffer
-		uint8_t r8 = (output->config->color >> 24) & 0xFF;
-		uint8_t g8 = (output->config->color >> 16) & 0xFF;
-		uint8_t b8 = (output->config->color >> 8) & 0xFF;
-		uint8_t a8 = (output->config->color >> 0) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t r8 = (bg_color >> 24) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t g8 = (bg_color >> 16) & 0xFF;
+		uint8_t b8 = (bg_color >> 8) & 0xFF;
 		uint32_t f = 0xFFFFFFFF / 0xFF; // division result is an integer
 		uint32_t r32 = r8 * f;
 		uint32_t g32 = g8 * f;
 		uint32_t b32 = b8 * f;
-		uint32_t a32 = a8 * f;
 		return wp_single_pixel_buffer_manager_v1_create_u32_rgba_buffer(
-			output->state->single_pixel_buffer_manager, r32, g32, b32, a32);
+			output->state->single_pixel_buffer_manager,
+			r32, g32, b32, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	}
 
+	bool deep_image = false;
+	if (surface) {
+		cairo_format_t fmt = cairo_image_surface_get_format(surface);
+		deep_image = deep_image || fmt == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB30;
+#if CAIRO_VERSION >= CAIRO_VERSION_ENCODE(1, 17, 2)
+		deep_image = deep_image || fmt == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB96F;
+		deep_image = deep_image || fmt == CAIRO_FORMAT_RGBA128F;
+#endif
+	}
+
+	uint32_t format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888;
+	if (deep_image && output->state->has_xrgb2101010) {
+		format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB2101010;
+	} else if (deep_image && output->state->has_xbgr2101010) {
+		format = WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR2101010;
+	}
 
 	struct pool_buffer buffer;
 	if (!create_buffer(&buffer, output->state->shm,
-			buffer_width, buffer_height, WL_SHM_FORMAT_ARGB8888)) {
+			buffer_width, buffer_height, format)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	cairo_t *cairo = buffer.cairo;
-	cairo_save(cairo);
-	cairo_set_operator(cairo, CAIRO_OPERATOR_CLEAR);
+	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, bg_color);
 	cairo_paint(cairo);
-	cairo_restore(cairo);
-	if (output->config->mode == BACKGROUND_MODE_SOLID_COLOR) {
-		cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, output->config->color);
-		cairo_paint(cairo);
-	} else {
-		if (output->config->color) {
-			cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, output->config->color);
-			cairo_paint(cairo);
-		}
 
-		if (surface) {
-			render_background_image(cairo, surface,
-				output->config->mode, buffer_width, buffer_height);
-		}
+	if (surface) {
+		render_background_image(cairo, surface,
+			output->config->mode, buffer_width, buffer_height);
+	}
+
+	if (format == WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR2101010) {
+		cairo_rgb30_swap_rb(buffer.surface);
 	}
 
 	// return wl_buffer for caller to use and destroy
@@ -408,6 +420,21 @@ static const struct wl_output_listener output_listener = {
 	.description = output_description,
 };
 
+
+static void shm_format(void *data, struct wl_shm *wl_shm, uint32_t format) {
+	struct swaybg_state *state = data;
+	if (format == WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR2101010) {
+		state->has_xbgr2101010 = true;
+	}
+	if (format == WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB2101010) {
+		state->has_xrgb2101010 = true;
+	}
+}
+
+static const struct wl_shm_listener shm_listener = {
+	.format = shm_format,
+};
+
 static void handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry,
 		uint32_t name, const char *interface, uint32_t version) {
 	struct swaybg_state *state = data;
@@ -416,6 +443,7 @@ static void handle_global(void *data, struct wl_registry *registry,
 			wl_registry_bind(registry, name, &wl_compositor_interface, 4);
 	} else if (strcmp(interface, wl_shm_interface.name) == 0) {
 		state->shm = wl_registry_bind(registry, name, &wl_shm_interface, 1);
+		wl_shm_add_listener(state->shm, &shm_listener, state);
 	} else if (strcmp(interface, wl_output_interface.name) == 0) {
 		struct swaybg_output *output = calloc(1, sizeof(struct swaybg_output));
 		output->state = state;
diff --git a/pool-buffer.c b/pool-buffer.c
index 9872ec5..6aab4c2 100644
--- a/pool-buffer.c
+++ b/pool-buffer.c
@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@ static int anonymous_shm_open(void) {
 	return -1;
 }
 
+static uint32_t cairo_format_from_wayland_shm(uint32_t shm) {
+	switch (shm) {
+	case WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB8888:
+		return CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24;
+	case WL_SHM_FORMAT_XBGR2101010:
+	case WL_SHM_FORMAT_XRGB2101010:
+		return CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB30;
+	default:
+		assert(0);
+	}
+}
+
 bool create_buffer(struct pool_buffer *buf, struct wl_shm *shm,
 		int32_t width, int32_t height, uint32_t format) {
 	uint32_t stride = width * 4;
@@ -56,10 +68,11 @@ bool create_buffer(struct pool_buffer *buf, struct wl_shm *shm,
 	wl_shm_pool_destroy(pool);
 	close(fd);
 
+	cairo_format_t cairo_fmt = cairo_format_from_wayland_shm(format);
 	buf->size = size;
 	buf->data = data;
 	buf->surface = cairo_image_surface_create_for_data(data,
-			CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32, width, height, stride);
+			cairo_fmt, width, height, stride);
 	buf->cairo = cairo_create(buf->surface);
 	return true;
 }