diff --git a/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs b/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
index cfa52ef13c..f000e3334c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Configuration
 
             // Gameplay
             Set(OsuSetting.DimLevel, 0.3, 0, 1, 0.01);
+            Set(OsuSetting.BlurLevel, 0, 0, 1, 0.01);
 
             Set(OsuSetting.ShowInterface, true);
             Set(OsuSetting.KeyOverlay, false);
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Configuration
         GameplayCursorSize,
         AutoCursorSize,
         DimLevel,
+        BlurLevel,
         ShowStoryboard,
         KeyOverlay,
         FloatingComments,
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/Sections/Gameplay/GeneralSettings.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/Sections/Gameplay/GeneralSettings.cs
index 6ce0157a9c..b60b0d9531 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/Sections/Gameplay/GeneralSettings.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/Settings/Sections/Gameplay/GeneralSettings.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays.Settings.Sections.Gameplay
                     Bindable = config.GetBindable<double>(OsuSetting.DimLevel),
                     KeyboardStep = 0.1f
                 },
+                new SettingsSlider<double>
+                {
+                    LabelText = "Background blur",
+                    Bindable = config.GetBindable<double>(OsuSetting.BlurLevel),
+                    KeyboardStep = 0.1f
+                },
                 new SettingsCheckbox
                 {
                     LabelText = "Show score overlay",
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
index dd76ac5421..1ce84289b2 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Transforms;
 using OpenTK;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds;
@@ -19,10 +20,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
 
         public WorkingBeatmap Beatmap
         {
-            get
-            {
-                return beatmap;
-            }
+            get { return beatmap; }
             set
             {
                 if (beatmap == value && beatmap != null)
@@ -56,11 +54,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
             Beatmap = beatmap;
         }
 
-        public void BlurTo(Vector2 sigma, double duration, Easing easing = Easing.None)
-        {
-            background?.BlurTo(sigma, duration, easing);
-            blurTarget = sigma;
-        }
+        public TransformSequence<Background> BlurTo(Vector2 sigma, double duration, Easing easing = Easing.None)
+            => background?.BlurTo(blurTarget = sigma, duration, easing);
 
         public override bool Equals(BackgroundScreen other)
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
index 87171ab561..c24b5e0d2a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ using osu.Game.Rulesets.Scoring;
 using osu.Game.Screens.Ranking;
 using osu.Framework.Audio.Sample;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
+using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Online.API;
 using osu.Game.Screens.Play.BreaksOverlay;
 using osu.Game.Storyboards.Drawables;
-using OpenTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 {
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         #region User Settings
 
         private Bindable<double> dimLevel;
+        private Bindable<double> blurLevel;
         private Bindable<bool> showStoryboard;
         private Bindable<bool> mouseWheelDisabled;
         private Bindable<double> userAudioOffset;
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             this.api = api;
 
             dimLevel = config.GetBindable<double>(OsuSetting.DimLevel);
+            blurLevel = config.GetBindable<double>(OsuSetting.BlurLevel);
             showStoryboard = config.GetBindable<bool>(OsuSetting.ShowStoryboard);
 
             mouseWheelDisabled = config.GetBindable<bool>(OsuSetting.MouseDisableWheel);
@@ -316,10 +318,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             if (!loadedSuccessfully)
                 return;
 
-            (Background as BackgroundScreenBeatmap)?.BlurTo(Vector2.Zero, 1000, Easing.OutQuint);
-
-            dimLevel.ValueChanged += dimLevel_ValueChanged;
-            showStoryboard.ValueChanged += showStoryboard_ValueChanged;
+            dimLevel.ValueChanged += _ => updateBackgroundElements();
+            blurLevel.ValueChanged += _ => updateBackgroundElements();
+            showStoryboard.ValueChanged += _ => updateBackgroundElements();
             updateBackgroundElements();
 
             Content.Alpha = 0;
@@ -375,14 +376,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             return true;
         }
 
-        private void dimLevel_ValueChanged(double newValue)
-            => updateBackgroundElements();
-
-        private void showStoryboard_ValueChanged(bool newValue)
-            => updateBackgroundElements();
-
         private void updateBackgroundElements()
         {
+            if (!IsCurrentScreen) return;
+
+            const float duration = 800;
+
             var opacity = 1 - (float)dimLevel;
 
             if (showStoryboard && storyboard == null)
@@ -391,17 +390,17 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             var beatmap = Beatmap.Value;
             var storyboardVisible = showStoryboard && beatmap.Storyboard.HasDrawable;
 
-            storyboardContainer.FadeColour(new Color4(opacity, opacity, opacity, 1), 800);
-            storyboardContainer.FadeTo(storyboardVisible && opacity > 0 ? 1 : 0);
+            storyboardContainer
+                .FadeColour(OsuColour.Gray(opacity), duration, Easing.OutQuint)
+                .FadeTo(storyboardVisible && opacity > 0 ? 1 : 0, duration, Easing.OutQuint);
 
-            Background?.FadeTo(!storyboardVisible || beatmap.Background == null ? opacity : 0, 800, Easing.OutQuint);
+            (Background as BackgroundScreenBeatmap)?
+                .BlurTo(new Vector2((float)blurLevel.Value * 25), duration, Easing.OutQuint)?
+                .FadeTo(!storyboardVisible || beatmap.Background == null ? opacity : 0, duration, Easing.OutQuint);
         }
 
         private void fadeOut()
         {
-            dimLevel.ValueChanged -= dimLevel_ValueChanged;
-            showStoryboard.ValueChanged -= showStoryboard_ValueChanged;
-
             const float fade_out_duration = 250;
 
             RulesetContainer?.FadeOut(fade_out_duration);