diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.cxx
index 8e3710df08..393a6a20d9 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.cxx
@@ -9,10 +9,21 @@
 TypeHandle GuiBackground::_type_handle;
 
 void GuiBackground::recompute_frame(void) {
+  _item->recompute();
+  _bg->recompute();
   GuiItem::recompute_frame();
 }
 
-GuiBackground::GuiBackground(const string& name) : GuiItem(name) {
+GuiBackground::GuiBackground(const string& name, GuiItem* item)
+  : GuiItem(name), _item(item) {
+  _bg = GuiLabel::make_simple_card_label();
+  _bg->set_depth(0.1);
+}
+
+GuiBackground::GuiBackground(const string& name, GuiItem* item, Texture* tex)
+  : GuiItem(name), _item(item) {
+  _bg = GuiLabel::make_simple_texture_label(tex);
+  _bg->set_depth(0.1);
 }
 
 GuiBackground::~GuiBackground(void) {
@@ -23,6 +34,8 @@ void GuiBackground::manage(GuiManager* mgr, EventHandler& eh) {
   if (!_added_hooks)
     _added_hooks = true;
   if (_mgr == (GuiManager*)0L) {
+    _mgr->add_label(_bg);
+    _item->manage(mgr, eh);
     GuiItem::manage(mgr, eh);
   } else
     gui_cat->warning() << "tried to manage background (0x" << (void*)this
@@ -30,23 +43,31 @@ void GuiBackground::manage(GuiManager* mgr, EventHandler& eh) {
 }
 
 void GuiBackground::unmanage(void) {
+  if (_mgr != (GuiManager*)0L) {
+    _mgr->remove_label(_bg);
+    _item->unmanage();
+  }
   GuiItem::unmanage();
 }
 
 int GuiBackground::freeze(void) {
-  return 0;
+  return _item->freeze();
 }
 
 int GuiBackground::thaw(void) {
-  return 0;
+  return _item->thaw();
 }
 
 void GuiBackground::set_scale(float f) {
+  _bg->set_scale(f);
+  _item->set_scale(f);
   GuiItem::set_scale(f);
   recompute_frame();
 }
 
 void GuiBackground::set_pos(const LVector3f& p) {
+  _bg->set_pos(p);
+  _item->set_pos(p);
   GuiItem::set_pos(p);
   recompute_frame();
 }
@@ -54,6 +75,7 @@ void GuiBackground::set_pos(const LVector3f& p) {
 void GuiBackground::output(ostream& os) const {
   GuiItem::output(os);
   os << "  Background data:" << endl;
-  os << "    item - 0x" << (void*)0L << endl;
-  // then output the item
+  os << "    bg - 0x" << (void*)_bg << endl;
+  os << "    item - 0x" << (void*)_item << endl;
+  os << *_item;
 }
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.h b/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.h
index e53e9e50f1..fd73727b12 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiBackground.h
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@
 
 class EXPCL_PANDA GuiBackground : public GuiItem {
 private:
+  PT(GuiLabel) _bg;
+  PT(GuiItem) _item;
+
   INLINE GuiBackground(void);
   virtual void recompute_frame(void);
 PUBLISHED:
-  GuiBackground(const string&);
+  GuiBackground(const string&, GuiItem*);
+  GuiBackground(const string&, GuiItem*, Texture*);
   ~GuiBackground(void);
 
   virtual void manage(GuiManager*, EventHandler&);
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.I b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.I
index eab1c39c50..5f0dd97204 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.I
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.I
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@
 INLINE GuiLabel::GuiLabel(void) : _type(GuiLabel::NONE),
 				  _arc((RenderRelation*)0L),
 				  _tex((Texture*)0L),
-				  _internal((RenderRelation*)0L), _scale(1.),
+				  _internal((RenderRelation*)0L),
+				  _gset((Geom*)0L), _scale(1.),
 				  _pos(0., 0., 0.),
 				  _foreground(1., 1., 1., 1.),
 				  _have_background(false),
 				  _background(0., 0., 0., 0.),
 				  _have_width(false), _width(0.),
-				  _have_height(false), _height(0.) {
+				  _have_height(false), _height(0.),
+				  _depth(0.) {
 }
 
 INLINE Node* GuiLabel::get_geometry(void) const {
@@ -63,6 +65,18 @@ INLINE void GuiLabel::set_pos(const LVector3f& p) {
   recompute_transform();
 }
 
+INLINE void GuiLabel::set_depth(float x) {
+  float r = _pos.dot(_pos.right());
+  float u = _pos.dot(_pos.up());
+  _pos = LVector3f::rfu(r, x, u);
+  _depth = x;
+  recompute_transform();
+}
+
+INLINE float GuiLabel::get_depth(void) const {
+  return _pos.dot(_pos.forward());
+}
+
 INLINE float GuiLabel::get_scale(void) const {
   return _scale;
 }
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
index ecdc4529f1..9f5fb891ed 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.cxx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ void GuiLabel::recompute_transform(void) {
     }
     break;
   case SIMPLE_TEXTURE:
+  case SIMPLE_CARD:
     {
       LMatrix4f mat = LMatrix4f::scale_mat(_scale) *
 	LMatrix4f::translate_mat(_pos);
@@ -85,6 +86,20 @@ void GuiLabel::set_properties(void) {
   case SIMPLE_TEXTURE:
     _internal->set_transition(new ColorTransition(_foreground));
     break;
+  case SIMPLE_CARD:
+    _internal->set_transition(new ColorTransition(_foreground));
+    {
+      float w, h;
+      w = _have_width?(_width * 0.5):0.5;
+      h = _have_height?(_height * 0.5):0.5;
+      PTA_Vertexf verts;
+      verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(-w, 0., h));
+      verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(-w, 0., -h));
+      verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(w, 0., h));
+      verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(w, 0., -h));
+      _gset->set_coords(verts, G_PER_VERTEX);
+    }
+    break;
   default:
     gui_cat->warning() << "recompute_transform on invalid label type ("
 		       << (int)_type << ")" << endl;
@@ -150,6 +165,7 @@ GuiLabel* GuiLabel::make_simple_texture_label(Texture* texture) {
   uvs.push_back(TexCoordf(1., 0.));
   geoset->set_texcoords(uvs, G_PER_VERTEX);
   n2->add_geom(geoset);
+  ret->_gset = geoset;
   return ret;
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +192,30 @@ GuiLabel* GuiLabel::make_simple_text_label(const string& text, Node* font,
   return ret;
 }
 
+GuiLabel* GuiLabel::make_simple_card_label(void) {
+  GuiLabel* ret = new GuiLabel();
+  ret->_type = SIMPLE_CARD;
+  ret->_geom = new NamedNode("GUI label");
+  GeomNode* n2 = new GeomNode();
+  ret->_internal = new RenderRelation(ret->_geom, n2);
+  ret->_internal->set_transition(
+				new ColorTransition(Colorf(ret->_foreground)));
+  GeomTristrip *geoset = new GeomTristrip;
+  PTA_int lengths(0);
+  lengths.push_back(4);
+  PTA_Vertexf verts;
+  verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(-0.5, 0., 0.5));
+  verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(-0.5, 0., -0.5));
+  verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(0.5, 0., 0.5));
+  verts.push_back(Vertexf::rfu(0.5, 0., -0.5));
+  geoset->set_num_prims(1);
+  geoset->set_lengths(lengths);
+  geoset->set_coords(verts, G_PER_VERTEX);
+  n2->add_geom(geoset);
+  ret->_gset = geoset;
+  return ret;
+}
+
 int GuiLabel::freeze() {
   switch (_type) {
   case SIMPLE_TEXT:
@@ -255,6 +295,14 @@ void GuiLabel::get_extents(float& l, float& r, float& b, float& t) {
       t = ul.dot(ul.up());
     }
     break;
+  case SIMPLE_CARD:
+    {
+      l = _have_width?-(_width*0.5):-0.5;
+      r = _have_width?(_width*0.5):0.5;
+      b = _have_height?-(_height*0.5):-0.5;
+      t = _have_height?(_height*0.5):0.5;
+    }
+    break;
   default:
     gui_cat->warning()
       << "trying to get extents from something I don't know how to" << endl;
@@ -311,6 +359,9 @@ void GuiLabel::set_text(const string& val) {
   case SIMPLE_TEXTURE:
     gui_cat->warning() << "tried to set text on a texture label" << endl;
     break;
+  case SIMPLE_CARD:
+    gui_cat->warning() << "tried to set text on a card label" << endl;
+    break;
   default:
     gui_cat->warning() << "trying to set text on an unknown label type ("
 		       << (int)_type << ")" << endl;
diff --git a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
index a810b94212..a6a2186608 100644
--- a/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
+++ b/panda/src/gui/guiLabel.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <renderRelation.h>
 #include <texture.h>
 #include <typedReferenceCount.h>
+#include <geom.h>
 
 // label-ish behavior for GUI objects (labels, buttons, rollovers)
 
@@ -21,12 +22,13 @@ class GuiManager;
 
 class EXPCL_PANDA GuiLabel : public TypedReferenceCount {
 private:
-  enum LabelType { NONE, SIMPLE_TEXTURE, SIMPLE_TEXT };
+  enum LabelType { NONE, SIMPLE_TEXTURE, SIMPLE_TEXT, SIMPLE_CARD };
   LabelType _type;
   PT_Node _geom;
   RenderRelation* _arc;
   PT(Texture) _tex;
   RenderRelation* _internal;
+  Geom* _gset;
 
   float _scale;
   LVector3f _pos;
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ private:
   float _width;
   bool _have_height;
   float _height;
+  float _depth;
 
   INLINE Node* get_geometry(void) const;
   INLINE void set_arc(RenderRelation*);
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   static GuiLabel* make_simple_texture_label(Texture*);
   static GuiLabel* make_simple_text_label(const string&, Node*,
 					  Texture* = (Texture*)0L);
+  static GuiLabel* make_simple_card_label(void);
 
   int freeze();
   int thaw();
@@ -61,6 +65,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   void get_extents(float&, float&, float&, float&);
   float get_width(void);
   float get_height(void);
+  INLINE float get_depth(void) const;
 
   INLINE void set_width(float);
   INLINE void set_height(float);
@@ -68,6 +73,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE void set_scale(float);
   INLINE void set_pos(float, float, float);
   INLINE void set_pos(const LVector3f&);
+  INLINE void set_depth(float);
 
   INLINE float get_scale(void) const;
   INLINE LVector3f get_pos(void) const;