diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.scss
index ed52bbb86..3e97efc11 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-high-contrast.scss
@@ -15,3 +15,21 @@ stage {
 	background-image: url("resource:///org/gnome/shell/theme/toggle-off-hc.svg");
 	&:checked { background-image: url("resource:///org/gnome/shell/theme/toggle-on-hc.svg"); }
 }
+
+//force opaque panel
+#panel {
+  &.login-screen,
+  &.unlock-screen,
+  &:overview {
+    background-color: #000;
+
+    .panel-corner {
+      -panel-corner-opacity: 1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  .panel-button {
+    color: #fff !important;
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
index 5734ab10f..0f6647066 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
@@ -5,22 +5,23 @@ $panel_corner_radius: $base_border_radius+1;
 $panel_bg_color: #000;
 $panel_fg_color: #ccc;
 $panel_height: 2.2em;
-
+$panel_transition_duration: 250ms; // same as the overview transition duration
 
 #panel {
   background-color: $panel_bg_color;
   font-weight: bold;
   height: $panel_height;
   font-feature-settings: "tnum";
+  transition-duration: $panel_transition_duration;
 
   // transparent panel on lock & login screens
   &.unlock-screen,
-  &.login-screen {
+  &.login-screen,
+  &:overview {
     background-color: transparent;
 
     .panel-corner {
-      -panel-corner-radius: 0;
-      -panel-corner-background-color: transparent;
+      -panel-corner-opacity: 0;
     }
   }
 
@@ -34,7 +35,9 @@ $panel_height: 2.2em;
     -panel-corner-radius: $panel_corner_radius;
     -panel-corner-background-color: $panel_bg_color;
     -panel-corner-border-width: 2px;
+    -panel-corner-border-color: transparent;
     -panel-corner-opacity: 1;
+    transition-duration: $panel_transition_duration;
   }
 
   // panel menus
@@ -83,18 +86,30 @@ $panel_height: 2.2em;
       // dimensions of the icon are hardcoded
     }
 
-    // lock & login screen styles
-    .unlock-screen &,
-    .login-screen & {
-      color: lighten($fg_color, 10%);
-      &:focus, &:hover, &:active { color: lighten($fg_color, 10%); }
-    }
-
     &#panelActivities {
       -natural-hpadding: $base_padding * 3;
     }
   }
 
+  &.unlock-screen,
+  &.login-screen,
+  &:overview {
+    .panel-button {
+      color: lighten($fg_color, 3%);
+
+      &:hover, &:active, &:overview, &:focus, &:checked {
+        box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 100px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15);
+
+        &.clock-display {
+          box-shadow: none;
+
+          .clock {
+            box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 100px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
 
   .panel-status-indicators-box,
   .panel-status-menu-box {