diff --git a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_api.c b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_api.c
index 8bcd9a42e0..071a4da715 100644
--- a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_api.c
+++ b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_api.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 
 
 api_command_t conference_api_sub_commands[] = {
+	{"canvas-auto-clear", (void_fn_t) & conference_api_sub_canvas_auto_clear, CONF_API_SUB_ARGS_SPLIT, "canvas-auto-clear", "<canvas_id> <true|false>"},
 	{"count", (void_fn_t) & conference_api_sub_count, CONF_API_SUB_ARGS_SPLIT, "count", ""},
 	{"list", (void_fn_t) & conference_api_sub_list, CONF_API_SUB_ARGS_SPLIT, "list", "[delim <string>]|[count]"},
 	{"xml_list", (void_fn_t) & conference_api_sub_xml_list, CONF_API_SUB_ARGS_SPLIT, "xml_list", ""},
@@ -534,6 +535,48 @@ switch_status_t conference_api_sub_conference_video_vmute_snap(conference_member
 	return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+switch_status_t conference_api_sub_canvas_auto_clear(conference_obj_t *conference, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, int argc, char **argv)
+{
+	int canvas_id_start = 0;
+	int canvas_id_end   = 0;
+	int i = 0;
+
+	if (argc < 3) {
+		stream->write_function(stream, "+OK");
+
+		for (i = 0; i < conference->canvas_count; i++) {
+			stream->write_function(stream, " canvas %d auto_clear=%s", i + 1, conference->canvases[i]->disable_auto_clear ? "false" : "true");
+		}
+
+		stream->write_function(stream, "\n");
+		return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
+	switch_log_printf(SWITCH_CHANNEL_LOG, SWITCH_LOG_ERROR, "%s\n", argv[1]);
+
+	canvas_id_start = atoi(argv[2]);
+
+	if (canvas_id_start == 0) {
+		canvas_id_end = conference->canvas_count - 1;
+	} else {
+		canvas_id_start--;
+		canvas_id_end = canvas_id_start;
+	}
+
+	stream->write_function(stream, "+OK");
+	switch_mutex_lock(conference->canvas_mutex);
+
+	for (i = canvas_id_start; i<= canvas_id_end; i++) {
+		conference->canvases[i]->disable_auto_clear = !switch_true(argv[3]);
+		stream->write_function(stream, " canvas %d auto_clear=%s", i + 1, argv[3]);
+	}
+
+	switch_mutex_unlock(conference->canvas_mutex);
+	stream->write_function(stream, "\n");
+
+	return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 switch_status_t conference_api_sub_vmute(conference_member_t *member, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, void *data)
 {
 	switch_event_t *event;
diff --git a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_video.c b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_video.c
index aae9d393e6..022596a97c 100644
--- a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_video.c
+++ b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/conference_video.c
@@ -431,7 +431,10 @@ void conference_video_reset_layer(mcu_layer_t *layer)
 		switch_assert(layer->img);
 	}
 
-	conference_video_clear_layer(layer);
+	if (layer->canvas && !layer->canvas->disable_auto_clear) {
+		conference_video_clear_layer(layer);
+	}
+
 	switch_img_free(&layer->cur_img);
 
 	switch_img_free(&layer->overlay_img);
@@ -1084,7 +1087,7 @@ void conference_video_detach_video_layer(conference_member_t *member)
 		conference_member_update_status_field(member);
 	}
 
-	if (canvas->bgimg) {
+	if (canvas->bgimg && !canvas->disable_auto_clear) {
 		conference_video_set_canvas_bgimg(canvas, NULL);
 	}
 
@@ -1521,7 +1524,10 @@ switch_status_t conference_video_attach_video_layer(conference_member_t *member,
 		conference_api_sub_position(member, NULL, layer->geometry.audio_position);
 	}
 
-	switch_img_fill(canvas->img, layer->x_pos, layer->y_pos, layer->screen_w, layer->screen_h, &canvas->letterbox_bgcolor);
+	if (!canvas->disable_auto_clear) {
+		switch_img_fill(canvas->img, layer->x_pos, layer->y_pos, layer->screen_w, layer->screen_h, &canvas->letterbox_bgcolor);
+	}
+
 	conference_video_reset_video_bitrate_counters(member);
 	conference_video_clear_managed_kps(member);
 
diff --git a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/mod_conference.h b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/mod_conference.h
index 16d959061d..76b2b97b72 100644
--- a/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/mod_conference.h
+++ b/src/mod/applications/mod_conference/mod_conference.h
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ typedef struct mcu_canvas_s {
 	int overlay_video_file;
 	codec_set_t *write_codecs[MAX_MUX_CODECS];
 	int write_codecs_count;
+	switch_bool_t disable_auto_clear;
 } mcu_canvas_t;
 
 /* Record Node */
@@ -1173,6 +1174,7 @@ void conference_event_chat_channel_handler(const char *event_channel, cJSON *jso
 void conference_member_itterator(conference_obj_t *conference, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, uint8_t non_mod, conference_api_member_cmd_t pfncallback, void *data);
 int conference_video_flush_queue(switch_queue_t *q, int min);
 
+switch_status_t conference_api_sub_canvas_auto_clear(conference_obj_t *conference, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, int argc, char **argv);
 switch_status_t conference_api_sub_mute(conference_member_t *member, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, void *data);
 switch_status_t conference_api_sub_tmute(conference_member_t *member, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, void *data);
 switch_status_t conference_api_sub_unmute(conference_member_t *member, switch_stream_handle_t *stream, void *data);