diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
index 4cb29d609..97a4cce6e 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ class MdiArea(QtWidgets.QMdiArea):
painter = QtGui.QPainter(self.viewport())
x = (self.width() - self.pixmap.width())//2
y = (self.height() - self.pixmap.height())//2
+ painter.setOpacity(0.5)
painter.drawPixmap(x, y, self.pixmap)
diff --git a/artiq/gui/logo.svg b/artiq/gui/logo.svg
index ec3dac602..0f85d37d6 100644
--- a/artiq/gui/logo.svg
+++ b/artiq/gui/logo.svg
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
width="340.157px" height="393.725px" viewBox="0 0 340.157 393.725" enable-background="new 0 0 340.157 393.725"
xml:space="preserve">
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