diff --git a/src/space.c b/src/space.c
index 437ce81..170ee0c 100644
--- a/src/space.c
+++ b/src/space.c
@@ -12,34 +12,37 @@ static Vec2 starPos[STAR_LAYERS];
 
 static gl_texture* starBG_create(const int density);
 static void put_pixel(SDL_Surface* surface, const int x, const int y,
-      const Uint8 R, const Uint8 G, const Uint8 B);
+      const Uint8 R, const Uint8 G, const Uint8 B, const Uint8 A);
 
 // Modify the pixel at (x,y) of the surface to be of color RGB.
-static void put_pixel(SDL_Surface* surface, const int x, const int y, const Uint8 R, const Uint8 G, const Uint8 B) {
-  Uint32 color = SDL_MapRGB(surface->format, R, G, B);
+static void put_pixel(SDL_Surface* surface, const int x, const int y,
+      const Uint8 R, const Uint8 G, const Uint8 B, const Uint8 A) {
+  
+  Uint32 pixel = SDL_MapRGBA(surface->format, R, G, B, A);
+  int bpp = surface->format->BytesPerPixel;
+  // p is the address to the pixel we want to set.
+  Uint8* p = (Uint8*)surface->pixels + y * surface->pitch + x * bpp;
 
-  Uint8*  bufp8;
-  Uint16* bufp16;
-  Uint32* bufp32;
-
-  switch(surface->format->BytesPerPixel) {
-    case 1: // 8bpp.
-      bufp8 = (Uint8)surface->pixels + y*surface->pitch + x;
-      *bufp8 = color;
+  switch(bpp) {
+    case 1: 
+      *p = pixel;
       break;
-    case 2: // 15 or 16bpp.
-      bufp16 = (Uint16*)surface->pixels + y*surface->pitch/2 + x;
-      *bufp16 = color;
+    case 2:
+      *(Uint16*)p = pixel;
       break;
-    case 3: // 24bpp, Slow as hell.
-      bufp8 = (Uint8*)surface->pixels + y*surface->pitch + x;
-      *(bufp8 + surface->format->Rshift/8) = R;
-      *(bufp8 + surface->format->Gshift/8) = G;
-      *(bufp8 + surface->format->Bshift/8) = B;
+    case 3:
+      if(SDL_BYTEORDER == SDL_BIG_ENDIAN) {
+        p[0] = (pixel >> 16)  & 0xff;
+        p[1] = (pixel >> 8)   & 0xff;
+        p[2] = pixel & 0xff;
+      } else {
+        p[0] = pixel & 0xff;
+        p[1] = (pixel >> 8)   & 0xff;
+        p[2] = (pixel >> 16)  & 0xff;
+      }
       break;
-    case 4: // 32bpp.
-      bufp32 = (Uint32*)surface->pixels + y*surface->pitch/4 + x;
-      *bufp32 = color;
+    case 4:
+      *(Uint32*)p = pixel;
       break;
   }
 }
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ static void put_pixel(SDL_Surface* surface, const int x, const int y, const Uint
 static gl_texture* starBG_create(const int density) {
   SDL_Surface* surface;
   int w, h;
-  int i, b, d, x, y;
+  int i, d;
 
   w = (int)((float)gl_screen.w * 1.5);
   if((w & (w-1)) != 0) {
@@ -72,13 +75,13 @@ static gl_texture* starBG_create(const int density) {
     return NULL;
   }
 
+  SDL_LockSurface(surface);
+
   d = (int)((FP)(density)*(FP)(gl_screen.w)*(FP)(gl_screen.h)/1000./1000.);
-  for(i = 0; i < d; i++) {
-    b = RNG(50, 255);
-    x = RNG(0, w-1);
-    y = RNG(0, h-1);
-    put_pixel(surface, x, y, b, b, b);
-  }
+  for(i = 0; i < d; i++)
+    put_pixel(surface, RNG(0,w-1), RNG(0,h-1), 255, 255, 255, RNG(50, 255));
+
+  SDL_UnlockSurface(surface);
 
   return gl_loadImage(surface);
 }