diff --git a/src/backend/sdl.c b/src/backend/sdl.c
index abd579e..3830fbb 100644
--- a/src/backend/sdl.c
+++ b/src/backend/sdl.c
@@ -330,55 +330,51 @@ static void render_windows(struct window_list* wl)
     }
 }
 
-static SDL_Color uint64_to_color(uint64_t col)
+static inline SDL_Color to_color(uint64_t col, uint8_t alpha)
 {
     SDL_Color c;
-    c.a = 255;
+    c.a = alpha;
     c.r = (col & 0xff0000) >> 16;
     c.g = (col & 0x00ff00) >> 8;
     c.b = (col & 0x0000ff) >> 0;
     return c;
 }
 
-static void draw_set_color(SDL_Renderer* r, uint64_t col_u64)
+static void draw_set_color(SDL_Renderer* r, SDL_Color col)
 {
-    SDL_Color col = uint64_to_color(col_u64);
     SDL_SetRenderDrawColor(r, col.r, col.g, col.b, col.a);
 }
 
 static void draw_clear(SDL_Renderer* r, uint64_t bg)
 {
-    draw_set_color(r, bg);
+    draw_set_color(r, to_color(bg, 0xff));
     SDL_RenderClear(r);
 }
 
 static void draw_glyph(SDL_Renderer* r, const struct ax_glyph* gl)
 {
+    SDL_Rect rect;
     switch (gl->ty) {
     case AX_GLYPH_RECT:
-        draw_set_color(r, gl->d.rect.f);
-        SDL_RenderFillRect(r, &(SDL_Rect) {
-                        .x = gl->d.rect.x,
-                        .y = gl->d.rect.y,
-                        .w = gl->d.rect.w,
-                        .h = gl->d.rect.h
-                    });
+        draw_set_color(r, to_color(gl->d.rect.f, 0xff));
+        rect.x = gl->d.rect.x;
+        rect.y = gl->d.rect.y;
+        rect.w = gl->d.rect.w;
+        rect.h = gl->d.rect.h;
+        SDL_RenderFillRect(r, &rect);
         break;
 
     case AX_GLYPH_TEXT: {
-        SDL_Surface* surf =
-            TTF_RenderText_Blended(
-                gl->d.text.h->font,
-                gl->d.text.t,
-                uint64_to_color(gl->d.text.f));
-        SDL_Texture* text =
-            SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface(r, surf);
-        SDL_Rect dst;
-        dst.x = gl->d.text.x;
-        dst.y = gl->d.text.y;
-        dst.w = surf->w;
-        dst.h = surf->h;
-        SDL_RenderCopy(r, text, NULL, &dst);
+        SDL_Surface* surf = TTF_RenderText_Blended(
+            gl->d.text.h->font,
+            gl->d.text.t,
+            to_color(gl->d.text.f, 0xff));
+        SDL_Texture* text = SDL_CreateTextureFromSurface(r, surf);
+        rect.x = gl->d.text.x;
+        rect.y = gl->d.text.y;
+        rect.w = surf->w;
+        rect.h = surf->h;
+        SDL_RenderCopy(r, text, NULL, &rect);
         SDL_DestroyTexture(text);
         SDL_FreeSurface(surf);
         break;