diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index accc571..f9f03b0 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "pathtraverser.h"
 #include "overlay.h"
 #include <QApplication>
+#include <QRegularExpression>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sys/file.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -35,15 +36,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   bool fitAspectAxisToWindow = false;
   std::string valid_aspects = "alp"; // all, landscape, portait
   std::string overlay = "";
+  QString overlayHexRGB = QString();
+  QRegularExpression hexRGBMatcher("^#([0-9A-Fa-f]{3}){1,2}$");
   int debugInt = 0;
   int stretchInt = 0;
   static struct option long_options[] =
   {
-    {"verbose", no_argument,       &debugInt, 1},
-    {"stretch", no_argument,       &stretchInt, 1},
+    {"verbose",       no_argument,       &debugInt,   1},
+    {"stretch",       no_argument,       &stretchInt, 1},
+    {"overlay-color", required_argument, 0,           'c'},
   };
   int option_index = 0;
-  while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "b:p:t:o:O:a:rsSv", long_options, &option_index)) != -1) {
+  while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "b:p:t:o:O:c:a:rsSv", long_options, &option_index)) != -1) {
     switch (opt) {
       case 0:
           /* If this option set a flag, do nothing else now. */
@@ -85,6 +89,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       case 'O':
         overlay = optarg;
         break;
+      case 'c':
+        overlayHexRGB = QString::fromStdString(optarg);
+        break;
       case 'v':
         debugMode = true;
         break;
@@ -109,6 +116,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     return 1;
   }
 
+  if (!overlayHexRGB.isEmpty())
+  {
+    if(!hexRGBMatcher.match(overlayHexRGB).hasMatch())
+    {
+      std::cout << "Error: hex rgb string expected. e.g. #FFFFFF or #FFF" << std::endl;
+      return 1;
+    }
+    w.setOverlayHexRGB(overlayHexRGB);
+  }
+
   std::unique_ptr<PathTraverser> pathTraverser;
   if (recursive)
   {
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 61f2f94..752ffd4 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ void MainWindow::updateImage(bool immediately)
 void MainWindow::drawText(QPixmap& image, int margin, int fontsize, QString text, int alignment) {
   //std::cout << "text: " << text.toStdString()  << " margin: " << margin << " fontsize: " << fontsize<< std::endl;
   QPainter pt(&image);
-  pt.setPen(QPen(Qt::white));
+  pt.setPen(QPen(QColor(overlayHexRGB)));
   pt.setFont(QFont("Sans", fontsize, QFont::Bold));
   QRect marginRect = image.rect().adjusted(
       margin,
@@ -337,6 +337,11 @@ void MainWindow::setBackgroundOpacity(unsigned int backgroundOpacity)
     this->backgroundOpacity = backgroundOpacity;
 }
 
+void MainWindow::setOverlayHexRGB(QString overlayHexRGB)
+{
+    this->overlayHexRGB = overlayHexRGB;
+}
+
 void MainWindow::warn(std::string text)
 {
   QLabel *label = this->findChild<QLabel*>("image");
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.h b/src/mainwindow.h
index 42eaa04..bcd4225 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.h
+++ b/src/mainwindow.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public:
     void setAspect(char aspectIn);
     void setDebugMode(bool debugModeIn) {debugMode = debugModeIn;}
     void setFitAspectAxisToWindow(bool fitAspectAxisToWindowIn) { fitAspectAxisToWindow = fitAspectAxisToWindowIn; }
+    void setOverlayHexRGB(QString overlayHexRGB);
 private:
     Ui::MainWindow *ui;
 
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ private:
     char aspect = 'a';
     bool debugMode = false;
     bool fitAspectAxisToWindow = false;
+    QString overlayHexRGB;
 
     Overlay* overlay;