diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
index 19e032ff4..7ce2dfa8b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
@@ -609,8 +609,9 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         if (mIsDrowning)
         {
-            float intensity = (cos(mDrowningFlashTheta) + 1.0f) / 2.0f;
-            mDrowningFlash->setColour(MyGUI::Colour(intensity, 0, 0));
+            float intensity = (cos(mDrowningFlashTheta) + 2.0f) / 3.0f;
+
+            mDrowningFlash->setAlpha(intensity);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
index ca5d40b4a..0fbc5f494 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@ namespace MWMechanics
                 winMgr->setValue(fbar, stats.getFatigue());
             }
 
+            // FIXME: if game is just started and actor is already drowning (on savegame loading),
+            // drowning bar will be hidden, because
+            // getTimeToStartDrowning = mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning = 0.
             if(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning() != mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning)
             {
                 const float fHoldBreathTime = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>()
diff --git a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
index 0412860ea..8fe25a5dc 100644
--- a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
+++ b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
@@ -32,18 +32,19 @@
         </Widget>
 
         <!-- Drowning bar -->
-        <Widget type="Widget" skin="HUD_Box" position="0 36 220 56" align="Center Top" name="DrowningFrame">
+        <Widget type="Widget" skin="MW_Dialog" position="0 36 230 58" align="Center Top" name="DrowningFrame">
             <Property key="Visible" value="false"/>
-            <Widget type="TextBox" skin="SandText" position="0 8 220 24" name="DrowningTitle" align="Center Top HStretch">
+            <Widget type="TextBox" skin="SandText" position="2 7 226 24" name="DrowningTitle" align="Center Top HStretch">
                 <Property key="Caption" value="#{sBreath}"/>
                 <Property key="TextAlign" value="Center"/>
                 <Property key="TextShadow" value="true"/>
                 <Property key="TextShadowColour" value="0 0 0"/>
             </Widget>
-            <Widget type="ProgressBar" skin="MW_Progress_LightBlue" position="12 36 196 8" align="Center Top" name="Drowning">
+            <Widget type="Widget" skin="MW_Box" position="15 33 200 10" align="Stretch" name="BoundingBox"/>
+            <Widget type="ProgressBar" skin="MW_Progress_Drowning_Full" position="17 35 196 6" align="Center Top" name="Drowning">
                 <Property key="NeedMouse" value="false"/>
             </Widget>
-            <Widget type="Widget" skin="MW_Progress_Drowning" position="14 38 192 4" align="Center Top" name="Flash"/>
+            <Widget type="Widget" skin="MW_Progress_Drowning_Small" position="19 37 192 2" align="Center Top" name="Flash"/>
         </Widget>
 
         <!-- Equipped weapon/selected spell name display for a few seconds after it changes -->
diff --git a/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml b/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
index 95f5b378c..67ffeca5b 100644
--- a/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
+++ b/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
@@ -39,8 +39,18 @@
             <State name="normal" offset="0 0 16 8"/>
         </BasisSkin>
     </Resource>
-
-
+    <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_Progress_Drowning_Full_Small" size="16 8" texture="white" >
+        <Property key="Colour" value="0.035 0.545 0.545"/>
+        <BasisSkin type="MainSkin" offset="0 0 16 8" align="Stretch">
+            <State name="normal" offset="0 0 16 8"/>
+        </BasisSkin>
+    </Resource>
+    <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_Progress_Drowning_Small" size="16 8" texture="white" >
+        <Property key="Colour" value="0.785 0 0"/>
+        <BasisSkin type="MainSkin" offset="0 0 16 8" align="Stretch">
+            <State name="normal" offset="0 0 16 8"/>
+        </BasisSkin>
+    </Resource>
     <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="ProgressText" size="16 16">
         <Property key="FontName" value="Default"/>
         <Property key="TextAlign" value="Top HCenter"/>
@@ -76,19 +86,12 @@
         <Child type="Widget" skin="BlackBG" offset="2 2 60 8" align="Stretch" name="Client"/>
     </Resource>
 
-    <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_Progress_LightBlue" size="64 6">
-        <Property key="TrackSkin" value="MW_BigTrack_Progress_Blue_Small"/>
+    <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_Progress_Drowning_Full" size="64 6">
+        <Property key="TrackSkin" value="MW_Progress_Drowning_Full_Small"/>
         <Property key="TrackFill" value="1"/>
-
-        <Child type="Widget" skin="MW_Box" offset="0 0 64 6" align="Stretch"/>
         <Child type="Widget" skin="BlackBG" offset="2 2 60 2" align="Stretch" name="Client"/>
     </Resource>
 
-    <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_Progress_Drowning" size="64 6">
-        <Property key="TrackSkin" value="MW_BigTrack_Progress_Red_Small"/>
-        <Property key="TrackFill" value="1"/>
-    </Resource>
-
     <Resource type="ResourceSkin" name="MW_ProgressScroll_Loading" size="64 6">
         <Property key="TrackFill" value="1"/>
         <Property key="TrackRangeMargins" value="0 0"/>