diff --git a/sc2/src/sc2code/comm.c b/sc2/src/sc2code/comm.c
index 7b8e22fd7..04b9656ee 100644
--- a/sc2/src/sc2code/comm.c
+++ b/sc2/src/sc2code/comm.c
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ static int subtitle_state = DONE_SUBTITLE;
 static Mutex subtitle_mutex;
 int do_subtitles (UNICODE *pStr);
 
+static UNICODE *last_subtitle;
+static TFB_Image *subtitle_cache;
+
 /* _count_lines - mostly stolen from add_text, just sees how many lines
                   a given input string would take to display given the
                   line wrapping information */
@@ -172,12 +175,33 @@ add_text (int status, PTEXT pTextIn)
 	UNICODE ch, *pStr;
 	SIZE text_width;
 	int num_lines = 0;
-
+	static COORD last_baseline;
+	
 	BatchGraphics ();
 
 	maxchars = (COUNT)~0;
 	if (status == 1)
 	{
+		RECT r;
+		GetContextClipRect (&r);
+
+		if (last_subtitle == pTextIn->pStr)
+		{
+			// draws cached subtitle
+			TFB_DrawScreen_Image (subtitle_cache, r.corner.x, r.corner.y, 0, 0, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN);
+			UnbatchGraphics ();
+			return last_baseline;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// saves background to extra screen
+			TFB_DrawScreen_Copy (&r, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN, TFB_SCREEN_EXTRA);
+			// fills screen with transparent color
+			TFB_DrawScreen_Rect (&r, 0, 0, 255, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN);
+
+			last_subtitle = pTextIn->pStr;
+		}
+
 		text_width = CommData.AlienTextWidth;
 		SetContextFont (CommData.AlienFont);
 		GetContextFontLeading (&leading);
@@ -312,6 +336,21 @@ add_text (int status, PTEXT pTextIn)
 	} while ((ch = *pStr++) != '\0' && ch != '\n' && ch != '\r' && maxchars);
 	pText->pStr = pStr;
 
+	if (status == 1)
+	{
+		RECT r;
+		GetContextClipRect (&r);
+		
+		// copies subtitle to cache
+		TFB_DrawScreen_CopyToImage (subtitle_cache, &r, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN);
+		// restores background
+		TFB_DrawScreen_Copy (&r, TFB_SCREEN_EXTRA, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN);
+		// draws cached subtitle
+		TFB_DrawScreen_Image (subtitle_cache, r.corner.x, r.corner.y, 0, 0, TFB_SCREEN_MAIN);
+		
+		last_baseline = pText->baseline.y;
+	}
+
 	UnbatchGraphics ();
 	return (pText->baseline.y);
 }
@@ -479,8 +518,14 @@ xform_complete (void)
 void
 init_communication (void)
 {
+	TFB_Canvas canvas;
+
 	subtitle_mutex = CreateMutex ();
 	init_xform_control ();
+
+	canvas = TFB_DrawCanvas_New_TrueColor (ScreenWidth, ScreenHeight, FALSE);
+	subtitle_cache = TFB_DrawImage_New (canvas);
+	TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentColor (subtitle_cache->NormalImg, 0, 0, 255, TRUE);
 }
 
 void
@@ -488,6 +533,8 @@ uninit_communication (void)
 {
 	DestroyMutex (subtitle_mutex);
 	uninit_xform_control ();
+	TFB_DrawImage_Delete (subtitle_cache);
+	subtitle_cache = NULL;
 }
 
 static BOOLEAN ColorChange;
@@ -1997,7 +2044,9 @@ InitCommunication (RESOURCE which_comm)
 	COUNT status;
 	MEM_HANDLE hOldIndex, hIndex;
 	LOCDATAPTR LocDataPtr;
-	
+
+	last_subtitle = NULL;
+
 	SetSemaphore (GraphicsSem);
 
 	if (LastActivity & CHECK_LOAD)
diff --git a/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/sdl/canvas.c b/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/sdl/canvas.c
index efeb0517a..640ca2f7a 100644
--- a/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/sdl/canvas.c
+++ b/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/sdl/canvas.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ TFB_DrawCanvas_New_ScaleTarget (TFB_Canvas canvas, TFB_Canvas oldcanvas, int typ
 						src->format->Bmask,
 						src->format->Amask);
 			if (src->format->palette)
-				TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (newsurf, TFB_DrawCanvas_GetTransparentIndex (src));
+				TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (newsurf, TFB_DrawCanvas_GetTransparentIndex (src), FALSE);
 		}
 	}
 	else
@@ -312,11 +312,20 @@ TFB_DrawCanvas_GetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas)
 }
 
 void
-TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas, int index)
+TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas, int index, BOOLEAN rleaccel)
 {
 	if (index >= 0)
 	{
-		SDL_SetColorKey ((SDL_Surface *)canvas, SDL_SRCCOLORKEY, index); 
+		int flags = SDL_SRCCOLORKEY;
+		if (rleaccel)
+			flags |= SDL_RLEACCEL;
+		SDL_SetColorKey ((SDL_Surface *)canvas, flags, index);
+		
+		if (!TFB_DrawCanvas_IsPaletted (canvas))
+		{
+			// disables alpha channel so color key transparency actually works
+			SDL_SetAlpha ((SDL_Surface *)canvas, 0, 255); 
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -324,6 +333,21 @@ TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas, int index)
 	}		
 }
 
+void
+TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentColor (TFB_Canvas canvas, int r, int g, int b, BOOLEAN rleaccel)
+{
+	int flags = SDL_SRCCOLORKEY;
+	if (rleaccel)
+		flags |= SDL_RLEACCEL;
+	SDL_SetColorKey ((SDL_Surface *)canvas, flags, SDL_MapRGB (((SDL_Surface *)canvas)->format, r, g, b));
+	
+	if (!TFB_DrawCanvas_IsPaletted (canvas))
+	{
+		// disables alpha channel so color key transparency actually works
+		SDL_SetAlpha ((SDL_Surface *)canvas, 0, 255); 
+	}
+}
+
 void
 TFB_DrawCanvas_GetScaledExtent (TFB_Canvas src_canvas, TFB_Canvas src_mipmap, int scale, PEXTENT size)
 {
diff --git a/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/tfb_draw.h b/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/tfb_draw.h
index 196ebe920..7b1f2c46e 100644
--- a/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/tfb_draw.h
+++ b/sc2/src/sc2code/libs/graphics/tfb_draw.h
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ void TFB_DrawCanvas_FilledImage (TFB_Image *img, int x, int y, int scale, int r,
 TFB_Palette *TFB_DrawCanvas_ExtractPalette (TFB_Canvas canvas);
 void TFB_DrawCanvas_SetPalette (TFB_Canvas target, TFB_Palette *palette);
 int TFB_DrawCanvas_GetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas);
-void TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas, int i);
+void TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentIndex (TFB_Canvas canvas, int i, BOOLEAN rleaccel);
+void TFB_DrawCanvas_SetTransparentColor (TFB_Canvas canvas, int r, int g, int b, BOOLEAN rleaccel);
 void TFB_DrawCanvas_Initialize (void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/sc2/src/starcon2.c b/sc2/src/starcon2.c
index a39dee2ac..92824d01b 100644
--- a/sc2/src/starcon2.c
+++ b/sc2/src/starcon2.c
@@ -327,9 +327,9 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	GraphicsSem = CreateSemaphore (1, "Graphics");
 	RenderingCond = CreateCondVar ();
-	init_communication ();
 
 	TFB_InitGraphics (gfxdriver, gfxflags, width, height, bpp);
+	init_communication ();
 	if (gammaset) 
 		TFB_SetGamma (gamma);
 	TFB_InitSound (snddriver, soundflags);