diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/IdeEventQueue.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/IdeEventQueue.java
index 04a846720111..3b4af6f50194 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/IdeEventQueue.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/IdeEventQueue.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package com.intellij.ide;
 import com.intellij.Patches;
 import com.intellij.ide.dnd.DnDManager;
 import com.intellij.ide.dnd.DnDManagerImpl;
+import com.intellij.ide.ui.UISettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.Disposable;
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.Application;
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationManager;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.keymap.impl.IdeMouseEventDispatcher;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProcessCanceledException;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Condition;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Disposer;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.SimpleTimer;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.SystemInfo;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
 import com.intellij.openapi.wm.IdeFocusManager;
@@ -158,6 +160,8 @@ public class IdeEventQueue extends EventQueue {
         }
       }
     });
+
+    addDispatcher(new WindowsAltSupressor(), null);
   }
 
 
@@ -792,4 +796,64 @@ public class IdeEventQueue extends EventQueue {
   public boolean isPopupActive() {
     return myPopupManager.isPopupActive();
   }
+
+  private static class WindowsAltSupressor implements EventDispatcher {
+
+    private boolean myPureAltWasPressed;
+    private boolean myWaitingForAltRelease;
+    private boolean myWaiterScheduled;
+
+    private Robot myRobot;
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean dispatch(AWTEvent e) {
+      boolean dispatch = true;
+      if (e instanceof KeyEvent) {
+        KeyEvent ke = ((KeyEvent)e);
+        boolean pureAlt =  ke.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ALT && (ke.getModifiers() | KeyEvent.ALT_MASK) == KeyEvent.ALT_MASK;
+        if (!pureAlt) {
+          myPureAltWasPressed = false;
+          myWaitingForAltRelease = false;
+          myWaiterScheduled = false;
+        } else {
+          Application app = ApplicationManager.getApplication();
+          if (app == null || !SystemInfo.isWindows || !Registry.is("actionSystem.win.supressAlt") || !UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_TOOL_STRIPES) {
+            return !dispatch;
+          }
+
+          if (ke.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED) {
+            myPureAltWasPressed = true;
+            dispatch = !myWaitingForAltRelease;
+          } else if (ke.getID() == KeyEvent.KEY_RELEASED) {
+            if (myWaitingForAltRelease) {
+              myPureAltWasPressed = false;
+              myWaitingForAltRelease = false;
+              myWaiterScheduled = false;
+              dispatch = false;
+            } else {
+              myWaiterScheduled = true;
+              SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                  try {
+                    myWaitingForAltRelease = true;
+                    if (myRobot == null) {
+                      myRobot = new Robot();
+                    }
+                    myRobot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_ALT);
+                    myRobot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_ALT);
+                  }
+                  catch (AWTException e1) {
+                    LOG.debug(e1);
+                  }
+                }
+              });
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
+      return !dispatch;
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/Stripe.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/Stripe.java
index f0badde85e14..e7938e9cddb0 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/Stripe.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/Stripe.java
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ final class Stripe extends JPanel{
   public void setOverlayed(boolean overlayed) {
     Color bg = UIManager.getColor("Panel.background");
     if (overlayed) {
-     setBackground(new Color(bg.getRed(), bg.getGreen(), bg.getBlue(), 150));
+     setBackground(new Color(bg.getRed(), bg.getGreen(), bg.getBlue(), 190));
     } else {
       setBackground(bg);
     }
diff --git a/platform/platform-resources-en/src/misc/registry.properties b/platform/platform-resources-en/src/misc/registry.properties
index 22d9914f141b..f095d9ffdfd7 100644
--- a/platform/platform-resources-en/src/misc/registry.properties
+++ b/platform/platform-resources-en/src/misc/registry.properties
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ actionSystem.autoSelectTimeout=1000
 actionSystem.quickAccessEnabled=false
 actionSystem.quickAccessModifiers=
 actionSystem.quickAccessShowSpotsTime=1500
+actionSystem.win.supressAlt=true
 
 ide.debugMode=false
 ide.debugMode.description=Record additonal information to make bug reports more informative