diff --git a/esphome/components/font/font.cpp b/esphome/components/font/font.cpp
index 5a18429789..3b62b8ca66 100644
--- a/esphome/components/font/font.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/font/font.cpp
@@ -129,7 +129,13 @@ void Font::print(int x_start, int y_start, display::Display *display, Color colo
 
     uint8_t bitmask = 0;
     uint8_t pixel_data = 0;
-    float bpp_max = (1 << this->bpp_) - 1;
+    uint8_t bpp_max = (1 << this->bpp_) - 1;
+    auto diff_r = (float) color.r - (float) background.r;
+    auto diff_g = (float) color.g - (float) background.g;
+    auto diff_b = (float) color.b - (float) background.b;
+    auto b_r = (float) background.r;
+    auto b_g = (float) background.g;
+    auto b_b = (float) background.g;
     for (int glyph_y = y_start + scan_y1; glyph_y != max_y; glyph_y++) {
       for (int glyph_x = x_at + scan_x1; glyph_x != max_x; glyph_x++) {
         uint8_t pixel = 0;
@@ -146,12 +152,9 @@ void Font::print(int x_start, int y_start, display::Display *display, Color colo
         if (pixel == bpp_max) {
           display->draw_pixel_at(glyph_x, glyph_y, color);
         } else if (pixel != 0) {
-          float on = (float) pixel / bpp_max;
-          float off = 1.0 - on;
-          Color blended;
-          blended.r = color.r * on + background.r * off;
-          blended.g = color.r * on + background.g * off;
-          blended.b = color.r * on + background.b * off;
+          auto on = (float) pixel / (float) bpp_max;
+          auto blended =
+              Color((uint8_t) (diff_r * on + b_r), (uint8_t) (diff_g * on + b_g), (uint8_t) (diff_b * on + b_b));
           display->draw_pixel_at(glyph_x, glyph_y, blended);
         }
       }
diff --git a/esphome/components/graphical_display_menu/graphical_display_menu.cpp b/esphome/components/graphical_display_menu/graphical_display_menu.cpp
index fcbad41388..4a4e519009 100644
--- a/esphome/components/graphical_display_menu/graphical_display_menu.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/graphical_display_menu/graphical_display_menu.cpp
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw(display::Display *display, const display::Rect *
 }
 
 void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_menu_internal_(display::Display *display, const display::Rect *bounds) {
-  int total_height = 0;
+  int16_t total_height = 0;
+  int16_t max_width = 0;
   int y_padding = 2;
   bool scroll_menu_items = false;
   std::vector<display::Rect> menu_dimensions;
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_menu_internal_(display::Display *display, const
 
     menu_dimensions.push_back(item_dimensions);
     total_height += item_dimensions.h + (i == 0 ? 0 : y_padding);
+    max_width = std::max(max_width, item_dimensions.w);
 
     if (total_height <= bounds->h) {
       number_items_fit_to_screen++;
@@ -166,7 +168,8 @@ void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_menu_internal_(display::Display *display, const
   // Render the items into the view port
   display->start_clipping(*bounds);
 
-  int y_offset = bounds->y;
+  display->filled_rectangle(bounds->x, bounds->y, max_width, total_height, this->background_color_);
+  auto y_offset = bounds->y;
   for (size_t i = first_item_index; i <= last_item_index; i++) {
     const auto *item = this->displayed_item_->get_item(i);
     const bool selected = i == this->cursor_index_;
@@ -176,7 +179,7 @@ void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_menu_internal_(display::Display *display, const
     dimensions.x = bounds->x;
     this->draw_item(display, item, &dimensions, selected);
 
-    y_offset = dimensions.y + dimensions.h + y_padding;
+    y_offset += dimensions.h + y_padding;
   }
 
   display->end_clipping();
@@ -219,9 +222,7 @@ inline void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_item(display::Display *display, const dis
   // int background_width = std::max(bounds->width, available_width);
   int background_width = bounds->w;
 
-  if (selected) {
-    display->filled_rectangle(bounds->x, bounds->y, background_width, bounds->h, background_color);
-  }
+  display->filled_rectangle(bounds->x, bounds->y, background_width, bounds->h, background_color);
 
   std::string label = item->get_text();
   if (item->has_value()) {
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ inline void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_item(display::Display *display, const dis
   }
 
   display->print(bounds->x, bounds->y, this->font_, foreground_color, display::TextAlign::TOP_LEFT, label.c_str(),
-                 ~foreground_color);
+                 background_color);
 }
 
 void GraphicalDisplayMenu::draw_item(const display_menu_base::MenuItem *item, const uint8_t row, const bool selected) {