diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 608d7a2..eed9c1b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ qt_add_executable(SagoImageBrowser
     src/thumbnailworker.cpp
     src/thumbnailworker.h
     src/imageviewwidget.cpp
-    src/imageviewwidget.h
-)
+    src/imageviewwidget.h    src/preferencesdialog.cpp
+    src/preferencesdialog.h)
 
 target_link_libraries(SagoImageBrowser PRIVATE Qt6::Widgets)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/imageviewwidget.cpp b/src/imageviewwidget.cpp
index f09ed6a..f11b721 100644
--- a/src/imageviewwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/imageviewwidget.cpp
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 #include <QMouseEvent>
 #include <QImageReader>
+#include <QPalette>
 #include <algorithm>
 
 ImageViewWidget::ImageViewWidget(QWidget *parent)
     : QWidget(parent)
 {
     setFocusPolicy(Qt::StrongFocus);
-    setStyleSheet("background-color: black;");
+    setAutoFillBackground(true);
+    setBackgroundColor("black");
 }
 
 void ImageViewWidget::setImage(const QString &path)
@@ -30,6 +32,15 @@ void ImageViewWidget::setImage(const QString &path)
     update();
 }
 
+void ImageViewWidget::setBackgroundColor(const QString &color)
+{
+    m_backgroundColor = color;
+    QPalette pal = palette();
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::Window, QColor(color));
+    setPalette(pal);
+    update();
+}
+
 void ImageViewWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *)
 {
     if (m_pixmap.isNull())
diff --git a/src/imageviewwidget.h b/src/imageviewwidget.h
index bc0da7b..518591e 100644
--- a/src/imageviewwidget.h
+++ b/src/imageviewwidget.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ public:
     explicit ImageViewWidget(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
 
     void setImage(const QString &path);
+    void setBackgroundColor(const QString &color);
     void zoomIn();
     void zoomOut();
     void zoomOriginal();
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ private:
     QPixmap m_pixmap;
     ZoomMode m_zoomMode = FitToScreen;
     double m_zoomFactor = 1.0;
+    QString m_backgroundColor = "black";
 
     // Panning state
     QPoint m_offset;        // current pan offset (pixels)
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 5b4ddce..2c57a0c 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "mainwindow.h"
 #include "imagemodel.h"
 #include "imageviewwidget.h"
+#include "preferencesdialog.h"
 
 #include <QFileSystemModel>
 #include <QTreeView>
@@ -20,13 +21,19 @@
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 #include <QCloseEvent>
 #include <QItemSelectionModel>
+#include <QMenuBar>
+#include <QMenu>
+#include <QAction>
+#include <QSettings>
 #include <iostream>
 
 MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
     : QMainWindow(parent)
 {
     setupUi();
+    setupMenuBar();
     setupConnections();
+    loadPreferences();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::setupUi()
@@ -101,6 +108,13 @@ void MainWindow::setupUi()
     setCentralWidget(m_stack);
 }
 
+void MainWindow::setupMenuBar()
+{
+    QMenu *editMenu = menuBar()->addMenu("&Edit");
+    QAction *preferencesAction = editMenu->addAction("&Preferences");
+    connect(preferencesAction, &QAction::triggered, this, &MainWindow::onPreferencesTriggered);
+}
+
 void MainWindow::setupConnections()
 {
     connect(m_rootCombo, QOverload<int>::of(&QComboBox::currentIndexChanged), this,
@@ -229,6 +243,7 @@ void MainWindow::enterSingleImageMode(const QModelIndex &index)
     m_wasFullScreen = isFullScreen();
     m_wasMaximized = isMaximized();
 
+    m_imageView->setBackgroundColor(m_backgroundColorPreference);
     QString path = m_imageModel->filePath(index);
     m_imageView->setImage(path);
     m_stack->setCurrentWidget(m_imageView);
@@ -304,5 +319,32 @@ void MainWindow::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event)
         return;
     }
 
+    savePreferences();
     QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
 }
+
+void MainWindow::loadPreferences()
+{
+    QSettings settings("SagoImageBrowser", "SagoImageBrowser");
+    m_backgroundColorPreference = settings.value("backgroundColor", "black").toString();
+    m_imageView->setBackgroundColor(m_backgroundColorPreference);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::savePreferences()
+{
+    QSettings settings("SagoImageBrowser", "SagoImageBrowser");
+    settings.setValue("backgroundColor", m_backgroundColorPreference);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::onPreferencesTriggered()
+{
+    PreferencesDialog dialog(this);
+    dialog.setBackgroundColor(m_backgroundColorPreference);
+
+    if (dialog.exec() == QDialog::Accepted)
+    {
+        m_backgroundColorPreference = dialog.getBackgroundColor();
+        m_imageView->setBackgroundColor(m_backgroundColorPreference);
+        savePreferences();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.h b/src/mainwindow.h
index f30382c..6ae5c8a 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.h
+++ b/src/mainwindow.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class QFileSystemModel;
 class QComboBox;
 class ImageModel;
 class ImageViewWidget;
+class PreferencesDialog;
 
 class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
 {
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ public:
 private:
     void setupUi();
     void setupConnections();
+    void setupMenuBar();
+    void loadPreferences();
+    void savePreferences();
+    void onPreferencesTriggered();
     void loadVisibleThumbnails();
     void showPreview(const QModelIndex &index);
     void enterSingleImageMode(const QModelIndex &index);
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@ private:
     QLabel *m_previewLabel;
 
     QStackedWidget *m_stack;
+    QString m_backgroundColorPreference = "black";
     QWidget *m_browserPage;
     ImageViewWidget *m_imageView;
     bool m_wasFullScreen = false;