diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c b/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
index af66755dc..0a0512528 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-background-image.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct _MetaBackgroundImageCacheClass
 struct _MetaBackgroundImage
 {
   GObject parent_instance;
-  char *filename;
+  GFile *file;
   MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache;
   gboolean in_cache;
   gboolean loaded;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaBackgroundImageCache, meta_background_image_cache, G_TYPE_OBJ
 static void
 meta_background_image_cache_init (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache)
 {
-  cache->images = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);
+  cache->images = g_hash_table_new (g_file_hash, (GEqualFunc) g_file_equal);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -124,9 +124,17 @@ load_file (GTask               *task,
 {
   GError *error = NULL;
   GdkPixbuf *pixbuf;
+  GFileInputStream *stream;
 
-  pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_file (image->filename,
-                                     &error);
+  stream = g_file_read (image->file, NULL, &error);
+  if (stream == NULL)
+    {
+      g_task_return_error (task, error);
+      return;
+    }
+
+  pixbuf = gdk_pixbuf_new_from_stream (G_INPUT_STREAM (stream), NULL, &error);
+  g_object_unref (stream);
 
   if (pixbuf == NULL)
     {
@@ -156,9 +164,11 @@ file_loaded (GObject      *source_object,
 
   if (pixbuf == NULL)
     {
+      char *uri = g_file_get_uri (image->file);
       g_warning ("Failed to load background '%s': %s",
-                 image->filename, error->message);
+                 uri, error->message);
       g_clear_error (&error);
+      g_free (uri);
       goto out;
     }
 
@@ -195,7 +205,7 @@ out:
 /**
  * meta_background_image_cache_load:
  * @cache: a #MetaBackgroundImageCache
- * @filename: filename to load
+ * @file: #GFile to load
  *
  * Loads an image to use as a background, or returns a reference to an
  * image that is already in the process of loading or loaded. In either
@@ -209,23 +219,23 @@ out:
  */
 MetaBackgroundImage *
 meta_background_image_cache_load (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
-                                  const char               *filename)
+                                  GFile                    *file)
 {
   MetaBackgroundImage *image;
   GTask *task;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (META_IS_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_CACHE (cache), NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (filename != NULL, NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (file != NULL, NULL);
 
-  image = g_hash_table_lookup (cache->images, filename);
+  image = g_hash_table_lookup (cache->images, file);
   if (image != NULL)
     return g_object_ref (image);
 
   image = g_object_new (META_TYPE_BACKGROUND_IMAGE, NULL);
   image->cache = cache;
   image->in_cache = TRUE;
-  image->filename = g_strdup (filename);
-  g_hash_table_insert (cache->images, image->filename, image);
+  image->file = g_object_ref (file);
+  g_hash_table_insert (cache->images, image->file, image);
 
   task = g_task_new (image, NULL, file_loaded, NULL);
 
@@ -238,25 +248,25 @@ meta_background_image_cache_load (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
 /**
  * meta_background_image_cache_purge:
  * @cache: a #MetaBackgroundImageCache
- * @filename: filename to remove from the cache
+ * @file: file to remove from the cache
  *
  * Remove an entry from the cache; this would be used if monitoring
  * showed that the file changed.
  */
 void
 meta_background_image_cache_purge (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
-                                   const char               *filename)
+                                   GFile                    *file)
 {
   MetaBackgroundImage *image;
 
   g_return_if_fail (META_IS_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_CACHE (cache));
-  g_return_if_fail (filename != NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (file != NULL);
 
-  image = g_hash_table_lookup (cache->images, filename);
+  image = g_hash_table_lookup (cache->images, file);
   if (image == NULL)
     return;
 
-  g_hash_table_remove (cache->images, image->filename);
+  g_hash_table_remove (cache->images, image->file);
   image->in_cache = FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -273,12 +283,12 @@ meta_background_image_finalize (GObject *object)
   MetaBackgroundImage *image = META_BACKGROUND_IMAGE (object);
 
   if (image->in_cache)
-    g_hash_table_remove (image->cache->images, image->filename);
+    g_hash_table_remove (image->cache->images, image->file);
 
   if (image->texture)
     cogl_object_unref (image->texture);
-  if (image->filename)
-    g_free (image->filename);
+  if (image->file)
+    g_object_unref (image->file);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_background_image_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-background.c b/src/compositor/meta-background.c
index 0370f5515..6284a7a64 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-background.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-background.c
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ struct _MetaBackgroundPrivate
   ClutterColor              color;
   ClutterColor              second_color;
 
-  char *filename1;
+  GFile *file1;
   MetaBackgroundImage *background_image1;
-  char *filename2;
+  GFile *file2;
   MetaBackgroundImage *background_image2;
 
   CoglTexture *color_texture;
@@ -241,16 +241,28 @@ on_background_loaded (MetaBackgroundImage *image,
   mark_changed (self);
 }
 
-static void
-set_filename (MetaBackground       *self,
-              char                **filenamep,
-              MetaBackgroundImage **imagep,
-              const char           *filename)
+static gboolean
+file_equal0 (GFile *file1,
+             GFile *file2)
 {
-  if (g_strcmp0 (filename, *filenamep) != 0)
+  if (file1 == file2)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if ((file1 == NULL) || (file2 == NULL))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return g_file_equal (file1, file2);
+}
+
+static void
+set_file (MetaBackground       *self,
+          GFile               **filep,
+          MetaBackgroundImage **imagep,
+          GFile                *file)
+{
+  if (!file_equal0 (*filep, file))
     {
-      g_free (*filenamep);
-      *filenamep = g_strdup (filename);
+      g_clear_object (filep);
 
       if (*imagep)
         {
@@ -261,10 +273,12 @@ set_filename (MetaBackground       *self,
           *imagep = NULL;
         }
 
-      if (filename)
+      if (file)
         {
           MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache = meta_background_image_cache_get_default ();
-          *imagep = meta_background_image_cache_load (cache, filename);
+
+          *filep = g_object_ref (file);
+          *imagep = meta_background_image_cache_load (cache, file);
           g_signal_connect (*imagep, "loaded",
                             G_CALLBACK (on_background_loaded), self);
         }
@@ -280,8 +294,8 @@ meta_background_dispose (GObject *object)
   free_color_texture (self);
   free_wallpaper_texture (self);
 
-  set_filename (self, &priv->filename1, &priv->background_image1, NULL);
-  set_filename (self, &priv->filename2, &priv->background_image2, NULL);
+  set_file (self, &priv->file1, &priv->background_image1, NULL);
+  set_file (self, &priv->file2, &priv->background_image2, NULL);
 
   set_screen (self, NULL);
 
@@ -867,19 +881,19 @@ meta_background_set_gradient (MetaBackground            *self,
 }
 
 void
-meta_background_set_filename (MetaBackground            *self,
-                              const char                *filename,
-                              GDesktopBackgroundStyle    style)
+meta_background_set_file (MetaBackground            *self,
+                          GFile                     *file,
+                          GDesktopBackgroundStyle    style)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (META_IS_BACKGROUND (self));
 
-  meta_background_set_blend (self, filename, NULL, 0.0, style);
+  meta_background_set_blend (self, file, NULL, 0.0, style);
 }
 
 void
 meta_background_set_blend (MetaBackground          *self,
-                           const char              *filename1,
-                           const char              *filename2,
+                           GFile                   *file1,
+                           GFile                   *file2,
                            double                   blend_factor,
                            GDesktopBackgroundStyle  style)
 {
@@ -890,8 +904,8 @@ meta_background_set_blend (MetaBackground          *self,
 
   priv = self->priv;
 
-  set_filename (self, &priv->filename1, &priv->background_image1, filename1);
-  set_filename (self, &priv->filename2, &priv->background_image2, filename2);
+  set_file (self, &priv->file1, &priv->background_image1, file1);
+  set_file (self, &priv->file2, &priv->background_image2, file2);
 
   priv->blend_factor = blend_factor;
   priv->style = style;
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-background-image.h b/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
index f0af93eb9..fa67b42cf 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-background-image.h
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ MetaBackgroundImageCache *meta_background_image_cache_get_default (void);
 GType meta_background_image_cache_get_type (void);
 
 MetaBackgroundImage *meta_background_image_cache_load  (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
-                                                        const char               *filename);
+                                                        GFile                    *file);
 void                 meta_background_image_cache_purge (MetaBackgroundImageCache *cache,
-                                                        const char               *filename);
+                                                        GFile                    *file);
 
 #endif /* __META_BACKGROUND_IMAGE_H__ */
diff --git a/src/meta/meta-background.h b/src/meta/meta-background.h
index 38706dc6e..822d27bde 100644
--- a/src/meta/meta-background.h
+++ b/src/meta/meta-background.h
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ void meta_background_set_gradient (MetaBackground            *self,
                                    GDesktopBackgroundShading  shading_direction,
                                    ClutterColor              *color,
                                    ClutterColor              *second_color);
-void meta_background_set_filename (MetaBackground            *self,
-                                   const char                *filename,
+void meta_background_set_file     (MetaBackground            *self,
+                                   GFile                     *file,
                                    GDesktopBackgroundStyle    style);
 void meta_background_set_blend    (MetaBackground            *self,
-                                   const char                *filename1,
-                                   const char                *filename2,
+                                   GFile                     *file1,
+                                   GFile                     *file2,
                                    double                     blend_factor,
                                    GDesktopBackgroundStyle    style);