diff --git a/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs b/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
index 1378e1691a..f8c851757e 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Configuration/OsuConfigManager.cs
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Configuration
             SetDefault(OsuSetting.PositionalHitsoundsLevel, 0.2f, 0, 1);
             SetDefault(OsuSetting.DimLevel, 0.7, 0, 1, 0.01);
             SetDefault(OsuSetting.BlurLevel, 0, 0, 1, 0.01);
+            SetDefault(OsuSetting.EditorUseDim, false);
             SetDefault(OsuSetting.LightenDuringBreaks, true);
 
             SetDefault(OsuSetting.HitLighting, true);
@@ -292,6 +293,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Configuration
         GameplayCursorDuringTouch,
         DimLevel,
         BlurLevel,
+        EditorUseDim,
         LightenDuringBreaks,
         ShowStoryboard,
         KeyOverlay,
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
index 3dfc7010f3..9cfd1badd1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Edit/Editor.cs
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
         [Resolved(canBeNull: true)]
         private OnScreenDisplay onScreenDisplay { get; set; }
 
+        private Bindable<bool> useUserDim;
+
         public Editor(EditorLoader loader = null)
         {
             this.loader = loader;
@@ -260,6 +262,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
             OsuMenuItem undoMenuItem;
             OsuMenuItem redoMenuItem;
 
+            TernaryStateRadioMenuItem backgroundDim;
+            useUserDim = config.GetBindable<bool>(OsuSetting.EditorUseDim);
+
             AddInternal(new OsuContextMenuContainer
             {
                 RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
@@ -311,6 +316,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
                                         Items = new MenuItem[]
                                         {
                                             new WaveformOpacityMenuItem(config.GetBindable<float>(OsuSetting.EditorWaveformOpacity)),
+                                            backgroundDim = new TernaryStateRadioMenuItem("Background Dim", MenuItemType.Standard, _ => useUserDim.Value = !useUserDim.Value),
                                         }
                                     }
                                 }
@@ -330,6 +336,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
 
             changeHandler?.CanUndo.BindValueChanged(v => undoMenuItem.Action.Disabled = !v.NewValue, true);
             changeHandler?.CanRedo.BindValueChanged(v => redoMenuItem.Action.Disabled = !v.NewValue, true);
+
+            useUserDim.BindValueChanged(s =>
+            {
+                dimBackground();
+                backgroundDim.State.Value = s.NewValue ? TernaryState.True : TernaryState.False;
+            });
+            backgroundDim.State.Value = useUserDim.Value ? TernaryState.True : TernaryState.False;
         }
 
         [Resolved]
@@ -626,9 +639,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
             ApplyToBackground(b =>
             {
                 // todo: temporary. we want to be applying dim using the UserDimContainer eventually.
-                b.FadeColour(Color4.DarkGray, 500);
+                if (!useUserDim.Value) b.FadeColour(Color4.DarkGray, 500);
 
-                b.IgnoreUserSettings.Value = true;
+                b.IgnoreUserSettings.Value = !useUserDim.Value;
                 b.BlurAmount.Value = 0;
             });
         }
@@ -656,7 +669,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Edit
                 }
             }
 
-            ApplyToBackground(b => b.FadeColour(Color4.White, 500));
+            ApplyToBackground(b =>
+            {
+                b.FadeColour(Color4.White, 500);
+                b.IgnoreUserSettings.Value = true;
+            });
             resetTrack();
 
             refetchBeatmap();