diff --git a/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/fragments/NowPlayingFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/fragments/NowPlayingFragment.java
index e5ae8cf..4fdcfbd 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/fragments/NowPlayingFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/fragments/NowPlayingFragment.java
@@ -519,8 +519,7 @@ public class NowPlayingFragment extends SubsonicFragment implements OnGestureLis
         }
 
         if (currentPlaying == null && downloadService != null && null == downloadService.getCurrentPlaying()) {
-            getImageLoader().loadBlurImage(albumArtBackgroundView, null, true, false);
-            getImageLoader().loadImage(albumArtImageView, null, true, false);
+            setAlbumArt(null, false);
         }
 
         context.runWhenServiceAvailable(() -> {
@@ -808,8 +807,7 @@ public class NowPlayingFragment extends SubsonicFragment implements OnGestureLis
         if (currentPlaying != null) {
             Entry song = currentPlaying.getSong();
             songTitleTextView.setText(song.getTitle());
-            getImageLoader().loadBlurImage(albumArtBackgroundView, song, true, true);
-            getImageLoader().loadImage(albumArtImageView, song, true, true);
+            setAlbumArt(song, true);
 
             DownloadService downloadService = getDownloadService();
             if (downloadService.isShufflePlayEnabled()) {
@@ -819,8 +817,7 @@ public class NowPlayingFragment extends SubsonicFragment implements OnGestureLis
             }
         } else {
             songTitleTextView.setText(null);
-            getImageLoader().loadBlurImage(albumArtBackgroundView, null, true, false);
-            getImageLoader().loadImage(albumArtImageView, null, true, false);
+            setAlbumArt(null, false);
             setSubtitle(null);
         }
     }
@@ -942,11 +939,20 @@ public class NowPlayingFragment extends SubsonicFragment implements OnGestureLis
         }
     }
 
+    private void setAlbumArt(Entry song, Boolean crossfade) {
+        getImageLoader().loadImage(albumArtImageView, song, true, crossfade);
+        if (Util.getPreferences(context).getBoolean(Constants.PREFERENCES_KEY_BLURRED_BACKGROUND, true)) {
+            albumArtBackgroundView.setVisibility(ImageView.VISIBLE);
+            getImageLoader().loadBlurImage(albumArtBackgroundView, song, true, crossfade);
+        } else {
+            albumArtBackgroundView.setVisibility(ImageView.GONE);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void onMetadataUpdate(Entry song, int fieldChange) {
         if (song != null && albumArtImageView != null && fieldChange == DownloadService.METADATA_UPDATED_COVER_ART) {
-            getImageLoader().loadBlurImage(albumArtBackgroundView, song, true, true);
-            getImageLoader().loadImage(albumArtImageView, song, true, true);
+            setAlbumArt(song, true);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/util/Constants.java b/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/util/Constants.java
index 5e4ac90..e1b6509 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/util/Constants.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/net/nullsum/audinaut/util/Constants.java
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public final class Constants {
     // public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_PLAY_NOW_AFTER = "playNowAfter";
     public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_SONG_PRESS_ACTION = "songPressAction";
     public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_LARGE_ALBUM_ART = "largeAlbumArt";
+    public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_BLURRED_BACKGROUND = "blurredBackground";
     public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_PLAYLIST_NAME = "suggestedPlaylistName";
     public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_PLAYLIST_ID = "suggestedPlaylistId";
     public static final String PREFERENCES_KEY_RECENT_COUNT = "mostRecentCount";
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index fcd54f0..c995381 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@
     <string name="settings.song_press_play_last">Adds song to end of Now Playing Queue</string>
     <string name="settings.large_album_art">Large Album Art</string>
     <string name="settings.large_album_art_summary">Display albums with large album art instead of in a list</string>
+    <string name="settings.blurred_background">Blurred Background</string>
+    <string name="settings.blurred_background_summary">Display blurred album art in the background of the now playing screen</string>
     <string name="settings.replay_gain">Replay Gain</string>
     <string name="settings.replay_gain_summary">Whether or not to scale playback volume by track and album replay gain tags</string>
     <string name="settings.replay_gain_type">Read from tags</string>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/settings_appearance.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/settings_appearance.xml
index b232341..a15deb5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/settings_appearance.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/settings_appearance.xml
@@ -49,5 +49,11 @@
             android:key="largeAlbumArt"
             android:summary="@string/settings.large_album_art_summary"
             android:title="@string/settings.large_album_art" />
+
+        <CheckBoxPreference
+            android:defaultValue="true"
+            android:key="blurredBackground"
+            android:summary="@string/settings.blurred_background_summary"
+            android:title="@string/settings.blurred_background" />
     </PreferenceCategory>
 </PreferenceScreen>