diff --git a/js/ui/background.js b/js/ui/background.js
index 326805905..5aaf07bbd 100644
--- a/js/ui/background.js
+++ b/js/ui/background.js
@@ -576,6 +576,25 @@ const StillFrame = new Lang.Class({
 });
 Signals.addSignalMethods(StillFrame.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');
+                                      })
+                                    });
+    }
+});
+Signals.addSignalMethods(SystemBackground.prototype);
+
 const Animation = new Lang.Class({
     Name: 'Animation',
 
diff --git a/js/ui/layout.js b/js/ui/layout.js
index 8fe1eb7d3..c341c2ba9 100644
--- a/js/ui/layout.js
+++ b/js/ui/layout.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // -*- mode: js; js-indent-level: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
 
 const Clutter = imports.gi.Clutter;
+const GLib = imports.gi.GLib;
 const GObject = imports.gi.GObject;
 const Lang = imports.lang;
 const Mainloop = imports.mainloop;
@@ -200,9 +201,6 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
         global.stage.remove_actor(global.top_window_group);
         this.uiGroup.add_actor(global.top_window_group);
 
-        this._consoleBackgroundGroup = new Meta.BackgroundGroup();
-        global.stage.insert_child_below(this._consoleBackgroundGroup, null);
-
         this._backgroundGroup = new Meta.BackgroundGroup();
         global.window_group.add_child(this._backgroundGroup);
         this._backgroundGroup.lower_bottom();
@@ -541,17 +539,6 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
         // so events don't get delivered to X11 windows (which are distorted by the animation)
         global.stage_input_mode = Shell.StageInputMode.FULLSCREEN;
 
-        // build new backgrounds
-        for (let i = 0; i < this.monitors.length; i++) {
-            let monitor = this.monitors[i];
-
-            let stillFrame = new Background.StillFrame(i);
-            this._consoleBackgroundGroup.add_child(stillFrame.actor);
-
-            stillFrame.actor.set_size(this.monitors[i].width, this.monitors[i].height);
-            stillFrame.actor.set_position(this.monitors[i].x, this.monitors[i].y);
-        }
-
         if (Main.sessionMode.isGreeter) {
             this.panelBox.translation_y = -this.panelBox.height;
         } else {
@@ -570,6 +557,35 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
                                          y / global.screen_height);
             this.uiGroup.scale_x = this.uiGroup.scale_y = 0;
         }
+
+        this._systemBackground = new Background.SystemBackground();
+        this._systemBackground.actor.hide();
+
+        global.stage.insert_child_below(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();
+
+                                                          // We're mostly prepared for the startup animation
+                                                          // now, but since a lot is going on asynchronously
+                                                          // during startup, let's defer emission of the
+                                                          // startup-prepared signal until the event loop is
+                                                          // uncontended and idle. This helps to prevent us
+                                                          // from running the animation when the system is
+                                                          // bogged down
+                                                          GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_LOW,
+                                                                        Lang.bind(this, function() {
+                                                                                      this.emit('startup-prepared');
+                                                                                      return false;
+                                                                                  }));
+
+                                                      }));
     },
 
     startupAnimation: function() {
@@ -607,8 +623,8 @@ const LayoutManager = new Lang.Class({
 
         global.stage_input_mode = Shell.StageInputMode.NORMAL;
 
-        this._consoleBackgroundGroup.destroy();
-        this._consoleBackgroundGroup = null;
+        this._systemBackground.actor.destroy();
+        this._systemBackground = null;
 
         this._startingUp = false;
 
diff --git a/js/ui/main.js b/js/ui/main.js
index 3a3f67425..57b5a7aeb 100644
--- a/js/ui/main.js
+++ b/js/ui/main.js
@@ -196,13 +196,10 @@ function startSession() {
     ExtensionDownloader.init();
     ExtensionSystem.init();
 
-    // Run the startup animation as soon as the mainloop is idle enough.
-    // This is necessary to have it smooth and without interruptions from
-    // completed IO tasks
-    GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_LOW, function() {
-        layoutManager.startupAnimation();
-        return false;
-    });
+    layoutManager.connect('startup-prepared',
+                          Lang.bind(this, function() {
+                              layoutManager.startupAnimation();
+                          }));
 }
 
 let _workspaces = [];