diff --git a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
index bd2787ad4..0edc9333b 100644
--- a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
+++ b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
@@ -279,30 +279,31 @@ void Segment::startTransition(uint16_t dur) {
   _t->_briT           = on ? opacity : 0;
   _t->_cctT           = cct;
 #ifndef WLED_DISABLE_MODE_BLEND
-  swapSegenv(_t->_segT); // copy runtime data to temporary
-  _t->_modeT          = mode;
-  _t->_segT._dataLenT = 0;
-  _t->_segT._dataT    = nullptr;
-  if (_dataLen > 0 && data) {
-    _t->_segT._dataT = (byte *)malloc(_dataLen);
-    if (_t->_segT._dataT) {
-      //DEBUG_PRINTF_P(PSTR("--  Allocated duplicate data (%d) for %p: %p\n"), _dataLen, this, _t->_segT._dataT);
-      memcpy(_t->_segT._dataT, data, _dataLen);
-      _t->_segT._dataLenT = _dataLen;
+  if (modeBlending) {
+    swapSegenv(_t->_segT); // copy runtime data to temporary
+    _t->_modeT          = mode;
+    _t->_segT._dataLenT = 0;
+    _t->_segT._dataT    = nullptr;
+    if (_dataLen > 0 && data) {
+      _t->_segT._dataT = (byte *)malloc(_dataLen);
+      if (_t->_segT._dataT) {
+        //DEBUG_PRINTF_P(PSTR("--  Allocated duplicate data (%d) for %p: %p\n"), _dataLen, this, _t->_segT._dataT);
+        memcpy(_t->_segT._dataT, data, _dataLen);
+        _t->_segT._dataLenT = _dataLen;
+      }
+    } else {
+      for (size_t i=0; i<NUM_COLORS; i++) _t->_segT._colorT[i] = colors[i];
     }
-  } else {
-    for (size_t i=0; i<NUM_COLORS; i++) _t->_segT._colorT[i] = colors[i];
-  }
-  DEBUG_PRINTF_P(PSTR("-- pal: %d, bri: %d, C:[%08X,%08X,%08X], m: %d\n"),
-    (int)_t->_palTid,
-    (int)_t->_briT,
-    _t->_segT._colorT[0],
-    _t->_segT._colorT[1],
-    _t->_segT._colorT[2],
-    (int)_t->_modeT);
-#else
+    DEBUG_PRINTF_P(PSTR("-- pal: %d, bri: %d, C:[%08X,%08X,%08X], m: %d\n"),
+      (int)_t->_palTid,
+      (int)_t->_briT,
+      _t->_segT._colorT[0],
+      _t->_segT._colorT[1],
+      _t->_segT._colorT[2],
+      (int)_t->_modeT);
+  } else
+# endif
   for (size_t i=0; i<NUM_COLORS; i++) _t->_colorT[i] = colors[i];
-#endif
 }
 
 void Segment::stopTransition() {
@@ -1086,36 +1087,25 @@ void Segment::fade_out(uint8_t rate) {
   const int cols = is2D() ? virtualWidth() : virtualLength();
   const int rows = virtualHeight(); // will be 1 for 1D
 
-  rate = (255-rate) >> 1;
-  float mappedRate = 1.0f / (float(rate) + 1.1f);
-
-  uint32_t color = colors[1]; // SEGCOLOR(1); // target color
-  int w2 = W(color);
-  int r2 = R(color);
-  int g2 = G(color);
-  int b2 = B(color);
+  rate = (256-rate) >> 1;
+  const int mappedRate = 256 / (rate + 1);
 
   for (int y = 0; y < rows; y++) for (int x = 0; x < cols; x++) {
-    color = is2D() ? getPixelColorXY(x, y) : getPixelColor(x);
+    uint32_t color = is2D() ? getPixelColorXY(x, y) : getPixelColor(x);
     if (color == colors[1]) continue; // already at target color
-    int w1 = W(color);
-    int r1 = R(color);
-    int g1 = G(color);
-    int b1 = B(color);
-
-    int wdelta = (w2 - w1) * mappedRate;
-    int rdelta = (r2 - r1) * mappedRate;
-    int gdelta = (g2 - g1) * mappedRate;
-    int bdelta = (b2 - b1) * mappedRate;
-
-    // if fade isn't complete, make sure delta is at least 1 (fixes rounding issues)
-    wdelta += (w2 == w1) ? 0 : (w2 > w1) ? 1 : -1;
-    rdelta += (r2 == r1) ? 0 : (r2 > r1) ? 1 : -1;
-    gdelta += (g2 == g1) ? 0 : (g2 > g1) ? 1 : -1;
-    bdelta += (b2 == b1) ? 0 : (b2 > b1) ? 1 : -1;
-
-    if (is2D()) setPixelColorXY(x, y, r1 + rdelta, g1 + gdelta, b1 + bdelta, w1 + wdelta);
-    else        setPixelColor(x, r1 + rdelta, g1 + gdelta, b1 + bdelta, w1 + wdelta);
+    for (int i = 0; i < 32; i += 8) {
+      uint8_t c2 = (colors[1]>>i);  // get background channel
+      uint8_t c1 = (color>>i);      // get foreground channel
+      // we can't use bitshift since we are using int
+      int delta = (c2 - c1) * mappedRate / 256;
+      // if fade isn't complete, make sure delta is at least 1 (fixes rounding issues)
+      if (delta == 0) delta += (c2 == c1) ? 0 : (c2 > c1) ? 1 : -1;
+      // stuff new value back into color
+      color &= ~(0xFF<<i);
+      color |= ((c1 + delta) & 0xFF) << i;
+    }
+    if (is2D()) setPixelColorXY(x, y, color);
+    else        setPixelColor(x, color);
   }
 }