diff --git a/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp b/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
index 8140a8f4dcd..c09809dea8f 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
@@ -58,12 +58,17 @@
 #include "nsCRT.h"
 
 #include "gfxASurface.h"
+#include "gfxXlibSurface.h"
+#include "gfxContext.h"
 #include "nsImageToPixbuf.h"
 #include "nsIPresShell.h"
 #include "nsPresContext.h"
 #include "nsIDocument.h"
 #include "nsISelection.h"
 
+// This sets how opaque the drag image is
+#define DRAG_IMAGE_ALPHA_LEVEL 0.5
+
 static PRLogModuleInfo *sDragLm = NULL;
 
 static const char gMimeListType[] = "application/x-moz-internal-item-list";
@@ -202,27 +207,34 @@ nsDragService::InvokeDragSession(nsIDOMNode *aDOMNode,
                                                  1,
                                                  &event);
 
-        GdkPixbuf* dragPixbuf = nsnull;
+        PRBool needsFallbackIcon = PR_FALSE;
         nsRect dragRect;
         nsPresContext* pc;
+        nsRefPtr<gfxASurface> surface;
         if (mHasImage || mSelection) {
-          nsRefPtr<gfxASurface> surface;
           DrawDrag(aDOMNode, aRegion, mScreenX, mScreenY,
                    &dragRect, getter_AddRefs(surface), &pc);
-          if (surface) {
-            dragPixbuf =
-              nsImageToPixbuf::SurfaceToPixbuf(surface, dragRect.width, dragRect.height);
-          }
         }
 
-        if (dragPixbuf) {
+        if (surface) {
           PRInt32 sx = mScreenX, sy = mScreenY;
           ConvertToUnscaledDevPixels(pc, &sx, &sy);
-          gtk_drag_set_icon_pixbuf(context, dragPixbuf,
-                                   sx - NSToIntRound(dragRect.x),
-                                   sy - NSToIntRound(dragRect.y));
+
+          PRInt32 offsetX = sx - NSToIntRound(dragRect.x);
+          PRInt32 offsetY = sy - NSToIntRound(dragRect.y);
+          if (!SetAlphaPixmap(surface, context, offsetX, offsetY, dragRect)) {
+            GdkPixbuf* dragPixbuf =
+              nsImageToPixbuf::SurfaceToPixbuf(surface, dragRect.width, dragRect.height);
+            if (dragPixbuf)
+              gtk_drag_set_icon_pixbuf(context, dragPixbuf, offsetX, offsetY);
+            else
+              needsFallbackIcon = PR_TRUE;
+          }
+        } else {
+          needsFallbackIcon = PR_TRUE;
         }
-        else
+
+        if (needsFallbackIcon)
           gtk_drag_set_icon_default(context);
 
         gtk_target_list_unref(sourceList);
@@ -231,6 +243,56 @@ nsDragService::InvokeDragSession(nsIDOMNode *aDOMNode,
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
+PRBool
+nsDragService::SetAlphaPixmap(gfxASurface *aSurface,
+                                 GdkDragContext *aContext,
+                                 PRInt32 aXOffset,
+                                 PRInt32 aYOffset,
+                                 const nsRect& dragRect)
+{
+    GdkScreen* screen = gtk_widget_get_screen(mHiddenWidget);
+
+    // Transparent drag icons need, like a lot of transparency-related things,
+    // a compositing X window manager
+    if (!gdk_screen_is_composited(screen))
+      return PR_FALSE;
+
+    GdkColormap* alphaColormap = gdk_screen_get_rgba_colormap(screen);
+    if (!alphaColormap)
+      return PR_FALSE;
+
+    GdkPixmap* pixmap = gdk_pixmap_new(NULL, dragRect.width, dragRect.height,
+                                       gdk_colormap_get_visual(alphaColormap)->depth);
+    if (!pixmap)
+      return PR_FALSE;
+
+    gdk_drawable_set_colormap(GDK_DRAWABLE(pixmap), alphaColormap);
+
+    // Make a gfxXlibSurface wrapped around the pixmap to render on
+    nsRefPtr<gfxASurface> xPixmapSurface =
+         nsWindow::GetSurfaceForGdkDrawable(GDK_DRAWABLE(pixmap),
+                                            dragRect.Size());
+    if (!xPixmapSurface)
+      return PR_FALSE;
+
+    nsRefPtr<gfxContext> xPixmapCtx = new gfxContext(xPixmapSurface);
+
+    // Clear it...
+    xPixmapCtx->SetOperator(gfxContext::OPERATOR_CLEAR);
+    xPixmapCtx->Paint();
+
+    // ...and paint the drag image with translucency
+    xPixmapCtx->SetOperator(gfxContext::OPERATOR_SOURCE);
+    xPixmapCtx->SetSource(aSurface);
+    xPixmapCtx->Paint(DRAG_IMAGE_ALPHA_LEVEL);
+
+    // The drag transaction addrefs the pixmap, so we can just unref it from us here
+    gtk_drag_set_icon_pixmap(aContext, alphaColormap, pixmap, NULL,
+                             aXOffset, aYOffset);
+    gdk_pixmap_unref(pixmap);
+    return PR_TRUE;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsDragService::StartDragSession()
 {
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.h b/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.h
index efbcde7fded..f20c67184ab 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.h
+++ b/widget/src/gtk2/nsDragService.h
@@ -142,6 +142,14 @@ private:
     // get a list of the sources in gtk's format
     GtkTargetList *GetSourceList(void);
 
+    // attempts to create a semi-transparent drag image. Returns TRUE if
+    // successful, FALSE if not
+    PRBool SetAlphaPixmap(gfxASurface    *aPixbuf,
+                          GdkDragContext *aContext,
+                          PRInt32         aXOffset,
+                          PRInt32         aYOffset,
+                          const nsRect&   dragRect);
+
 };
 
 #endif // nsDragService_h__
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.cpp b/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.cpp
index 9e0d18739f3..162e3347115 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.cpp
@@ -1677,7 +1677,7 @@ nsWindow::OnExposeEvent(GtkWidget *aWidget, GdkEventExpose *aEvent)
     GetHasTransparentBackground(translucent);
     nsIntRect boundsRect;
     GdkPixmap* bufferPixmap = nsnull;
-    nsRefPtr<gfxXlibSurface> bufferPixmapSurface;
+    nsRefPtr<gfxASurface> bufferPixmapSurface;
 
     updateRegion->GetBoundingBox(&boundsRect.x, &boundsRect.y,
                                  &boundsRect.width, &boundsRect.height);
@@ -1715,13 +1715,8 @@ nsWindow::OnExposeEvent(GtkWidget *aWidget, GdkEventExpose *aEvent)
         gint depth = gdk_drawable_get_depth(d);
         bufferPixmap = gdk_pixmap_new(d, boundsRect.width, boundsRect.height, depth);
         if (bufferPixmap) {
-            GdkVisual* visual = gdk_drawable_get_visual(GDK_DRAWABLE(bufferPixmap));
-            Visual* XVisual = gdk_x11_visual_get_xvisual(visual);
-            Display* display = gdk_x11_drawable_get_xdisplay(GDK_DRAWABLE(bufferPixmap));
-            Drawable drawable = gdk_x11_drawable_get_xid(GDK_DRAWABLE(bufferPixmap));
-            bufferPixmapSurface =
-                new gfxXlibSurface(display, drawable, XVisual,
-                                   gfxIntSize(boundsRect.width, boundsRect.height));
+            bufferPixmapSurface = GetSurfaceForGdkDrawable(GDK_DRAWABLE(bufferPixmap),
+                                                           boundsRect.Size());
             if (bufferPixmapSurface) {
                 bufferPixmapSurface->SetDeviceOffset(gfxPoint(-boundsRect.x, -boundsRect.y));
                 nsCOMPtr<nsIRenderingContext> newRC;
@@ -6180,6 +6175,19 @@ IM_get_input_context(nsWindow *aWindow)
 
 #endif
 
+/* static */ already_AddRefed<gfxASurface>
+nsWindow::GetSurfaceForGdkDrawable(GdkDrawable* aDrawable,
+                                   const nsSize& aSize)
+{
+    GdkVisual* visual = gdk_drawable_get_visual(aDrawable);
+    Visual* xVisual = gdk_x11_visual_get_xvisual(visual);
+    Display* xDisplay = gdk_x11_drawable_get_xdisplay(aDrawable);
+    Drawable xDrawable = gdk_x11_drawable_get_xid(aDrawable);
+
+    return new gfxXlibSurface(xDisplay, xDrawable, xVisual,
+                              gfxIntSize(aSize.width, aSize.height));
+}
+
 // return the gfxASurface for rendering to this widget
 gfxASurface*
 nsWindow::GetThebesSurface()
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.h b/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.h
index 0414e6628f2..0631535408e 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.h
+++ b/widget/src/gtk2/nsWindow.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 #include "nsITimer.h"
 #include "nsWidgetAtoms.h"
 
+#include "gfxASurface.h"
+
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 
 #include <gdk/gdkx.h>
@@ -364,6 +366,9 @@ public:
 
     gfxASurface       *GetThebesSurface();
 
+    static already_AddRefed<gfxASurface> GetSurfaceForGdkDrawable(GdkDrawable* aDrawable,
+                                                                  const nsSize& aSize);
+
 #ifdef ACCESSIBILITY
     static PRBool      sAccessibilityEnabled;
 #endif