diff --git a/lib/RELEASE-NOTES b/lib/RELEASE-NOTES
index a5760387ef..f05fdd1299 100644
--- a/lib/RELEASE-NOTES
+++ b/lib/RELEASE-NOTES
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+!Important Change in LyX 2.3.7
+
+The following pref variable was added:
+
+* \draw_strategy partial|backingstore: when this is set to
+  "backingstore", the drawing code will force the use of an
+  intermediate surface, instead of just drawing changed regions on
+  screen. Note that "backingstore" is actually always enforced on
+  macOS and Wayland (default: partial).
+
+
 !Important Change in LyX 2.3.1
 
 * A change to how math macros are output can break some documents that use
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index e8e66e221d..0753534cf3 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ LexerKeyword lyxrcTags[] = {
 	{ "\\dialogs_iconify_with_main", LyXRC::RC_DIALOGS_ICONIFY_WITH_MAIN },
 	{ "\\display_graphics", LyXRC::RC_DISPLAY_GRAPHICS },
 	{ "\\document_path", LyXRC::RC_DOCUMENTPATH },
+	{ "\\draw_strategy", LyXRC::RC_DRAW_STRATEGY },
 	{ "\\editor_alternatives", LyXRC::RC_EDITOR_ALTERNATIVES },
 	{ "\\escape_chars", LyXRC::RC_ESC_CHARS },
 	{ "\\example_path", LyXRC::RC_EXAMPLEPATH },
@@ -1244,6 +1245,20 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc, bool check_format)
 			lexrc >> mouse_middlebutton_paste;
 			break;
 
+		case RC_DRAW_STRATEGY:
+			if (lexrc.next()) {
+				string const tmp = lexrc.getString();
+				if (tmp == "partial")
+					draw_strategy = DS_PARTIAL;
+				else if (tmp == "backingstore")
+					draw_strategy = DS_BACKINGSTORE;
+				else {
+					draw_strategy = DS_PARTIAL;
+					LYXERR0("Unrecognized draw strategy " << tmp <<'"');
+				}
+			}
+			break;
+
 		case RC_LAST:
 			break; // this is just a dummy
 		}
@@ -2064,10 +2079,28 @@ void LyXRC::write(ostream & os, bool ignore_system_lyxrc, string const & name) c
 		}
 		if (tag != RC_LAST)
 			break;
+		// fall through
+	case RC_DRAW_STRATEGY:
+		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
+			draw_strategy != system_lyxrc.draw_strategy) {
+			string status;
+			switch (draw_strategy) {
+			case DS_PARTIAL:
+				status = "partial";
+				break;
+			case DS_BACKINGSTORE:
+				status = "backingstore";
+				break;
+			}
+			os << "\\draw_strategy " << status << '\n';
+		}
+		if (tag != RC_LAST)
+			break;
+		// fall through
 
 	os << "\n#\n"
-			<< "# COLOR SECTION ###################################\n"
-			<< "#\n\n";
+		<< "# COLOR SECTION ###################################\n"
+		<< "#\n\n";
 
 	// fall through
 	case RC_SET_COLOR:
@@ -2963,6 +2996,7 @@ void actOnUpdatedPrefs(LyXRC const & lyxrc_orig, LyXRC const & lyxrc_new)
 				package().document_dir() = FileName(lyxrc.document_path);
 		}
 		// fall through
+	case LyXRC::RC_DRAW_STRATEGY:
 	case LyXRC::RC_EDITOR_ALTERNATIVES:
 	case LyXRC::RC_ESC_CHARS:
 	case LyXRC::RC_EXAMPLEPATH:
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.h b/src/LyXRC.h
index 7049bf8d5e..6e494d0786 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.h
+++ b/src/LyXRC.h
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ public:
 		RC_VIEWER_ALTERNATIVES,
 		RC_VISUAL_CURSOR,
 		RC_CLOSE_BUFFER_WITH_LAST_VIEW,
+		RC_DRAW_STRATEGY,
 		RC_LAST
 	};
 
@@ -533,6 +534,17 @@ public:
 	int cursor_width;
 	/// One of: yes, no, ask
 	std::string close_buffer_with_last_view;
+
+	enum DrawStrategy {
+		// draw all (not implemented yet)
+		// FS_FULL,
+		// draw only what has changed
+		DS_PARTIAL,
+		// draw in backing store (only what has changed)
+		DS_BACKINGSTORE
+	};
+	///
+	DrawStrategy draw_strategy = DS_PARTIAL;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
index 271e4c7d4d..246b45671e 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
@@ -2509,6 +2509,26 @@ Menus & GuiApplication::menus()
 }
 
 
+bool GuiApplication::needsBackingStore() const
+{
+	/* Qt on macOS and Wayland does not respect the
+	 * Qt::WA_OpaquePaintEvent attribute and resets the widget backing
+	 * store at each update. Therefore, we use our own backing store
+	 * in these two cases. It is also possible to force the use of the
+	 * backing store for cases like x11 with transparent WM themes.
+	 */
+#if QT_VERSION >= 0x050000
+	return platformName() == "cocoa" || platformName().contains("wayland");
+#else
+#  ifdef Q_OS_MAC
+	return true;
+#  else
+    return false;
+#  endif // Q_OS_MAC
+#endif // QT_VERSION
+}
+
+
 QList<int> GuiApplication::viewIds() const
 {
 	return d->views_.keys();
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.h b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.h
index eb25bc1b1e..8c6b0e06b2 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.h
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ public:
 	///
 	Menus & menus();
 
+	/// \returns true if painting the workarea requires a backing store.
+	bool needsBackingStore() const;
+
 	/// \name Methods inherited from QApplication class
 	//@{
 	bool notify(QObject * receiver, QEvent * event) override;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.cpp
index a16a9c8ffe..731802087e 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.cpp
@@ -245,20 +245,10 @@ GuiWorkArea::Private::Private(GuiWorkArea * parent)
   dialog_mode_(false), shell_escape_(false), read_only_(false),
   clean_(true), externally_modified_(false), needs_caret_geometry_update_(true)
 {
-/* Qt on macOS and Wayland does not respect the
- * Qt::WA_OpaquePaintEvent attribute and resets the widget backing
- * store at each update. Therefore, we use our own backing store in
- * these two cases. */
-#if QT_VERSION >= 0x050000
-	use_backingstore_ = guiApp->platformName() == "cocoa"
-		|| guiApp->platformName().contains("wayland");
-#else
-#  ifdef Q_OS_MAC
-	use_backingstore_ = true;
-#  else
-	use_backingstore_ = false;
-#  endif
-#endif
+	use_backingstore_ = lyxrc.draw_strategy == LyXRC::DS_BACKINGSTORE
+		|| guiApp->needsBackingStore();
+	LYXERR(Debug::WORKAREA, "Drawing strategy is: "
+	                        << (use_backingstore_ ? "backingstore" : "partial"));
 
 	int const time = QApplication::cursorFlashTime() / 2;
 	if (time > 0) {
diff --git a/status.23x b/status.23x
index 12af42228a..5f56fee592 100644
--- a/status.23x
+++ b/status.23x
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ What's new
 
 - Fix broken modifier handling for Qt-5.12 on Mac (bug 12247).
 
+- Add new pref variable \draw_strategy to fix some cases where display
+  is blinking (bug 12119).
+
 
 * DOCUMENTATION AND LOCALIZATION