diff --git a/src/backend/backend.h b/src/backend/backend.h
index 2acdb01..8b56188 100644
--- a/src/backend/backend.h
+++ b/src/backend/backend.h
@@ -543,6 +543,18 @@ typedef struct WMBackend {
     void (*workspace_badge_update)(WScreen *scr, WNativeWindow badge_win,
                                    RImage *img);
 
+    /*
+     * Capture the background behind the workspace badge for the fade effect.
+     *
+     * X11: RGetXImage + RCreateImageFromXImage on the root window.
+     * Wayland: returns a solid dark RImage (no screen capture needed).
+     *
+     * Returns an RImage* owned by the caller (must be freed with RReleaseImage).
+     * Returns NULL on failure.
+     */
+    RImage *(*workspace_badge_get_background)(WScreen *scr, int x, int y,
+                                              int width, int height);
+
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
     /* Server grab  (Phase 11)                                            */
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
diff --git a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
index 6c04d94..2d3ec5a 100644
--- a/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/wayland/wl_backend.c
@@ -7076,6 +7076,33 @@ wl_screen_create_internals(WScreen *scr)
     /* Wayland has no X11-style window border; force to 0 so policy code
      * does not offset client positions by a non-existent border. */
     scr->frame_border_width = 0;
+
+    /* Create workspace name badge overlay (initially 10x10, resized on use) */
+    if (wl_state.scene) {
+        struct wl_frame_buf *fb = wmalloc(sizeof(*fb));
+        memset(fb, 0, sizeof(*fb));
+        fb->image = pixman_image_create_bits(PIXMAN_a8r8g8b8, 10, 10, NULL, 0);
+        if (fb->image) {
+            wlr_buffer_init(&fb->base, &frame_buf_impl, 10, 10);
+            fb->id = wl_state.next_synthetic_id++;
+            fb->width = 10;
+            fb->height = 10;
+            struct wlr_scene_tree *parent = wl_state.level_trees[WL_LAYER_OVERLAY]
+                ? wl_state.level_trees[WL_LAYER_OVERLAY] : &wl_state.scene->tree;
+            fb->tree = wlr_scene_tree_create(parent);
+            if (fb->tree) {
+                fb->scene_buf = wlr_scene_buffer_create(fb->tree, &fb->base);
+                if (fb->scene_buf)
+                    wlr_scene_node_set_enabled(&fb->scene_buf->node, false);
+                wlr_scene_node_set_enabled(&fb->tree->node, false);
+            }
+            wl_list_insert(&wl_state.frame_list, &fb->link);
+            W_RegisterBacking(fb->id, fb->image);
+            scr->workspace_name = fb->id;
+        } else {
+            wfree(fb);
+        }
+    }
 }
 static void wl_screen_create_pixmaps(WScreen *scr) { (void)scr; }
 static void
@@ -7147,11 +7174,106 @@ static RImage *
 wl_workspace_badge_render(WScreen *scr, WNativeWindow badge_win,
                           const char *name, int name_len,
                           int width, int height)
-{ (void)scr; (void)badge_win; (void)name; (void)name_len; (void)width; (void)height; return NULL; }
+{
+    struct wl_frame_buf *fb = frame_buf_find(badge_win);
+    if (!fb) return NULL;
+
+    /* Resize pixman buffer if needed */
+    if (width > 0 && height > 0 && (width != fb->width || height != fb->height)) {
+        W_UnregisterBacking(fb->id);
+        pixman_image_unref(fb->image);
+        fb->image = pixman_image_create_bits(PIXMAN_a8r8g8b8, width, height, NULL, 0);
+        if (!fb->image) return NULL;
+        fb->width = width;
+        fb->height = height;
+        fb->base.width = width;
+        fb->base.height = height;
+        W_RegisterBacking(fb->id, fb->image);
+    }
+
+    /* Fill black */
+    pixman_image_t *black_fill = pixman_image_create_bits(PIXMAN_a8r8g8b8, width, height, NULL, 0);
+    if (black_fill) {
+        uint32_t *data = pixman_image_get_data(black_fill);
+        for (int i = 0; i < width * height; i++)
+            data[i] = 0xFF000000;
+        pixman_image_composite32(PIXMAN_OP_SRC, black_fill, NULL, fb->image,
+                                 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, width, height);
+        pixman_image_unref(black_fill);
+    }
+
+    /* Draw text (shadow passes + final) */
+    for (int x = 0; x <= 4; x++)
+        for (int y = 0; y <= 4; y++)
+            WMDrawString(scr->wmscreen, (WMDrawable)badge_win, scr->white,
+                         scr->workspace_name_font, x, y, name, name_len);
+
+    /* Clear and redraw final text centered */
+    uint32_t *px = pixman_image_get_data(fb->image);
+    for (int i = 0; i < width * height; i++)
+        px[i] = 0xFF000000;
+    WMDrawString(scr->wmscreen, (WMDrawable)badge_win, scr->white,
+                 scr->workspace_name_font, 2, 2, name, name_len);
+
+    /* Update scene buffer */
+    if (fb->scene_buf)
+        wlr_scene_buffer_set_buffer(fb->scene_buf, &fb->base);
+
+    /* Return RImage copy for fade animation */
+    RImage *result = RCreateImage(width, height, False);
+    if (result) {
+        uint32_t *src = pixman_image_get_data(fb->image);
+        for (int i = 0; i < width * height; i++) {
+            uint32_t p = src[i];
+            result->data[i * 3 + 0] = (p >> 16) & 0xFF; /* R */
+            result->data[i * 3 + 1] = (p >> 8) & 0xFF;  /* G */
+            result->data[i * 3 + 2] = p & 0xFF;         /* B */
+        }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+static RImage *
+wl_workspace_badge_get_background(WScreen *scr, int x, int y, int width, int height)
+{
+    (void)scr; (void)x; (void)y;
+    RImage *img = RCreateImage(width, height, False);
+    if (img)
+        memset(img->data, 8, width * height * 3);
+    return img;
+}
 
 static void
 wl_workspace_badge_update(WScreen *scr, WNativeWindow badge_win, RImage *img)
-{ (void)scr; (void)badge_win; (void)img; }
+{
+    (void)scr;
+    if (!img) return;
+    struct wl_frame_buf *fb = frame_buf_find(badge_win);
+    if (!fb || !fb->image) return;
+
+    int w = img->width;
+    int h = img->height;
+    if (w > fb->width) w = fb->width;
+    if (h > fb->height) h = fb->height;
+
+    /* Blit RImage (RGB or RGBA) into pixman ARGB32 buffer */
+    uint32_t *dst = pixman_image_get_data(fb->image);
+    int bpp = img->format == RRGBAFormat ? 4 : 3;
+    for (int y = 0; y < h; y++) {
+        for (int x = 0; x < w; x++) {
+            int si = (y * img->width + x) * bpp;
+            uint8_t r = img->data[si];
+            uint8_t g = img->data[si + 1];
+            uint8_t b = img->data[si + 2];
+            dst[y * fb->width + x] = 0xFF000000 | (r << 16) | (g << 8) | b;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (fb->scene_buf)
+        wlr_scene_buffer_set_buffer(fb->scene_buf, &fb->base);
+    if (wl_state.output)
+        wlr_output_schedule_frame(wl_state.output);
+}
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 /* XKB                                                                 */
@@ -8329,6 +8451,7 @@ const WMBackend wl_backend = {
 
     .workspace_badge_render = wl_workspace_badge_render,
     .workspace_badge_update = wl_workspace_badge_update,
+    .workspace_badge_get_background = wl_workspace_badge_get_background,
 
     .keysym_to_keycode      = wl_keysym_to_keycode,
     .keysym_from_keycode    = wl_keysym_from_keycode,
diff --git a/src/backend/x11/x11_backend.c b/src/backend/x11/x11_backend.c
index 665d3ba..8095d31 100644
--- a/src/backend/x11/x11_backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/x11/x11_backend.c
@@ -718,6 +718,17 @@ x11_workspace_badge_update(WScreen *scr, WNativeWindow badge_win, RImage *img)
     XFlush(dpy);
 }
 
+static RImage *
+x11_workspace_badge_get_background(WScreen *scr, int x, int y, int width, int height)
+{
+    RXImage *ximg = RGetXImage(scr->rcontext, scr->root_win, x, y, width, height);
+    if (!ximg)
+        return NULL;
+    RImage *result = RCreateImageFromXImage(scr->rcontext, ximg->image, NULL);
+    RDestroyXImage(scr->rcontext, ximg);
+    return result;
+}
+
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* Keyboard grab                                                          */
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -4258,6 +4269,7 @@ const WMBackend x11_backend = {
     .pointer_query_full    = x11_pointer_query_full,
     .workspace_badge_render = x11_workspace_badge_render,
     .workspace_badge_update = x11_workspace_badge_update,
+    .workspace_badge_get_background = x11_workspace_badge_get_background,
     .keyboard_grab         = x11_keyboard_grab,
     .keyboard_ungrab       = x11_keyboard_ungrab,
     .keysym_to_keycode     = x11_keysym_to_keycode,
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index 7901e5d..c8e0898 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -244,7 +244,6 @@ static void hideWorkspaceName(void *data)
 static void showWorkspaceName(WScreen * scr, int workspace)
 {
 	WorkspaceNameData *data;
-	RXImage *ximg;
 	int w, h;
 	int px, py;
 	char *name = scr->workspaces[workspace]->name;
@@ -330,15 +329,12 @@ static void showWorkspaceName(WScreen * scr, int workspace)
 		goto erro;
 	}
 
-	ximg = RGetXImage(scr->rcontext, scr->root_win, px, py, data->text->width, data->text->height);
-	if (!ximg)
-		goto erro;
-
 	wm_backend->window_map_raised(scr->workspace_name);
 	wm_backend->event_flush();
 
-	data->back = RCreateImageFromXImage(scr->rcontext, ximg->image, NULL);
-	RDestroyXImage(scr->rcontext, ximg);
+	data->back = wm_backend->workspace_badge_get_background(scr, px, py,
+	                                                         data->text->width,
+	                                                         data->text->height);
 
 	if (!data->back) {
 		goto erro;