diff --git a/include/main.h b/include/main.h
index 7f51e92..34c1386 100644
--- a/include/main.h
+++ b/include/main.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
 
 #define MDP_VER_MAJOR 1
 #define MDP_VER_MINOR 0
-#define MDP_VER_REVISION 14
+#define MDP_VER_REVISION 15
 
 #endif // !defined( MAIN_H )
diff --git a/include/viewer.h b/include/viewer.h
index 1405e07..1b2b509 100644
--- a/include/viewer.h
+++ b/include/viewer.h
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@
 #define FADE_DELAY 15000 // micro seconds
 #define GOTO_SLIDE_DELAY 5    // tenths of seconds
 
-int ncurses_display(deck_t *deck, int notrans, int nofade, int invert, int reload, int noreload, int slidenum);
-void add_line(WINDOW *window, int y, int x, line_t *line, int max_cols, int colors);
-void inline_display(WINDOW *window, const wchar_t *c, const int colors);
+int ncurses_display(deck_t *deck, int notrans, int nofade, int invert, int reload, int noreload, int slidenum, int nocodebg);
+void add_line(WINDOW *window, int y, int x, line_t *line, int max_cols, int colors, int nocodebg);
+void inline_display(WINDOW *window, const wchar_t *c, const int colors, int nocodebg);
 void fade_out(WINDOW *window, int trans, int colors, int invert);
 void fade_in(WINDOW *window, int trans, int colors, int invert);
 int int_length (int val);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index f9d554f..3279400 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     fprintf(stderr, "%s", "  -s, --noslidenum  do not show slide number at the bottom\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "%s", "  -v, --version     display the version number and license\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "%s", "  -x, --noslidemax  show slide number, but not total number of slides\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s", "  -c, --nocodebg    don't change the background color of code blocks\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "%s", "\nWith no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.\n\n");
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@
     int reload = 0;    // reload page N (0 means no reload)
     int noreload = 1;  // reload disabled until we know input is a file
     int slidenum = 2;  // 0:don't show; 1:show #; 2:show #/#
+    int nocodebg = 0;  // 0:show code bg as inverted; 1: don't invert code bg
 
     // define command-line options
     struct option longopts[] = {
@@ -73,12 +75,13 @@
         { "version",    no_argument, 0, 'v' },
         { "noslidenum", no_argument, 0, 's' },
         { "noslidemax", no_argument, 0, 'x' },
+        { "nocodebg",   no_argument, 0, 'c' },
         { 0, 0, 0, 0 }
     };
 
     // parse command-line options
     int opt, debug = 0;
-    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, ":defhitvsx", longopts, NULL)) != -1) {
+    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, ":defhitvsxc", longopts, NULL)) != -1) {
         switch(opt) {
             case 'd': debug += 1;   break;
             case 'e': noexpand = 0; break;
@@ -89,6 +92,7 @@
             case 'v': version();    break;
             case 's': slidenum = 0; break;
             case 'x': slidenum = 1; break;
+            case 'c': nocodebg = 1; break;
             case ':': fprintf(stderr, "%s: '%c' requires an argument\n", argv[0], optopt); usage(); break;
             case '?':
             default : fprintf(stderr, "%s: option '%c' is invalid\n", argv[0], optopt); usage(); break;
@@ -163,7 +167,7 @@
             markdown_debug(deck, debug);
         }
 
-        reload = ncurses_display(deck, notrans, nofade, invert, reload, noreload, slidenum);
+        reload = ncurses_display(deck, notrans, nofade, invert, reload, noreload, slidenum, nocodebg);
 
         free_deck(deck);
 
diff --git a/src/viewer.c b/src/viewer.c
index 2cf5911..1a3ac00 100644
--- a/src/viewer.c
+++ b/src/viewer.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 static const char *list_head2 = " +- ";
 static const char *list_head3 = " +- ";
 
-int ncurses_display(deck_t *deck, int notrans, int nofade, int invert, int reload, int noreload, int slidenum) {
+int ncurses_display(deck_t *deck, int notrans, int nofade, int invert, int reload, int noreload, int slidenum, int nocodebg) {
 
     int c = 0;                // char
     int i = 0;                // iterate
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
         // print lines
         while(line) {
             add_line(content, l + ((LINES - slide->lines_consumed - bar_top - bar_bottom) / 2),
-                     (COLS - max_cols) / 2, line, max_cols, colors);
+                     (COLS - max_cols) / 2, line, max_cols, colors, nocodebg);
 
             // raise stop counter if we pass a line having a stop bit
             if(CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_STOP))
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@
     }
 }
 
-void add_line(WINDOW *window, int y, int x, line_t *line, int max_cols, int colors) {
+void add_line(WINDOW *window, int y, int x, line_t *line, int max_cols, int colors, int nocodebg) {
 
     int i; // increment
     int offset = 0; // text offset
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@
 
         // fill rest off line with spaces if we are in a code block
         if(CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_CODE) && colors) {
-            if(colors)
+            if(colors && !nocodebg)
                 wattron(window, COLOR_PAIR(CP_BLACK));
             for(i = getcurx(window) - x; i < max_cols; i++)
                 wprintw(window, "%s", " ");
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@
                 "%s", prompt);
 
         if(!CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_CODE))
-            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors);
+            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors, nocodebg);
 
     // IS_UNORDERED_LIST_2
     } else if(CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_UNORDERED_LIST_2)) {
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@
                 "%s", prompt);
 
         if(!CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_CODE))
-            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors);
+            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors, nocodebg);
 
     // IS_UNORDERED_LIST_1
     } else if(CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_UNORDERED_LIST_1)) {
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@
                 "%s", prompt);
 
         if(!CHECK_BIT(line->bits, IS_CODE))
-            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors);
+            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors, nocodebg);
     }
 
     // IS_CODE
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@
         }
 
         // reverse color for code blocks
-        if(colors)
+        if(colors && !nocodebg)
             wattron(window, COLOR_PAIR(CP_BLACK));
 
         // print whole lines
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@
                     offset = next_word(line->text, offset);
             }
 
-            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors);
+            inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors, nocodebg);
         } else {
 
             // IS_CENTER
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@
             // no line-wide markdown
             } else {
 
-                inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors);
+                inline_display(window, &line->text->value[offset], colors, nocodebg);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@
     wattroff(window, A_UNDERLINE);
 }
 
-void inline_display(WINDOW *window, const wchar_t *c, const int colors) {
+void inline_display(WINDOW *window, const wchar_t *c, const int colors, int nocodebg) {
     const static wchar_t *special = L"\\*_`!["; // list of interpreted chars
     const wchar_t *i = c; // iterator
     const wchar_t *start_link_name, *start_url;
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@
                             break;
                         // enable inline code
                         case L'`':
-                            if(colors)
+                            if(colors && !nocodebg)
                                 wattron(window, COLOR_PAIR(CP_BLACK));
                             break;
                         // do nothing for backslashes