diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_draw.c b/src/hardware/hw_draw.c
index 02608892e..6d4467439 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_draw.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_draw.c
@@ -705,6 +705,32 @@ void HWR_DrawConsoleBack(UINT32 color, INT32 height)
 	HWD.pfnDrawPolygon(&Surf, v, 4, PF_NoTexture|PF_Modulated|PF_Translucent|PF_NoDepthTest);
 }
 
+// Very similar to HWR_DrawConsoleBack, except we draw from the middle(-ish) of the screen to the bottom.
+void HWR_DrawTutorialBack(UINT32 color, INT32 boxheight)
+{
+	FOutVector  v[4];
+	FSurfaceInfo Surf;
+	INT32 height = (boxheight * 4) + (boxheight/2)*5; // 4 lines of space plus gaps between and some leeway
+
+	// setup some neat-o translucency effect
+
+	v[0].x = v[3].x = -1.0f;
+	v[2].x = v[1].x =  1.0f;
+	v[0].y = v[1].y =  -1.0f;
+	v[2].y = v[3].y =  -1.0f+((height<<1)/(float)vid.height);
+	v[0].z = v[1].z = v[2].z = v[3].z = 1.0f;
+
+	v[0].sow = v[3].sow = 0.0f;
+	v[2].sow = v[1].sow = 1.0f;
+	v[0].tow = v[1].tow = 1.0f;
+	v[2].tow = v[3].tow = 0.0f;
+
+	Surf.FlatColor.rgba = UINT2RGBA(color);
+	Surf.FlatColor.s.alpha = 0x80;
+
+	HWD.pfnDrawPolygon(&Surf, v, 4, PF_NoTexture|PF_Modulated|PF_Translucent|PF_NoDepthTest);
+}
+
 
 // ==========================================================================
 //                                                             R_DRAW.C STUFF
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_main.h b/src/hardware/hw_main.h
index 1ae2d8fc3..f25720d1e 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_main.h
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_main.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ void HWR_clearAutomap(void);
 void HWR_drawAMline(const fline_t *fl, INT32 color);
 void HWR_FadeScreenMenuBack(UINT16 color, UINT8 strength);
 void HWR_DrawConsoleBack(UINT32 color, INT32 height);
+void HWR_DrawTutorialBack(UINT32 color, INT32 boxheight);
 void HWR_RenderSkyboxView(INT32 viewnumber, player_t *player);
 void HWR_RenderPlayerView(INT32 viewnumber, player_t *player);
 void HWR_DrawViewBorder(INT32 clearlines);
diff --git a/src/v_video.c b/src/v_video.c
index a628b1a8b..f8d0b392c 100644
--- a/src/v_video.c
+++ b/src/v_video.c
@@ -1488,8 +1488,26 @@ void V_DrawTutorialBack(INT32 boxheight)
 	boxheight *= vid.dupy;
 
 #ifdef HWRENDER
-	if (rendermode != render_soft) // no support for OpenGL yet
+	if (rendermode != render_soft && rendermode != render_none)
+	{
+		UINT32 hwcolor;
+		switch (cons_backcolor.value)
+		{
+			case 0:		hwcolor = 0xffffff00;	break; // White
+			case 1:		hwcolor = 0x80808000;	break; // Gray
+			case 2:		hwcolor = 0x40201000;	break; // Brown
+			case 3:		hwcolor = 0xff000000;	break; // Red
+			case 4:		hwcolor = 0xff800000;	break; // Orange
+			case 5:		hwcolor = 0x80800000;	break; // Yellow
+			case 6:		hwcolor = 0x00800000;	break; // Green
+			case 7:		hwcolor = 0x0000ff00;	break; // Blue
+			case 8:		hwcolor = 0x4080ff00;	break; // Cyan
+			// Default green
+			default:	hwcolor = 0x00800000;	break;
+		}
+		HWR_DrawTutorialBack(hwcolor, boxheight);
 		return;
+	}
 #endif
 
 	// heavily simplified -- we don't need to know x or y position,