Andy Piper <andy(a)xemacs.org&gt; writes: I have (specifier-spec-list (face-background 'gui-element)) ---> ((global (nil . "Gray80"))) Not white... However I cannot see the white on repainting now as your fix to remove the flicker works too well :-) There is one glitch left. The gutter is not repainted in my new background color after that is set from my custom-set-faces. (From the first gutter painted after that things are OK). Oops just noticed another glitch. If there are two windows that contain buffers already in the tab window, switching the window with C-x o does not bring forward the correct tab. Jan