diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
index f1b4293c6..12e78bd9b 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell.css
@@ -2512,7 +2512,7 @@ StScrollBar StButton#vhandle:active {
     box-shadow: 0px 4px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.9);
 }
 
-#lockDialogGroup {
+#systemGroup {
     background: #2e3436 url(noise-texture.png);
     background-repeat: repeat;
 }
diff --git a/js/ui/background.js b/js/ui/background.js
index a3224f534..b96f348f2 100644
--- a/js/ui/background.js
+++ b/js/ui/background.js
@@ -634,31 +634,6 @@ const Background = new Lang.Class({
 });
 Signals.addSignalMethods(Background.prototype);
 
-const SystemBackground = new Lang.Class({
-    Name: 'SystemBackground',
-
-    _init: function() {
-        this._cache = getBackgroundCache();
-        this.actor = new Meta.BackgroundActor();
-
-        this._cache.getImageContent({ style: GDesktopEnums.BackgroundStyle.WALLPAPER,
-                                      filename: global.datadir + '/theme/noise-texture.png',
-                                      effects: Meta.BackgroundEffects.NONE,
-                                      onFinished: Lang.bind(this, function(content) {
-                                          this.actor.content = content;
-                                          this.emit('loaded');
-                                      })
-                                    });
-
-        this.actor.connect('destroy', Lang.bind(this, this._onDestroy));
-    },
-
-    _onDestroy: function() {
-        this._cache.removeImageContent(this.actor.content);
-    },
-});
-Signals.addSignalMethods(SystemBackground.prototype);
-
 const Animation = new Lang.Class({
     Name: 'Animation',
 
diff --git a/js/ui/layout.js b/js/ui/layout.js
index 3274ff6a6..3dc7466b5 100644
--- a/js/ui/layout.js
+++ b/js/ui/layout.js
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
         this._startingUp = true;
 
         // Normally, the stage is always covered so Clutter doesn't need to clear
-        // it; however it becomes visible during the startup animation
-        // See the comment below for a longer explanation
+        // it; however it becomes visible when using the magnifier.
         global.stage.color = DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLOR;
+        global.stage.no_clear_hint = true;
 
         // Set up stage hierarchy to group all UI actors under one container.
         this.uiGroup = new Shell.GenericContainer({ name: 'uiGroup' });
@@ -271,8 +271,7 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
     // This is called by Main after everything else is constructed
     init: function() {
         Main.sessionMode.connect('updated', Lang.bind(this, this._sessionUpdated));
-
-        this._loadBackground();
+        this._prepareStartupAnimation();
     },
 
     showOverview: function() {
@@ -571,24 +570,6 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
         return this._keyboardIndex;
     },
 
-    _loadBackground: function() {
-        this._systemBackground = new Background.SystemBackground();
-        this._systemBackground.actor.hide();
-
-        this.systemGroup.add_child(this._systemBackground.actor, null);
-        let constraint = new Clutter.BindConstraint({ source: global.stage,
-                                                      coordinate: Clutter.BindCoordinate.ALL });
-        this._systemBackground.actor.add_constraint(constraint);
-
-        let signalId = this._systemBackground.connect('loaded', Lang.bind(this, function() {
-            this._systemBackground.disconnect(signalId);
-            this._systemBackground.actor.show();
-            global.stage.show();
-
-            this._prepareStartupAnimation();
-        }));
-    },
-
     // Startup Animations
     //
     // We have two different animations, depending on whether we're a greeter
@@ -609,6 +590,8 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
     // screen. So, we set no_clear_hint at the end of the animation.
 
     _prepareStartupAnimation: function() {
+        global.stage.show();
+
         // During the initial transition, add a simple actor to block all events,
         // so they don't get delivered to X11 windows that have been transformed.
         this._coverPane = new Clutter.Actor({ opacity: 0,
@@ -682,16 +665,9 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
     },
 
     _startupAnimationComplete: function() {
-        // At this point, the UI group is covering everything, so
-        // we no longer need to clear the stage
-        global.stage.no_clear_hint = true;
-
         this._coverPane.destroy();
         this._coverPane = null;
 
-        this._systemBackground.actor.destroy();
-        this._systemBackground = null;
-
         this._startingUp = false;
 
         this.trayBox.show();
diff --git a/js/ui/main.js b/js/ui/main.js
index 33558595b..9122ca7f3 100644
--- a/js/ui/main.js
+++ b/js/ui/main.js
@@ -166,6 +166,19 @@ function _initializeUI() {
     windowAttentionHandler = new WindowAttentionHandler.WindowAttentionHandler();
     componentManager = new Components.ComponentManager();
 
+    if (sessionMode.isGreeter && screenShield) {
+        layoutManager.connect('startup-prepared', function() {
+            screenShield.showDialog();
+        });
+    }
+
+    layoutManager.connect('startup-complete', function() {
+        if (keybindingMode == Shell.KeyBindingMode.NONE)
+            keybindingMode = Shell.KeyBindingMode.NORMAL;
+        if (screenShield)
+            screenShield.lockIfWasLocked();
+    });
+
     layoutManager.init();
     overview.init();
 
@@ -196,21 +209,6 @@ function _initializeUI() {
 
     ExtensionDownloader.init();
     ExtensionSystem.init();
-
-    if (sessionMode.isGreeter && screenShield) {
-        layoutManager.connect('startup-prepared', function() {
-            screenShield.showDialog();
-        });
-    }
-
-    layoutManager.connect('startup-complete', function() {
-                              if (keybindingMode == Shell.KeyBindingMode.NONE) {
-                                  keybindingMode = Shell.KeyBindingMode.NORMAL;
-                              }
-                              if (screenShield) {
-                                  screenShield.lockIfWasLocked();
-                              }
-                          });
 }
 
 function _loadDefaultStylesheet() {