diff --git a/repos/os/run/pointer.run b/repos/os/run/pointer.run
index 25fbfa23f4..210c94bdd7 100644
--- a/repos/os/run/pointer.run
+++ b/repos/os/run/pointer.run
@@ -157,14 +157,14 @@ set config {
 		<provides> <service name="ROM"/> </provides>
 		<config>
 			<rom name="smiley.config">
-				<inline description="smiley">
-					<config shape="smiley"/>
-				</inline>
-				<sleep milliseconds="500" />
-				<inline description="yelims">
-					<config shape="yelims"/>
-				</inline>
-				<sleep milliseconds="500" />
+				<inline description="smiley"> <config shape="smiley"/> </inline>
+				<sleep milliseconds="800" />
+				<inline description="smiley"> <config shape="empty"/> </inline>
+				<sleep milliseconds="800" />
+				<inline description="yelims"> <config shape="yelims"/> </inline>
+				<sleep milliseconds="800" />
+				<inline description="yelims"> <config shape="invisible"/> </inline>
+				<sleep milliseconds="800" />
 			</rom>
 		</config>
 		<route>
diff --git a/repos/os/src/app/pointer/main.cc b/repos/os/src/app/pointer/main.cc
index 5c62a7c1a9..b772e1e4c6 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/app/pointer/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/app/pointer/main.cc
@@ -260,7 +260,8 @@ void Pointer::Main::_update_pointer()
 
 			shape_module.read_content(*this, (char*)&shape_report, sizeof(shape_report));
 
-			if (shape_report.visible &&
+			/* show default pointer on invisible/empty/invalid shape report */
+			if (!shape_report.visible ||
 			    ((shape_report.width == 0) ||
 			     (shape_report.height == 0) ||
 			     (shape_report.width > MAX_WIDTH) ||
diff --git a/repos/os/src/test/pointer/main.cc b/repos/os/src/test/pointer/main.cc
index 2ed172394f..8bcd98e2f3 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/test/pointer/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/test/pointer/main.cc
@@ -24,8 +24,11 @@ struct Shape
 	typedef Genode::String<16> Id;
 
 	Id            const id;
+	bool          const visible;
 	unsigned      const x_hot;
 	unsigned      const y_hot;
+	unsigned      const width;
+	unsigned      const height;
 	unsigned char const map[WIDTH*HEIGHT];
 
 	void print(Genode::Output &output) const
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ struct Shape
 
 
 static Shape const shape[] = {
-	{ "arrow", 0, 0, {
+	{ "arrow", true, 0, 0, Shape::WIDTH, Shape::HEIGHT, {
 		1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
 		0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
 		0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
@@ -53,24 +56,19 @@ static Shape const shape[] = {
 		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,
 		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,
 		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 } },
-	{ "blade", 0, 0, {
-		1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,1,1,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,1,1,1,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 } },
-	{ "bladex", 8, 8, {
+	{ "blade", true, 0, 0, 11, 11, {
+		1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+		1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+		0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+		0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,
+		0,0,0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,
+		0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,1,1,0,
+		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,
+		0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,
+		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,
+		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,1,1,1,
+		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1 } },
+	{ "bladex", true, 8, 8, Shape::WIDTH, Shape::HEIGHT, {
 		1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,
 		1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,
 		0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ static Shape const shape[] = {
 		0,1,1,1,0,1,1,0,0,1,1,0,1,1,1,0,
 		0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,
 		0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 } },
-	{ "smiley", 8, 8, {
+	{ "smiley", true, 8, 8, Shape::WIDTH, Shape::HEIGHT, {
 		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,
 		0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,
 		0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
@@ -104,7 +102,7 @@ static Shape const shape[] = {
 		0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
 		0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,
 		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0 } },
-	{ "yelims", 8, 8, {
+	{ "yelims", true, 8, 8, Shape::WIDTH, Shape::HEIGHT, {
 		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,
 		0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,
 		0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
@@ -120,7 +118,9 @@ static Shape const shape[] = {
 		0,1,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,0,
 		0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,
 		0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,
-		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0 } }
+		0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0 } },
+	{ "empty", true, 0, 0, 0, 0, { } },
+	{ "invisible", false, 0, 0, Shape::WIDTH, Shape::HEIGHT, { } },
 };
 
 
@@ -158,18 +158,21 @@ struct Main
 
 		Shape const &shape = select_shape(_config.xml());
 
-		_shape_report.x_hot = shape.x_hot;
-		_shape_report.y_hot = shape.y_hot;
+		_shape_report.visible = shape.visible;
+		_shape_report.x_hot   = shape.x_hot;
+		_shape_report.y_hot   = shape.y_hot;
+		_shape_report.width   = shape.width;
+		_shape_report.height  = shape.height;
 
-		unsigned const w = Shape::WIDTH;
-		unsigned const h = Shape::HEIGHT;
+		unsigned const w = shape.width;
+		unsigned const h = shape.height;
 
 		for (unsigned y = 0; y < h; ++y) {
 			for (unsigned x = 0; x < w; ++x) {
 				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 0] = 0xff;
-				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 1] = 0xff;
-				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 2] = 0xff;
-				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 3] = shape.map[y*w +x] ? 0xe0 : 0;
+				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 1] = 0xf2;
+				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 2] = 0xac;
+				_shape_report.shape[(y*w + x)*4 + 3] = shape.map[y*w + x] ? 0xe0 : 0;
 			}
 		}