diff --git a/home-manager/fred.nix b/home-manager/fred.nix
index 99901ee..cca79fc 100644
--- a/home-manager/fred.nix
+++ b/home-manager/fred.nix
@@ -138,7 +138,9 @@ in
       window-padding-x = 10;
       window-padding-y = 10;
       window-padding-balance = true;
-      background-opacity = 0.98;
+      # Hyprland blurs windows too (decoration.blur), so the desktop behind
+      # a terminal comes through softened rather than as readable detail.
+      background-opacity = 0.85;
       confirm-close-surface = false;
       gtk-titlebar = false;
       gtk-single-instance = true;