diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 06a585c8..d2bd7f5d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ anathema-testutils = { path = "anathema-testutils" }
 default = []
 profile = ["anathema-runtime/profile", "anathema-widgets/profile", "anathema-backend/profile"]
 serde = ["anathema-state/serde", "anathema-store/serde"]
+osc = ["anathema-backend/osc"]
 # filelog = ["anathema-debug/filelog", "anathema-widgets/filelog", "anathema-runtime/filelog"]
 
 [lints]
diff --git a/anathema-backend/Cargo.toml b/anathema-backend/Cargo.toml
index 7721c76a..e41ee831 100644
--- a/anathema-backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/anathema-backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ puffin = { version = "0.19.1", optional = true }
 [features]
 default = []
 profile = ["puffin"]
+osc = []
 
 [lints]
 workspace = true
diff --git a/anathema-backend/src/tui/commands.rs b/anathema-backend/src/tui/commands.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3ad1dc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/anathema-backend/src/tui/commands.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+use std::fmt;
+
+use anathema_state::Color;
+use crossterm::Command;
+
+/// A command that sets the the background color of the entire terminal using OSC 11.
+/// This might not work on all terminals. When it is not supported it will do nothing.
+///
+/// # Notes
+///
+/// Commands must be executed/queued for execution otherwise they do nothing.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct SetTerminalBackground(pub Color);
+
+impl Command for SetTerminalBackground {
+    fn write_ansi(&self, f: &mut impl fmt::Write) -> fmt::Result {
+        if let Color::Rgb(r, g, b) = self.0 {
+            // OSC 11 format for RGB is 'rgb:RR/GG/BB' in hexadecimal format
+            return write!(f, "\x1b]11;rgb:{:02x}/{:02x}/{:02x}\x07", r, g, b);
+        } else if let Color::AnsiVal(_) = self.0 {
+            // Ansi values are not supported by OSC 11
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            write!(f, "\x1b]11;{}\x07", self.0)
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    fn execute_winapi(&self) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// A command that resets the the background color with OSC 111.
+///
+/// # Notes
+///
+/// Commands must be executed/queued for execution otherwise they do nothing.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct ResetTerminalBackground();
+
+impl Command for ResetTerminalBackground {
+    fn write_ansi(&self, f: &mut impl fmt::Write) -> fmt::Result {
+        // Some terminals require a ; at the end of the command
+        // to reset the background color, while some do not work with it.
+        let _ = write!(f, "\x1b]111\x07");
+        write!(f, "\x1b]111;\x07")
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    fn execute_winapi(&self) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/anathema-backend/src/tui/mod.rs b/anathema-backend/src/tui/mod.rs
index f0e10ab8..ee8657ab 100644
--- a/anathema-backend/src/tui/mod.rs
+++ b/anathema-backend/src/tui/mod.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ use std::ops::Add;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anathema_geometry::{LocalPos, Pos, Size};
+#[cfg(feature = "osc")]
+use anathema_state::Color;
 use anathema_value_resolver::AttributeStorage;
 use anathema_widgets::components::events::Event;
 pub use anathema_widgets::{Attributes, Style};
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ use self::events::Events;
 use crate::Backend;
 
 mod buffer;
+mod commands;
 /// Events
 pub mod events;
 mod screen;
@@ -144,6 +147,14 @@ impl TuiBackend {
         let _ = Screen::disable_raw_mode();
         self
     }
+
+    /// Set the background color of the terminal using OSC 11.
+    /// Might not work on all terminals. Ansi values (0-255) are not supported.
+    /// Use RGB or named colors.
+    #[cfg(feature = "osc")]
+    pub fn set_background_color(&mut self, color: Color) {
+        let _ = Screen::set_terminal_background_color(&mut self.output, color);
+    }
 }
 
 impl Backend for TuiBackend {
diff --git a/anathema-backend/src/tui/screen.rs b/anathema-backend/src/tui/screen.rs
index daa5d72a..8211ebb2 100644
--- a/anathema-backend/src/tui/screen.rs
+++ b/anathema-backend/src/tui/screen.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::io::{Result, Write};
 
 use anathema_geometry::{Pos, Size};
+use anathema_state::Color;
 use anathema_value_resolver::Attributes;
 use anathema_widgets::paint::Glyph;
 use anathema_widgets::{GlyphMap, Style, WidgetRenderer};
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ use crossterm::event::EnableMouseCapture;
 use crossterm::terminal::{EnterAlternateScreen, LeaveAlternateScreen, disable_raw_mode, enable_raw_mode};
 use crossterm::{ExecutableCommand, QueueableCommand, cursor};
 
+use super::commands::{ResetTerminalBackground, SetTerminalBackground};
+
 use super::LocalPos;
 use super::buffer::{Buffer, Change, diff, draw_changes};
 
@@ -105,6 +108,12 @@ impl Screen {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Set Terminal background color
+    pub fn set_terminal_background_color(mut output: impl Write, color: Color) -> Result<()> {
+        output.queue(SetTerminalBackground(color))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Enter an alternative screen.
     /// When using this with stdout it means the output will not persist once the program exits.
     pub fn enter_alt_screen(mut output: impl Write) -> Result<()> {
@@ -134,6 +143,7 @@ impl Screen {
         #[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
         output.execute(crossterm::event::DisableMouseCapture)?;
         output.execute(cursor::Show)?;
+        output.execute(ResetTerminalBackground())?;
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/examples/terminal_background.rs b/examples/terminal_background.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc523b8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/terminal_background.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+use std::fs::read_to_string;
+
+use anathema::backend::Backend;
+use anathema::backend::tui::TuiBackend;
+use anathema::runtime::Runtime;
+use anathema::state::Color;
+use anathema::templates::{Document, ToSourceKind};
+
+fn main() {
+    let template = read_to_string("examples/templates/basic/basic.aml").unwrap();
+
+    let doc = Document::new("@index");
+
+    let mut backend = TuiBackend::builder()
+        .enable_alt_screen()
+        .enable_raw_mode()
+        .hide_cursor()
+        .finish()
+        .unwrap();
+    backend.finalize();
+
+    // This is not set on the builder as it can be called at any time
+    // to change the background color of the terminal.
+    backend.set_background_color(Color::Rgb(135, 105, 20));
+
+    let mut builder = Runtime::builder(doc, &backend);
+    builder.template("index", template.to_template()).unwrap();
+    let _ = builder.finish(&mut backend, |runtime, backend| runtime.run(backend));
+}