diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index 54fe11fa..15805177 100755
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ### 2020-07-22
 * morphic, blocks, gui: tweaked block-fading mouse-over
+* blocks, threads: tweaked context visualizations to be alpha-independent 
 
 ### 2020-07-21
 * blocks: tweaked block highlights for fade-out
diff --git a/snap.html b/snap.html
index 12664093..5b649211 100755
--- a/snap.html
+++ b/snap.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         <script src="src/symbols.js?version=2020-07-21"></script>
         <script src="src/widgets.js?version=2020-07-21"></script>
         <script src="src/blocks.js?version=2020-07-22"></script>
-        <script src="src/threads.js?version=2020-07-09"></script>
+        <script src="src/threads.js?version=2020-07-22"></script>
         <script src="src/objects.js?version=2020-07-20"></script>
         <script src="src/gui.js?version=2020-07-22"></script>
         <script src="src/paint.js?version=2020-05-17"></script>
diff --git a/src/blocks.js b/src/blocks.js
index a751b223..ff21b135 100644
--- a/src/blocks.js
+++ b/src/blocks.js
@@ -786,10 +786,12 @@ SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.unflash = function () {
 };
 
 SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.doWithAlpha = function (alpha, callback) {
-    var current = SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.alpha;
+    var current = SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.alpha,
+        result;
     SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.alpha = alpha;
-    callback();
+    result = callback();
     SyntaxElementMorph.prototype.alpha = current;
+    return result;
 };
 
 // SyntaxElementMorph zebra coloring
@@ -2329,20 +2331,22 @@ function BlockLabelMorph(
         fontName
     );
 }
-
 BlockLabelMorph.prototype.getRenderColor = function () {
+    var block = this.parentThatIsA(BlockMorph);
     if (MorphicPreferences.isFlat) {
-        return this.parent.alpha > 0.4 ? this.color
-            : (this.parent.alpha > 0.2 ? BLACK
-                : this.parent.color.solid());
+        return block.alpha > 0.4 ? this.color
+            : (block.alpha > 0.2 ? BLACK
+                : block.color.solid());
     }
-    return this.parent.alpha > 0.4 ? this.color
-        : (this.parent.alpha > 0.2 ? WHITE
-            : this.parent.color.solid());
+    return block.alpha > 0.4 ? this.color
+        : (block.alpha > 0.2 ? WHITE
+            : block.color.solid());
 };
 
 BlockLabelMorph.prototype.getShadowRenderColor = function () {
-    return this.parent.alpha > 0.6 ? this.shadowColor : CLEAR;
+    return this.parentThatIsA(BlockMorph).alpha > 0.6 ?
+        this.shadowColor
+            : CLEAR;
 };
 
 // BlockSymbolMorph //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/threads.js b/src/threads.js
index 98b34b43..adb0b126 100644
--- a/src/threads.js
+++ b/src/threads.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ StageMorph, SpriteMorph, StagePrompterMorph, Note, modules, isString, copy, Map,
 isNil, WatcherMorph, List, ListWatcherMorph, alert, console, TableMorph, BLACK,
 TableFrameMorph, ColorSlotMorph, isSnapObject, newCanvas, Symbol, SVG_Costume*/
 
-modules.threads = '2020-July-09';
+modules.threads = '2020-July-22';
 
 var ThreadManager;
 var Process;
@@ -6114,15 +6114,15 @@ Context.prototype.image = function () {
             }
         }
         ring.embed(block, this.inputs);
-        return ring.fullImage();
+        return ring.doWithAlpha(1, () => ring.fullImage());
     }
     if (this.expression instanceof Array) {
         block = this.expression[this.pc].fullCopy();
         if (block instanceof RingMorph && !block.contents()) { // empty ring
-            return block.fullImage();
+            return block.doWithAlpha(1, () => block.fullImage());
         }
         ring.embed(block, this.isContinuation ? [] : this.inputs);
-        return ring.fullImage();
+        return ring.doWithAlpha(1, () => ring.fullImage());
     }
 
     // otherwise show an empty ring
@@ -6135,7 +6135,7 @@ Context.prototype.image = function () {
             ring.parts()[1].addInput(inp)
         );
     }
-    return ring.fullImage();
+    return ring.doWithAlpha(1, () => ring.fullImage());
 };
 
 // Context continuations: