diff --git a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
index 7f5b08cd0..4a2df2270 100644
--- a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
+++ b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <QPixmap>
 #include <QEvent>
 #include <QMouseEvent>
-#include <QGraphicsDropShadowEffect>
 
 QWidget *GcWindow::controls() const
 {
diff --git a/src/HomeWindow.cpp b/src/HomeWindow.cpp
index 37282868b..10f192759 100644
--- a/src/HomeWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/HomeWindow.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,15 @@ HomeWindow::HomeWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow, QString name, QString /* windowti
     // watch drop operations
     //setMouseTracking(true);
     installEventFilter(this);
+
+#ifndef WIN32
+    // add a drop shadow to the window
+    if (appsettings->value(this, GC_DROPSHADOWS, false).toBool() == true) {
+        QGraphicsDropShadowEffect *dropShadow = new QGraphicsDropShadowEffect(this);
+        dropShadow->setBlurRadius(10);
+        tabbed->setGraphicsEffect(dropShadow);
+    }
+#endif
 }
 
 HomeWindow::~HomeWindow()
diff --git a/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/MainWindow.cpp
index 071473bef..ac823a15d 100644
--- a/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QtGui>
+#include <QGraphicsDropShadowEffect>
 #include <QRegExp>
 #include <qwt_plot_curve.h>
 #include <qwt_plot_picker.h>
@@ -534,6 +535,14 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(const QDir &home) :
     toolBox->setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
     toolBox->layout()->setSpacing(0);
 
+#ifndef WIN32
+    // add a drop shadow to the window
+    if (appsettings->value(this, GC_DROPSHADOWS, false).toBool() == true) {
+        QGraphicsDropShadowEffect *dropShadow = new QGraphicsDropShadowEffect(this);
+        dropShadow->setBlurRadius(10);
+        toolBox->setGraphicsEffect(dropShadow);
+    }
+#endif
     // CONTAINERS FOR TOOLBOX
     masterControls = new QStackedWidget(this);
     masterControls->setFrameStyle(QFrame::Plain | QFrame::NoFrame);
diff --git a/src/Pages.cpp b/src/Pages.cpp
index 34cc638d8..ad385d11d 100644
--- a/src/Pages.cpp
+++ b/src/Pages.cpp
@@ -1100,6 +1100,8 @@ ColorsPage::ColorsPage(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
     shadeZones->setChecked(appsettings->value(this, GC_SHADEZONES, true).toBool());
     antiAliased = new QCheckBox;
     antiAliased->setChecked(appsettings->value(this, GC_ANTIALIAS, false).toBool());
+    dropShadows = new QCheckBox;
+    dropShadows->setChecked(appsettings->value(this, GC_DROPSHADOWS, false).toBool());
     lineWidth = new QDoubleSpinBox;
     lineWidth->setMaximum(5);
     lineWidth->setMinimum(0.5);
@@ -1110,6 +1112,7 @@ ColorsPage::ColorsPage(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
     QLabel *lineWidthLabel = new QLabel(tr("Line Width"));
     QLabel *antialiasLabel = new QLabel(tr("Antialias" ));
     QLabel *shadeZonesLabel = new QLabel(tr("Shade Zones" ));
+    QLabel *dropShadowsLabel = new QLabel(tr("Drop Shadows" ));
 
     QLabel *defaultLabel = new QLabel(tr("Default"));
     QLabel *titlesLabel = new QLabel(tr("Title" ));
@@ -1194,9 +1197,11 @@ ColorsPage::ColorsPage(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
     grid->addWidget(lineWidthLabel, 0,3);
     grid->addWidget(antialiasLabel, 1,3);
     grid->addWidget(shadeZonesLabel, 2,3);
+    grid->addWidget(dropShadowsLabel, 3,3);
     grid->addWidget(lineWidth, 0,4, Qt::AlignVCenter|Qt::AlignLeft);
     grid->addWidget(antiAliased, 1,4, Qt::AlignVCenter|Qt::AlignLeft);
     grid->addWidget(shadeZones, 2,4, Qt::AlignVCenter|Qt::AlignLeft);
+    grid->addWidget(dropShadows, 3,4, Qt::AlignVCenter|Qt::AlignLeft);
     grid->addWidget(reset, 5,4, Qt::AlignVCenter|Qt::AlignRight);
 
     grid->addWidget(defaultLabel, 0,0);
@@ -1264,6 +1269,7 @@ ColorsPage::saveClicked()
     appsettings->setValue(GC_LINEWIDTH, lineWidth->value());
     appsettings->setValue(GC_ANTIALIAS, antiAliased->isChecked());
     appsettings->setValue(GC_SHADEZONES, shadeZones->isChecked());
+    appsettings->setValue(GC_DROPSHADOWS, dropShadows->isChecked());
 
     // run down and get the current colors and save
     for (int i=0; colorSet[i].name != ""; i++) {
diff --git a/src/Pages.h b/src/Pages.h
index 572c65c1e..3f0158ad6 100644
--- a/src/Pages.h
+++ b/src/Pages.h
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@ class ColorsPage : public QWidget
         // General stuff
         QCheckBox *antiAliased;
         QCheckBox *shadeZones;
+        QCheckBox *dropShadows;
         QDoubleSpinBox *lineWidth;
 
         // Fonts
diff --git a/src/Settings.h b/src/Settings.h
index abfb83445..ba12cc9b0 100644
--- a/src/Settings.h
+++ b/src/Settings.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 #define GC_LTM_SPLITTER_SIZES  "ltmwindow/splitterSizes"
 #define GC_LINEWIDTH      "linewidth"
 #define GC_ANTIALIAS      "antialias"
-#define GC_DROPSHADOW     "dropshadow"
+#define GC_DROPSHADOWS    "dropshadow"
 #define GC_SHADEZONES     "shadezones"
 #define GC_PROXYTYPE      "proxy/type"
 #define GC_PROXYHOST      "proxy/host"