diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
index 20e15cb1ec..0c84a66d14 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from functools import partial
 
 import apsw
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    QCoreApplication, QIcon, QObject, QTimer, Qt, QSplashScreen, QBrush, QColor)
+    QCoreApplication, QIcon, QObject, QTimer)
 
 from calibre import prints, plugins, force_unicode
 from calibre.constants import (iswindows, __appname__, isosx, DEBUG, islinux,
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from calibre.gui2 import (
     ORG_NAME, APP_UID, initialize_file_icon_provider, Application, choose_dir,
     error_dialog, question_dialog, gprefs, setup_gui_option_parser)
 from calibre.gui2.main_window import option_parser as _option_parser
+from calibre.gui2.splash_screen import SplashScreen
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs, dynamic
 
 if iswindows:
@@ -160,36 +161,6 @@ class EventAccumulator(object):
     def __call__(self, ev):
         self.events.append(ev)
 
-class SplashScreen(QSplashScreen):
-
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.drawn_once = False
-        pmap = QIcon(I('library.png', allow_user_override=False)).pixmap(512, 512)
-        QSplashScreen.__init__(self, pmap)
-        self.setWindowTitle(__appname__)
-
-    def drawContents(self, painter):
-        self.drawn_once = True
-        painter.setBackgroundMode(Qt.OpaqueMode)
-        painter.setBackground(QBrush(QColor(0xee, 0xee, 0xee)))
-        painter.setPen(Qt.black)
-        painter.setRenderHint(painter.TextAntialiasing, True)
-        r = self.rect().adjusted(5, 5, -5, -5)
-        br = painter.drawText(r, Qt.AlignLeft, self.message())
-        painter.fillRect(br.adjusted(-2, -3, 80, 3), painter.background())
-        br = painter.drawText(r, Qt.AlignLeft, self.message())
-
-    def show_message(self, msg):
-        self.showMessage(msg)
-        self.wait_for_draw()
-
-    def wait_for_draw(self):
-        # Without this the splash screen is not painted on linux and windows
-        self.drawn_once = False
-        st = time.time()
-        while not self.drawn_once and (time.time() - st < 0.1):
-            Application.instance().processEvents()
-
 class GuiRunner(QObject):
     '''Make sure an event loop is running before starting the main work of
     initialization'''
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py b/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..505d8a87b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/splash_screen.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# 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 PyQt5.Qt import Qt, QSplashScreen, QIcon, QApplication, QTransform
+
+from calibre.constants import __appname__
+from calibre.utils.monotonic import monotonic
+
+class SplashScreen(QSplashScreen):
+
+    def __init__(self, develop=False):
+        self.drawn_once = False
+        self.develop = develop
+        pmap = QIcon(I('library.png', allow_user_override=False)).pixmap(512, 512)
+        QSplashScreen.__init__(self, pmap)
+        self.setWindowTitle(__appname__)
+
+    def drawContents(self, painter):
+        self.drawn_once = True
+        painter.save()
+        painter.setPen(Qt.black)
+        painter.setRenderHint(painter.TextAntialiasing, True)
+        f = painter.font()
+        f.setPixelSize(18)
+        painter.setFont(f)
+        t = QTransform()
+        t.translate(330, 450)
+        painter.setTransform(t)
+        painter.rotate(-98)
+        painter.drawText(0, 0, self.message())
+        painter.restore()
+
+    def show_message(self, msg):
+        self.showMessage(msg)
+        self.wait_for_draw()
+
+    def wait_for_draw(self):
+        # Without this the splash screen is not painted on linux and windows
+        self.drawn_once = False
+        st = monotonic()
+        while not self.drawn_once and (monotonic() - st < 0.1):
+            QApplication.instance().processEvents()
+
+    def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
+        if not self.develop:
+            return QSplashScreen.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
+        ev.accept()
+        QApplication.instance().quit()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    from calibre.gui2 import Application
+    app = Application([])
+    spl = SplashScreen(develop=True)
+    spl.show()
+    spl.show_message('Testing the splash screen message...')
+    app.exec_()