diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c b/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
index b06066422..995e588fa 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
@@ -279,6 +279,34 @@ meta_background_image_cache_purge (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
   image->in_cache = FALSE;
 }
 
+/**
+ * meta_background_image_cache_unload_all:
+ * @cache: a #MetaBackgroundImageCache
+ *
+ * Remove all entries from the cache and unloads them; this would be used
+ * if textures in video memory have been invalidated.
+ */
+void
+meta_background_image_cache_unload_all (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache)
+{
+  GHashTableIter iter;
+  gpointer key, value;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (META_IS_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_CACHE (cache));
+
+  g_hash_table_iter_init (&iter, cache->images);
+  while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&iter, &key, &value))
+    {
+      MetaBackgroundImage *image = value;
+
+      g_clear_pointer (&image->texture, cogl_object_unref);
+      image->in_cache = FALSE;
+      image->loaded = FALSE;
+    }
+
+  g_hash_table_remove_all (cache->images);
+}
+
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaBackgroundImage, meta_background_image, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-background.c b/src/compositor/meta-background.c
index 61dd12095..3d23f1fdc 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-background.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-background.c
@@ -317,6 +317,20 @@ meta_background_finalize (GObject *object)
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_background_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
 
+static void
+free_textures (MetaBackground *self)
+{
+  MetaBackgroundPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+
+  free_color_texture (self);
+  free_wallpaper_texture (self);
+
+  set_file (self, &priv->file1, &priv->background_image1, NULL);
+  set_file (self, &priv->file2, &priv->background_image2, NULL);
+
+  mark_changed (self);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_background_constructed (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -326,7 +340,7 @@ meta_background_constructed (GObject *object)
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_background_parent_class)->constructed (object);
 
   g_signal_connect_object (meta_screen_get_display (priv->screen), "gl-video-memory-purged",
-                           G_CALLBACK (mark_changed), object, G_CONNECT_SWAPPED);
+                           G_CALLBACK (free_textures), object, G_CONNECT_SWAPPED);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -960,8 +974,11 @@ meta_background_set_blend (MetaBackground          *self,
 void
 meta_background_refresh_all (void)
 {
+  MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache = meta_background_image_cache_get_default ();
   GSList *l;
 
+  meta_background_image_cache_unload_all (cache);
+
   for (l = all_backgrounds; l; l = l->next)
     mark_changed (l->data);
 }
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-background-image.h b/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
index fa67b42cf..5ecfb9753 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
@@ -73,4 +73,6 @@ MetaBackgroundImage *meta_background_image_cache_load  (MetaBackgroundImageCache
 void                 meta_background_image_cache_purge (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
                                                         GFile                    *file);
 
+void                 meta_background_image_cache_unload_all (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache);
+
 #endif /* __META_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_H__ */