diff --git a/ggdt/src/graphics/bitmap.rs b/ggdt/src/graphics/bitmap.rs
index 6601b70..5dcc66d 100644
--- a/ggdt/src/graphics/bitmap.rs
+++ b/ggdt/src/graphics/bitmap.rs
@@ -13,13 +13,10 @@ use num_traits::{PrimInt, Unsigned};
 use crate::graphics::indexed;
 use crate::math::Rect;
 
-// HACK: enum variant color arguments are sized to the max possible pixel type used across all supported bitmap variants
-//       right now. for some reason, making this enum generic (e.g. `GeneralBlitMethod<PixelType: PrimInt + Unsigned>`)
-//       resulted in some E0308 compile errors when trying to create enum variant values that contained args of the
-//       generic type. i could not find a solution to this. so i'll just do this hack approach for now. ugh.
-pub enum GeneralBlitMethod {
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub enum GeneralBlitMethod<PixelType: PrimInt + Unsigned> {
 	Solid,
-	Transparent(u32),
+	Transparent(PixelType),
 }
 
 /// Trait that provides "bit-depth-agnostic" access to bitmap drawing operations. This is useful for implementing
@@ -83,14 +80,14 @@ pub trait GeneralBitmap: Sized {
 
 	fn blit_region(
 		&mut self,
-		method: GeneralBlitMethod,
+		method: GeneralBlitMethod<Self::PixelType>,
 		src: &Self,
 		src_region: &Rect,
 		dest_x: i32,
 		dest_y: i32
 	);
 
-	fn blit(&mut self, method: GeneralBlitMethod, src: &Self, x: i32, y: i32) {
+	fn blit(&mut self, method: GeneralBlitMethod<Self::PixelType>, src: &Self, x: i32, y: i32) {
 		let src_region = Rect::new(0, 0, src.width(), src.height());
 		self.blit_region(method, src, &src_region, x, y);
 	}
@@ -171,16 +168,15 @@ impl GeneralBitmap for indexed::Bitmap {
 
 	fn blit_region(
 		&mut self,
-		method: GeneralBlitMethod,
+		method: GeneralBlitMethod<Self::PixelType>,
 		src: &Self,
 		src_region: &Rect,
 		dest_x: i32,
 		dest_y: i32
 	) {
-		// HACK: pixel/color value downcasting. see "HACK" comment above GeneralBlitMethod type def
 		let blit_method = match method {
 			GeneralBlitMethod::Solid => indexed::BlitMethod::Solid,
-			GeneralBlitMethod::Transparent(color) => indexed::BlitMethod::Transparent(color as u8),
+			GeneralBlitMethod::Transparent(color) => indexed::BlitMethod::Transparent(color),
 		};
 		self.blit_region(blit_method, src, src_region, dest_x, dest_y)
 	}
diff --git a/ggdt/src/system/input_devices/mouse/cursor.rs b/ggdt/src/system/input_devices/mouse/cursor.rs
index 97d0799..e5f4919 100644
--- a/ggdt/src/system/input_devices/mouse/cursor.rs
+++ b/ggdt/src/system/input_devices/mouse/cursor.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ pub trait DefaultMouseCursorBitmaps<BitmapType>
 where
 	BitmapType: GeneralBitmap
 {
-	fn get_default() -> BitmapType;
+	fn get_default() -> (BitmapType, BitmapType::PixelType);
 }
 
 /// Provides custom mouse cursor rendering functionality via application provided [`Bitmap`]s (or falling back
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ where
 	cursor_hotspot_x: u32,
 	cursor_hotspot_y: u32,
 	cursor_enabled: bool,
+	cursor_transparent_color: BitmapType::PixelType,
 }
 
 impl<BitmapType> CustomMouseCursor<BitmapType>
@@ -38,7 +39,13 @@ where
 	BitmapType: GeneralBitmap
 {
 	pub fn new() -> Self {
-		let (cursor, cursor_background, cursor_hotspot_x, cursor_hotspot_y) = Self::get_default_mouse_cursor();
+		let (
+			cursor,
+			cursor_background,
+			cursor_hotspot_x,
+			cursor_hotspot_y,
+			cursor_transparent_color,
+		) = Self::get_default_mouse_cursor();
 
 		CustomMouseCursor {
 			last_x: 0,
@@ -48,6 +55,7 @@ where
 			cursor_hotspot_x,
 			cursor_hotspot_y,
 			cursor_enabled: false,
+			cursor_transparent_color,
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -89,20 +97,22 @@ where
 	/// * `cursor`: the bitmap to be used to display the mouse cursor on screen
 	/// * `hotspot_x`: the "hotspot" x coordinate
 	/// * `hotspot_y`: the "hotspot" y coordinate.
-	pub fn set_mouse_cursor(&mut self, cursor: BitmapType, hotspot_x: u32, hotspot_y: u32) {
+	pub fn set_mouse_cursor(&mut self, cursor: BitmapType, transparent_color: BitmapType::PixelType, hotspot_x: u32, hotspot_y: u32) {
 		self.cursor = cursor;
 		self.cursor_background = BitmapType::new(self.cursor.width(), self.cursor.height()).unwrap();
 		self.cursor_hotspot_x = hotspot_x;
 		self.cursor_hotspot_y = hotspot_y;
+		self.cursor_transparent_color = transparent_color;
 	}
 
 	/// Resets the mouse cursor bitmap and "hotspot" coordinate back to the default settings.
 	pub fn set_default_mouse_cursor(&mut self) {
-		let (cursor, background, hotspot_x, hotspot_y) = Self::get_default_mouse_cursor();
+		let (cursor, background, hotspot_x, hotspot_y, transparent_color) = Self::get_default_mouse_cursor();
 		self.cursor = cursor;
 		self.cursor_background = background;
 		self.cursor_hotspot_x = hotspot_x;
 		self.cursor_hotspot_y = hotspot_y;
+		self.cursor_transparent_color = transparent_color;
 	}
 
 	#[inline]
@@ -141,8 +151,12 @@ where
 			0,
 		);
 
-		let color = 255;
-		dest.blit(GeneralBlitMethod::Transparent(color), &self.cursor, x, y);
+		dest.blit(
+			GeneralBlitMethod::Transparent(self.cursor_transparent_color),
+			&self.cursor,
+			x,
+			y
+		);
 	}
 
 	/// Restores the original destination bitmap contents where the mouse cursor bitmap was
@@ -175,8 +189,8 @@ where
 		self.last_y = mouse.y;
 	}
 
-	fn get_default_mouse_cursor() -> (BitmapType, BitmapType, u32, u32) {
-		let cursor = Self::get_default();
+	fn get_default_mouse_cursor() -> (BitmapType, BitmapType, u32, u32, BitmapType::PixelType) {
+		let (cursor, transparent_color) = Self::get_default();
 		let cursor_background = BitmapType::new(cursor.width(), cursor.height()).unwrap();
 
 		(
@@ -184,12 +198,13 @@ where
 			cursor_background,
 			DEFAULT_MOUSE_CURSOR_HOTSPOT_X,
 			DEFAULT_MOUSE_CURSOR_HOTSPOT_Y,
+			transparent_color,
 		)
 	}
 }
 
 impl DefaultMouseCursorBitmaps<indexed::Bitmap> for CustomMouseCursor<indexed::Bitmap> {
-	fn get_default() -> Bitmap {
+	fn get_default() -> (Bitmap, u8) {
 		#[rustfmt::skip]
 		const CURSOR_PIXELS: [u8; DEFAULT_MOUSE_CURSOR_WIDTH * DEFAULT_MOUSE_CURSOR_HEIGHT] = [
 			0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff,
@@ -215,7 +230,7 @@ impl DefaultMouseCursorBitmaps<indexed::Bitmap> for CustomMouseCursor<indexed::B
 			DEFAULT_MOUSE_CURSOR_HEIGHT as u32,
 		).unwrap();
 		cursor.pixels_mut().copy_from_slice(&CURSOR_PIXELS);
-		cursor
+		(cursor, 255)
 	}
 }