diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c973a24e..181865a6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # CHANGELOG
 
 ### NEXT (YYYY-MM-DD)
+- Fix the Imagick driver painting a "black box" when pasting an image with transparent areas at an alpha lower than 100; the opacity now scales the existing per-pixel alpha instead of overwriting it
 - Fix the Imagick driver inverting the alpha channel in `effects()->negative()` (an opaque image became fully transparent); it now excludes the alpha channel, matching the GD driver
 
 ### 1.5.2 (2026-01-09)
diff --git a/src/Imagick/Image.php b/src/Imagick/Image.php
index bab72106..188e2d95 100644
--- a/src/Imagick/Image.php
+++ b/src/Imagick/Image.php
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 use Imagine\Image\Point;
 use Imagine\Image\PointInterface;
 use Imagine\Image\ProfileInterface;
-use Imagine\Utils\ErrorHandling;
 
 /**
  * Image implementation using the Imagick PHP extension.
@@ -246,14 +245,14 @@ public function paste(ImageInterface $image, PointInterface $start, $alpha = 100
             $pasteMe = $image->imagick;
         } elseif ($alpha > 0) {
             $pasteMe = $image->cloneImagick();
-            // setImageOpacity was replaced with setImageAlpha in php-imagick v3.4.3
-            if (method_exists($pasteMe, 'setImageAlpha')) {
-                $pasteMe->setImageAlpha($alpha / 100);
-            } else {
-                ErrorHandling::ignoring(E_DEPRECATED, function () use ($pasteMe, $alpha) {
-                    $pasteMe->setImageOpacity($alpha / 100);
-                });
-            }
+            // Scale the existing per-pixel alpha by the opacity factor instead of
+            // overwriting it. setImageAlpha()/setImageOpacity() set every pixel's
+            // alpha to the same value, so transparent areas of $image become a
+            // semi-opaque rectangle - a "black box" painted over the destination.
+            // Multiplying the alpha channel keeps fully-transparent pixels
+            // transparent while still fading the opaque ones.
+            $pasteMe->setImageAlphaChannel(\Imagick::ALPHACHANNEL_ACTIVATE);
+            $pasteMe->evaluateImage(\Imagick::EVALUATE_MULTIPLY, $alpha / 100, \Imagick::CHANNEL_ALPHA);
         } else {
             $pasteMe = null;
         }
diff --git a/tests/tests/Image/AbstractImageTest.php b/tests/tests/Image/AbstractImageTest.php
index d6a8de7b..3e7b0337 100644
--- a/tests/tests/Image/AbstractImageTest.php
+++ b/tests/tests/Image/AbstractImageTest.php
@@ -1082,6 +1082,49 @@ public function testPasteWithAlpha($alpha)
         $this->assertColorSimilar($expectedColor, $finalColor, '', 1.74);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Pasting an image that has transparent areas with alpha < 100 must keep
+     * those areas transparent: the opacity has to scale the existing per-pixel
+     * alpha, not overwrite it. Regression test for the Imagick driver, where
+     * setImageAlpha() used to flatten the alpha of every pixel and paint a
+     * semi-opaque "black box" over the transparent surroundings.
+     */
+    public function testPasteWithAlphaPreservesTransparency()
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->getDriverInfo()->requireFeature(Info::FEATURE_TRANSPARENCY);
+        } catch (NotSupportedException $x) {
+            $this->markTestSkipped($x->getMessage());
+        }
+        $palette = new RGB();
+        $imagine = $this->getImagine();
+
+        // Destination: opaque blue.
+        $destination = $imagine->create(new Box(20, 20), $palette->color(array(0, 0, 255)));
+
+        // Source: a fully-transparent canvas with an opaque red square in the
+        // middle, so the corners exercise the transparent-area code path.
+        $source = $imagine->create(new Box(10, 10), $palette->color(array(255, 0, 0), 0));
+        $source->draw()->rectangle(new Point(3, 3), new Point(6, 6), $palette->color(array(255, 0, 0)), true);
+
+        try {
+            $destination->paste($source, new Point(0, 0), 50);
+        } catch (NotSupportedException $x) {
+            // e.g. Gmagick, which does not support pasting with alpha.
+            $this->markTestSkipped($x->getMessage());
+        }
+
+        // The transparent corner must leave the blue destination untouched
+        // (the bug turned it into a ~50% black overlay, e.g. #000080).
+        $corner = $destination->getColorAt(new Point(1, 1));
+        $this->assertColorSimilar($palette->color(array(0, 0, 255)), $corner, 'transparent area was contaminated', 1.74);
+        $this->assertSame(100, $corner->getAlpha());
+
+        // The opaque centre is still blended over the destination (~50% red).
+        $centre = $destination->getColorAt(new Point(4, 4));
+        $this->assertColorSimilar($palette->color(array(128, 0, 128)), $centre, 'opaque area was not blended', 2);
+    }
+
     public function testPasteOutOfBoundaries()
     {
         $imagine = $this->getImagine();