diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.cc b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.cc
index 95010135e..1b49d6782 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Image::Image (unsigned int w, unsigned int h, lay::color_t *data)
 {
   m_width = w;
   m_height = h;
+  m_transparent = false;
   m_data.reset (new ImageData (data, w * h));
 }
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ Image::Image (unsigned int w, unsigned int h, const lay::color_t *data, unsigned
 {
   m_width = w;
   m_height = h;
+  m_transparent = false;
 
   lay::color_t *d = new color_t [w * h];
 
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ Image::Image ()
 {
   m_width = 0;
   m_height = 0;
+  m_transparent = false;
 }
 
 Image::Image (const Image &other)
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ Image::operator= (const Image &other)
     m_width = other.m_width;
     m_height = other.m_height;
     m_data = other.m_data;
+    m_transparent = other.m_transparent;
   }
   return *this;
 }
@@ -95,6 +99,12 @@ Image::operator= (Image &&other)
   return *this;
 }
 
+void
+Image::set_transparent (bool f)
+{
+  m_transparent = f;
+}
+
 void
 Image::swap (Image &other)
 {
@@ -104,6 +114,7 @@ Image::swap (Image &other)
 
   std::swap (m_width, other.m_width);
   std::swap (m_height, other.m_height);
+  std::swap (m_transparent, other.m_transparent);
   m_data.swap (other.m_data);
 }
 
@@ -148,7 +159,7 @@ Image::data () const
 QImage
 Image::to_image () const
 {
-  return QImage ((const uchar *) data (), m_width, m_height, QImage::Format_ARGB32);
+  return QImage ((const uchar *) data (), m_width, m_height, m_transparent ? QImage::Format_ARGB32 : QImage::Format_RGB32);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -157,6 +168,7 @@ Image::patch (const Image &other)
 {
   tl_assert (width () == other.width ());
   tl_assert (height () == other.height ());
+  tl_assert (other.transparent ());
 
   const color_t *d = other.data ();
   color_t *dd = data ();
@@ -178,6 +190,7 @@ Image::diff (const Image &other) const
   tl_assert (height () == other.height ());
 
   Image res (m_width, m_height);
+  res.set_transparent (true);
 
   const color_t *d2 = other.data ();
   const color_t *d1 = data ();
diff --git a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.h b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.h
index bc0a868f5..020da278a 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.h
+++ b/src/laybasic/laybasic/layImage.h
@@ -97,6 +97,19 @@ public:
    */
   Image &operator= (Image &&other);
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Sets a value indicating whether an alpha channel is present
+   */
+  void set_transparent (bool f);
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets a value indicating whether an alpha channel is present
+   */
+  bool transparent () const
+  {
+    return m_transparent;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Swaps this image with another one
    */
@@ -206,12 +219,12 @@ private:
   private:
     lay::color_t *mp_data;
     size_t m_length;
-    size_t m_stride;
 
     ImageData &operator= (const ImageData &other);
   };
 
   unsigned int m_width, m_height;
+  bool m_transparent;
   tl::copy_on_write_ptr<ImageData> m_data;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layImageTests.cc b/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layImageTests.cc
index 91e61fd00..53fb76e98 100644
--- a/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layImageTests.cc
+++ b/src/laybasic/unit_tests/layImageTests.cc
@@ -57,11 +57,17 @@ TEST(1)
   EXPECT_EQ (img.width (), 15);
   EXPECT_EQ (img.height (), 25);
 
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.transparent (), false);
+  img.set_transparent (true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (img.transparent (), true);
+
   img.fill (0x112233);
   EXPECT_EQ (img.scan_line (5)[10], 0x112233);
 
   lay::Image img2;
+  EXPECT_EQ (img2.transparent (), false);
   img2 = img;
+  EXPECT_EQ (img2.transparent (), true);
   EXPECT_EQ (img2.width (), 15);
   EXPECT_EQ (img2.height (), 25);
 
@@ -72,7 +78,9 @@ TEST(1)
   EXPECT_EQ (img.scan_line (5)[10], 0x112233);
   EXPECT_EQ (img2.scan_line (5)[10], 0x332211);
 
+  img.set_transparent (false);
   img2.swap (img);
+  EXPECT_EQ (img2.transparent (), false);
   EXPECT_EQ (img2.scan_line (5)[10], 0x112233);
   EXPECT_EQ (img.scan_line (5)[10], 0x332211);