Index: applets/notification_area/eggtraymanager.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/gnome/gnome-panel/applets/notification_area/eggtraymanager.c,v
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -r1.7 eggtraymanager.c
--- applets/notification_area/eggtraymanager.c	31 Dec 2005 13:39:09 -0000	1.7
+++ applets/notification_area/eggtraymanager.c	3 Mar 2006 21:45:03 -0000
@@ -291,6 +291,36 @@
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+transparent_expose_event (GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventExpose *event, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  gdk_window_clear_area (widget->window, event->area.x, event->area.y,
+			 event->area.width, event->area.height);
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+static void
+make_transparent_again (GtkWidget *widget, GtkStyle *previous_style,
+			gpointer user_data)
+{
+  gdk_window_set_back_pixmap (widget->window, NULL, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+make_transparent (GtkWidget *widget, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  if (GTK_WIDGET_NO_WINDOW (widget) || GTK_WIDGET_APP_PAINTABLE (widget))
+    return;
+
+  gtk_widget_set_app_paintable (widget, TRUE);
+  gtk_widget_set_double_buffered (widget, FALSE);
+  gdk_window_set_back_pixmap (widget->window, NULL, TRUE);
+  g_signal_connect (widget, "expose_event",
+		    G_CALLBACK (transparent_expose_event), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect_after (widget, "style_set",
+			  G_CALLBACK (make_transparent_again), NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 egg_tray_manager_handle_dock_request (EggTrayManager       *manager,
 				      XClientMessageEvent  *xevent)
@@ -306,6 +336,8 @@
     }
   
   socket = gtk_socket_new ();
+  g_signal_connect (socket, "realize",
+		    G_CALLBACK (make_transparent), NULL);
   
   /* We need to set the child window here
    * so that the client can call _get functions
Index: applets/notification_area/main.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/gnome/gnome-panel/applets/notification_area/main.c,v
retrieving revision 1.30
diff -u -r1.30 main.c
--- applets/notification_area/main.c	28 Dec 2005 21:15:27 -0000	1.30
+++ applets/notification_area/main.c	3 Mar 2006 21:45:04 -0000
@@ -160,13 +160,23 @@
 
   gtk_box_pack_end (GTK_BOX (tray->box), icon, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
   
+  gtk_widget_hide (tray->box);
   gtk_widget_show (icon);
+  gtk_widget_show (tray->box);
 }
 
 static void
 tray_removed (EggTrayManager *manager, GtkWidget *icon, void *data)
 {
+  SystemTray *tray;
 
+  if (all_trays == NULL)
+    return;
+  
+  tray = all_trays->data;
+
+  gtk_widget_hide (tray->box);
+  gtk_widget_show (tray->box);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -207,6 +217,13 @@
       gtk_widget_set_size_request (tray->box, -1, MIN_BOX_SIZE);
       break;
     }
+
+  /* Force the icons to redraw their backgrounds.
+   * gtk_widget_queue_draw() doesn't work across process boundaries,
+   * so we do this instead.
+   */
+  gtk_widget_hide (tray->box);
+  gtk_widget_show (tray->box);
 }
 
 static void
