diff --git a/compton.c b/compton.c
index a97ca17c9..82ee6c714 100644
--- a/compton.c
+++ b/compton.c
@@ -4237,6 +4237,9 @@ usage(void) {
     "  --blur-background-fixed.\n"
     "  A 7x7 Guassian blur kernel looks like:\n"
     "    --blur-kern '7,7,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000102,0.003494,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003494,0.000102,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.001723,0.059106,0.493069,0.493069,0.059106,0.001723,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000102,0.003494,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003494,0.000102,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003'\n"
+    "  May also be one the predefined kernels: 3x3box (default), 5x5box,\n"
+    "  7x7box, 3x3gaussian, 5x5gaussian, 7x7gaussian, 9x9gaussian,\n"
+    "  11x11gaussian.\n"
     "--blur-background-exclude condition\n"
     "  Exclude conditions for background blur.\n"
     "--resize-damage integer\n"
@@ -4589,6 +4592,31 @@ parse_matrix_err:
   return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Parse a convolution kernel.
+ */
+static inline XFixed *
+parse_conv_kern(session_t *ps, const char *src) {
+  static const struct {
+    const char *name;
+    const char *kern_str;
+  } CONV_KERN_PREDEF[] = {
+    { "3x3box", "3,3,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1," },
+    { "5x5box", "5,5,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1," },
+    { "7x7box", "7,7,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1," },
+    { "3x3gaussian", "3,3,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.493069,0.493069,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117," },
+    { "5x5gaussian", "5,5,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.059106,0.493069,0.493069,0.059106,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493," },
+    { "7x7gaussian", "7,7,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.001723,0.059106,0.493069,0.493069,0.059106,0.001723,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003," },
+    { "9x9gaussian", "9,9,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000006,0.000012,0.000006,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000000,0.000001,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000001,0.000006,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000006,0.000012,0.001723,0.059106,0.493069,0.493069,0.059106,0.001723,0.000012,0.000006,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000006,0.000001,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000001,0.000000,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000006,0.000012,0.000006,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000," },
+    { "11x11gaussian", "11,11,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000006,0.000012,0.000006,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000,0.000006,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000006,0.000000,0.000000,0.000012,0.001723,0.059106,0.493069,0.493069,0.059106,0.001723,0.000012,0.000000,0.000000,0.000006,0.000849,0.029143,0.243117,0.493069,0.243117,0.029143,0.000849,0.000006,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000102,0.003493,0.029143,0.059106,0.029143,0.003493,0.000102,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000003,0.000102,0.000849,0.001723,0.000849,0.000102,0.000003,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000001,0.000006,0.000012,0.000006,0.000001,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000," },
+  };
+  for (int i = 0;
+      i < sizeof(CONV_KERN_PREDEF) / sizeof(CONV_KERN_PREDEF[0]); ++i)
+    if (!strcmp(CONV_KERN_PREDEF[i].name, src))
+      return parse_matrix(ps, CONV_KERN_PREDEF[i].kern_str);
+  return parse_matrix(ps, src);
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse a condition list in configuration file.
  */
@@ -5097,7 +5125,7 @@ get_cfg(session_t *ps, int argc, char *const *argv, bool first_pass) {
       case 301:
         // --blur-kern
         free(ps->o.blur_kern);
-        if (!(ps->o.blur_kern = parse_matrix(ps, optarg)))
+        if (!(ps->o.blur_kern = parse_conv_kern(ps, optarg)))
           exit(1);
       case 302:
         // --resize-damage