diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendBase.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendBase.py
index 51f8a1085c..ded09a0455 100755
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendBase.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendBase.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 from collections.abc import Callable
 import weakref
+from silx.gui.colors import RGBAColorType
 
 from ... import qt
 
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ def addMarker(
         constraint: Callable[[float, float], tuple[float, float]] | None,
         yaxis: str,
         font: qt.QFont,
+        bgcolor: RGBAColorType | None,
     ) -> object:
         """Add a point, vertical line or horizontal line marker to the plot.
 
@@ -227,6 +229,7 @@ def addMarker(
             If None, the marker is a vertical line.
         :param text: Text associated to the marker (or None for no text)
         :param color: Color to be used for instance 'blue', 'b', '#FF0000'
+        :param bgcolor: Text background color to be used for instance 'blue', 'b', '#FF0000'
         :param symbol: Symbol representing the marker.
             Only relevant for point markers where X and Y are not None.
             Value in:
diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendMatplotlib.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendMatplotlib.py
index 0fc7f71f0d..e911510065 100755
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendMatplotlib.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendMatplotlib.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 # ###########################################################################*/
 """Matplotlib Plot backend."""
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 __authors__ = ["V.A. Sole", "T. Vincent, H. Payno"]
 __license__ = "MIT"
 __date__ = "21/12/2018"
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@
 )
 from ...qt import inspect as qt_inspect
 from .... import config
+from silx.gui.colors import RGBAColorType
 
 _PATCH_LINESTYLE = {
     "-": "solid",
@@ -941,7 +944,18 @@ def addShape(
         return item
 
     def addMarker(
-        self, x, y, text, color, symbol, linestyle, linewidth, constraint, yaxis, font
+        self,
+        x,
+        y,
+        text,
+        color,
+        symbol,
+        linestyle,
+        linewidth,
+        constraint,
+        yaxis,
+        font,
+        bgcolor: RGBAColorType | None,
     ):
         textArtist = None
         fontProperties = None if font is None else qFontToFontProperties(font)
@@ -968,6 +982,7 @@ def addMarker(
                     y,
                     text,
                     color=color,
+                    backgroundcolor=bgcolor,
                     horizontalalignment="left",
                     fontproperties=fontProperties,
                 )
@@ -982,6 +997,7 @@ def addMarker(
                     1.0,
                     text,
                     color=color,
+                    backgroundcolor=bgcolor,
                     horizontalalignment="left",
                     verticalalignment="top",
                     fontproperties=fontProperties,
@@ -997,6 +1013,7 @@ def addMarker(
                     y,
                     text,
                     color=color,
+                    backgroundcolor=bgcolor,
                     horizontalalignment="right",
                     verticalalignment="top",
                     fontproperties=fontProperties,
diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendOpenGL.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendOpenGL.py
index 019a38b84c..035cc767fd 100755
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendOpenGL.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/BackendOpenGL.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 # ############################################################################*/
 """OpenGL Plot backend."""
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 __authors__ = ["T. Vincent"]
 __license__ = "MIT"
 __date__ = "21/12/2018"
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@
 from ... import _glutils as glu
 from . import glutils
 from .glutils.PlotImageFile import saveImageToFile
+from silx.gui.colors import RGBAColorType
 
 _logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -90,7 +93,18 @@ def __init__(
 
 class _MarkerItem(dict):
     def __init__(
-        self, x, y, text, color, symbol, linestyle, linewidth, constraint, yaxis, font
+        self,
+        x,
+        y,
+        text,
+        color,
+        symbol,
+        linestyle,
+        linewidth,
+        constraint,
+        yaxis,
+        font,
+        bgcolor,
     ):
         super(_MarkerItem, self).__init__()
 
@@ -114,6 +128,7 @@ def __init__(
                 "linewidth": linewidth,
                 "yaxis": yaxis,
                 "font": font,
+                "bgcolor": bgcolor,
             }
         )
 
@@ -590,10 +605,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                     continue
 
                 color = item["color"]
-                intensity = color[0] * 0.299 + color[1] * 0.587 + color[2] * 0.114
-                bgColor = (
-                    (1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.75) if intensity <= 0.5 else (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.75)
-                )
+                bgColor = item["bgcolor"]
                 if xCoord is None or yCoord is None:
                     if xCoord is None:  # Horizontal line in data space
                         pixelPos = self._plotFrame.dataToPixel(
@@ -612,7 +624,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                                 item["font"],
                                 x,
                                 y,
-                                color=item["color"],
+                                color=color,
                                 bgColor=bgColor,
                                 align=glutils.RIGHT,
                                 valign=glutils.BOTTOM,
@@ -625,7 +637,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                             (0, width),
                             (pixelPos[1], pixelPos[1]),
                             style=item["linestyle"],
-                            color=item["color"],
+                            color=color,
                             width=item["linewidth"],
                         )
                         context.matrix = self.matScreenProj
@@ -645,7 +657,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                                 item["font"],
                                 x,
                                 y,
-                                color=item["color"],
+                                color=color,
                                 bgColor=bgColor,
                                 align=glutils.LEFT,
                                 valign=glutils.TOP,
@@ -658,7 +670,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                             (pixelPos[0], pixelPos[0]),
                             (0, height),
                             style=item["linestyle"],
-                            color=item["color"],
+                            color=color,
                             width=item["linewidth"],
                         )
                         context.matrix = self.matScreenProj
@@ -687,7 +699,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                             item["font"],
                             x,
                             y,
-                            color=item["color"],
+                            color=color,
                             bgColor=bgColor,
                             align=glutils.LEFT,
                             valign=valign,
@@ -701,7 +713,7 @@ def _renderItems(self, overlay=False):
                         (pixelPos[0],),
                         (pixelPos[1],),
                         marker=item["symbol"],
-                        color=item["color"],
+                        color=color,
                         size=11,
                     )
                     context.matrix = self.matScreenProj
@@ -1084,11 +1096,32 @@ def addShape(
         )
 
     def addMarker(
-        self, x, y, text, color, symbol, linestyle, linewidth, constraint, yaxis, font
+        self,
+        x,
+        y,
+        text,
+        color,
+        symbol,
+        linestyle,
+        linewidth,
+        constraint,
+        yaxis,
+        font,
+        bgcolor: RGBAColorType | None,
     ):
         font = qt.QApplication.instance().font() if font is None else font
         return _MarkerItem(
-            x, y, text, color, symbol, linestyle, linewidth, constraint, yaxis, font
+            x,
+            y,
+            text,
+            color,
+            symbol,
+            linestyle,
+            linewidth,
+            constraint,
+            yaxis,
+            font,
+            bgcolor,
         )
 
     # Remove methods
diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/glutils/GLText.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/glutils/GLText.py
index 15c001e0de..43501015f0 100644
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/glutils/GLText.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/backends/glutils/GLText.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 from .... import qt
 from ...._glutils import font, gl, Context, Program, Texture
 from .GLSupport import mat4Translate
+from silx.gui.colors import RGBAColorType
 
 
 class _Cache:
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ def __init__(
         x: float = 0.0,
         y: float = 0.0,
         color: tuple[float, float, float, float] = (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
-        bgColor: tuple[float, float, float, float] | None = None,
+        bgColor: RGBAColorType | None = None,
         align: str = LEFT,
         valign: str = BASELINE,
         rotate: float = 0.0,
diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/items/core.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/items/core.py
index 2453b3afee..50386f4c19 100644
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/items/core.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/items/core.py
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ class ItemChangedType(enum.Enum):
     FONT = "fontChanged"
     """Item's text font changed flag."""
 
+    BACKGROUND_COLOR = "backgroundColorChanged"
+    """Item's text background color changed flag."""
+
 
 class Item(qt.QObject):
     """Description of an item of the plot"""
diff --git a/src/silx/gui/plot/items/marker.py b/src/silx/gui/plot/items/marker.py
index da5bd75f43..b3da451f5a 100755
--- a/src/silx/gui/plot/items/marker.py
+++ b/src/silx/gui/plot/items/marker.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 
 import logging
+import numpy
 
 from ....utils.proxy import docstring
 from .core import (
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@
 )
 from silx import config
 from silx.gui import qt
+from silx.gui import colors
+
 
 _logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ def __init__(self):
 
         self._x = None
         self._y = None
+        self._bgColor: colors.RGBAColorType | None = None
         self._constraint = self._defaultConstraint
         self.__isBeingDragged = False
 
@@ -91,6 +95,7 @@ def _addRendererCall(self, backend, symbol=None, linestyle="-", linewidth=1):
             constraint=self.getConstraint(),
             yaxis=self.getYAxis(),
             font=self._font,  # Do not use getFont to spare creating a new QFont
+            bgcolor=self.getBackgroundColor(),
         )
 
     def _addBackendRenderer(self, backend):
@@ -141,6 +146,23 @@ def setFont(self, font: qt.QFont | None):
             self._font = None if font is None else qt.QFont(font)
             self._updated(ItemChangedType.FONT)
 
+    def getBackgroundColor(self) -> colors.RGBAColorType | None:
+        """Returns the RGBA background color of the item"""
+        return self._bgColor
+
+    def setBackgroundColor(self, color):
+        """Set item text background color
+
+        :param color: color(s) to be used as a str ("#RRGGBB") or (npoints, 4)
+                      unsigned byte array or one of the predefined color names
+                      defined in colors.py
+        """
+        if color is not None:
+            color = colors.rgba(color)
+        if self._bgColor != color:
+            self._bgColor = color
+            self._updated(ItemChangedType.BACKGROUND_COLOR)
+
     def getXPosition(self):
         """Returns the X position of the marker line in data coordinates