diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py b/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py
index 5457dd50dc..26cf40fc7e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py
@@ -2,45 +2,97 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8
 # License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2016, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
-from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
-                        print_function)
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
 
-from PyQt5.Qt import Qt, QSplashScreen, QIcon, QApplication, QTransform, QPainterPath, QBrush
+from PyQt5.Qt import (
+    QApplication, QBrush, QColor, QFont, QFontMetrics, QPen, QPixmap, QSplashScreen,
+    Qt
+)
 
-from calibre.constants import __appname__, iswindows
+from calibre.constants import __appname__, numeric_version
 from calibre.utils.monotonic import monotonic
 
 
 class SplashScreen(QSplashScreen):
 
+    TITLE_SIZE = 20  # pt
+    BODY_SIZE = 12  # pt
+    FOOTER_SIZE = 9  # pt
+    LOGO_SIZE = 128
+
     def __init__(self, develop=False):
         self.drawn_once = False
         self.develop = develop
-        pmap = QIcon(I('library.png', allow_user_override=False)).pixmap(512, 512)
+        self.title_font = f = QFont()
+        f.setPointSize(self.TITLE_SIZE)
+        f.setBold(True)
+        self.title_height = QFontMetrics(f).lineSpacing() + 2
+        self.body_font = f = QFont()
+        f.setPointSize(self.BODY_SIZE)
+        self.line_height = QFontMetrics(f).lineSpacing()
+        self.num_font = f = QFont()
+        f.setPixelSize(self.LOGO_SIZE)
+        f.setItalic(True), f.setBold(True)
+        f = QFontMetrics(f)
+        self.num_ch = str(numeric_version[0])
+        self.footer_font = f = QFont()
+        f.setPointSize(self.FOOTER_SIZE)
+        f.setItalic(True)
+        self.dpr = QApplication.instance().devicePixelRatio()
+        self.pmap = QPixmap(I('library.png', allow_user_override=False))
+        self.pmap.setDevicePixelRatio(self.dpr)
+        self.pmap = self.pmap.scaled(self.dpr * self.LOGO_SIZE, self.dpr * self.LOGO_SIZE, transformMode=Qt.SmoothTransformation)
+        self.light_brush = QBrush(QColor('#F6F3E9'))
+        self.dark_brush = QBrush(QColor('#39322B'))
+        pmap = QPixmap(600 * self.dpr, 600 * self.dpr)
+        pmap.setDevicePixelRatio(self.dpr)
+        pmap.fill(Qt.transparent)
         QSplashScreen.__init__(self, pmap)
         self.setWindowTitle(__appname__)
 
     def drawContents(self, painter):
+        QSplashScreen.drawContents(self, painter)
         self.drawn_once = True
         painter.save()
-        painter.setPen(Qt.black)
         painter.setRenderHint(painter.TextAntialiasing, True)
         painter.setRenderHint(painter.Antialiasing, True)
-        f = painter.font()
-        f.setPixelSize(18)
-        painter.setFont(f)
-        t = QTransform()
-        t.translate(330, 450)
-        painter.setTransform(t)
-        painter.rotate(-98)
-        left_margin = 25
-        if iswindows:
-            # On windows Qt cannot anti-alias rotated text
-            p = QPainterPath()
-            p.addText(left_margin, 0, f, self.message())
-            painter.fillPath(p, QBrush(Qt.black))
-        else:
-            painter.drawText(left_margin, 0, self.message())
+        pw = height = self.LOGO_SIZE
+        width = self.width()
+
+        # Draw frame
+        y = (self.height() - height) // 2
+        bottom = y + height
+        painter.fillRect(0, y, width, height, self.light_brush)
+        painter.fillRect(0, y, width, self.title_height, self.dark_brush)
+        painter.fillRect(0, y, pw, height, self.dark_brush)
+        painter.drawPixmap(0, y, self.pmap)
+
+        # Draw number
+        painter.setFont(self.num_font)
+        num_width = painter.boundingRect(0, 0, 0, 0, Qt.AlignCenter | Qt.TextSingleLine, self.num_ch).width() + 12
+        num_x = width - num_width
+        painter.setPen(QPen(QColor('#d6b865')))
+        painter.drawText(num_x, y, num_width, height, Qt.AlignCenter | Qt.TextSingleLine, self.num_ch)
+
+        # Draw title
+        x = pw + 10
+        width -= num_width + 5 + x
+        painter.setFont(self.title_font)
+        painter.drawText(x, y, width, self.title_height, Qt.AlignLeft | Qt.AlignVCenter | Qt.TextSingleLine, "CALIBRE")
+
+        # Draw starting up message
+        y += self.title_height + 5
+        painter.setPen(QPen(self.dark_brush.color()))
+        painter.setFont(self.body_font)
+        painter.drawText(x, y, width, self.line_height, Qt.AlignLeft | Qt.AlignVCenter | Qt.TextSingleLine, _(
+            'Starting up, please wait...'))
+
+        # Draw footer
+        m = self.message()
+        if m and m.strip():
+            painter.setFont(self.footer_font)
+            painter.drawText(x, bottom - self.line_height, width, self.line_height, Qt.AlignLeft | Qt.AlignTop | Qt.TextSingleLine, m)
+
         painter.restore()
 
     def show_message(self, msg):
@@ -69,5 +121,6 @@ def main():
     spl.show_message('Testing the splash screen message...')
     app.exec_()
 
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()