diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index b7845659f..a1b9d3898 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ typedef enum MouseTrackingProtocols { NORMAL_PROTOCOL, UTF8_PROTOCOL, SGR_PROTOC
 typedef enum MouseShapes { BEAM, HAND, ARROW } MouseShape;
 typedef enum { NONE, MENUBAR, WINDOW, ALL } WindowTitleIn;
 typedef enum { TILING, SCALED, MIRRORED, CLAMPED } BackgroundImageLayout;
-typedef enum { NORTHWEST, NORTH, NORTHEAST, EAST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTH, SOUTHWEST, WEST, CENTER } BackgroundImageAnchor;
+typedef enum { TOP_LEFT, TOP, TOP_RIGHT, LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT, BOTTOM_LEFT, BOTTOM, BOTTOM_RIGHT } BackgroundImageAnchor;
 
 #define MAX_CHILDREN 512
 #define BLANK_CHAR 0
diff --git a/kitty/options/definition.py b/kitty/options/definition.py
index 8c4a65bf4..55d654ed3 100644
--- a/kitty/options/definition.py
+++ b/kitty/options/definition.py
@@ -1110,8 +1110,8 @@ opt('background_image_layout', 'tiled',
     long_text='Whether to tile, scale or clamp the background image.'
     )
 
-opt('background_image_anchor', 'northwest',
-    choices=('northwest', 'north', 'northeast', 'east', 'southeast', 'south', 'southwest', 'west', 'center'), ctype='bganchor',
+opt('background_image_anchor', 'top-left',
+    choices=('top-left', 'top', 'top-right', 'left', 'center', 'right', 'bottom-left', 'bottom', 'bottom-right'), ctype='bganchor',
     long_text='Where to position the background image in the window.'
     )
 
diff --git a/kitty/options/parse.py b/kitty/options/parse.py
index c8aae2ead..3356bfef9 100644
--- a/kitty/options/parse.py
+++ b/kitty/options/parse.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class Parser:
             raise ValueError(f"The value {val} is not a valid choice for background_image_anchor")
         ans["background_image_anchor"] = val
 
-    choices_for_background_image_anchor = frozenset(('northwest', 'north', 'northeast', 'east', 'southeast', 'south', 'southwest', 'west', 'center'))
+    choices_for_background_image_anchor = frozenset(('top-left', 'top', 'top-right', 'left', 'center', 'right', 'bottom-left', 'bottom', 'bottom-right'))
 
     def background_image_layout(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]) -> None:
         val = val.lower()
diff --git a/kitty/options/to-c.h b/kitty/options/to-c.h
index 7e9c7bbf7..32f48409e 100644
--- a/kitty/options/to-c.h
+++ b/kitty/options/to-c.h
@@ -81,31 +81,24 @@ bglayout(PyObject *layout_name) {
 static BackgroundImageAnchor
 bganchor(PyObject *anchor_name) {
     const char *name = PyUnicode_AsUTF8(anchor_name);
-    if (strcmp(name, "north") == 0) {
-        return NORTH;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "northeast") == 0) {
-        return NORTHEAST;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "east") == 0) {
-        return EAST;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "southeast") == 0) {
-        return SOUTHEAST;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "south") == 0) {
-        return SOUTH;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "southwest") == 0) {
-        return SOUTHWEST;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "west") == 0) {
-        return WEST;
-    }
-    else if (strcmp(name, "center") == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(name, "top") == 0) {
+        return TOP;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "top-right") == 0) {
+        return TOP_RIGHT;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "left") == 0) {
+        return LEFT;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "center") == 0) {
         return CENTER;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "right") == 0) {
+        return RIGHT;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "bottom-left") == 0) {
+        return BOTTOM_LEFT;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "bottom") == 0) {
+        return BOTTOM;
+    } else if (strcmp(name, "bottom-right") == 0) {
+        return BOTTOM_RIGHT;
     }
-    return NORTHWEST;
+    return TOP_LEFT;
 }
 
 #define STR_SETTER(name) { \
diff --git a/kitty/options/types.py b/kitty/options/types.py
index 885157b87..154a31b1d 100644
--- a/kitty/options/types.py
+++ b/kitty/options/types.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from kitty.types import FloatEdges, SingleKey
 import kitty.types
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
-    choices_for_background_image_anchor = typing.Literal['northwest', 'north', 'northeast', 'east', 'southeast', 'south', 'southwest', 'west', 'center']
+    choices_for_background_image_anchor = typing.Literal['top-left', 'top', 'top-right', 'left', 'center', 'right', 'bottom-left', 'bottom', 'bottom-right']
     choices_for_background_image_layout = typing.Literal['mirror-tiled', 'scaled', 'tiled', 'clamped']
     choices_for_default_pointer_shape = typing.Literal['arrow', 'beam', 'hand']
     choices_for_linux_display_server = typing.Literal['auto', 'wayland', 'x11']
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ class Options:
     allow_remote_control: str = 'n'
     background: Color = Color(0, 0, 0)
     background_image: typing.Optional[str] = None
-    background_image_anchor: choices_for_background_image_anchor = 'northwest'
+    background_image_anchor: choices_for_background_image_anchor = 'top-left'
     background_image_layout: choices_for_background_image_layout = 'tiled'
     background_image_linear: bool = False
     background_opacity: float = 1.0
diff --git a/kitty/rc/set_background_image.py b/kitty/rc/set_background_image.py
index 57390c848..7cfe93c11 100644
--- a/kitty/rc/set_background_image.py
+++ b/kitty/rc/set_background_image.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ How the image should be displayed. The value of configured will use the configur
 
 --anchor
 type=choices
-choices=northwest,north,northeast,east,southeast,south,southwest,west,northwest,north,center,configured
+choices=top-left,top,top-right,left,center,right,bottom-left,bottom,bottom-right,configured
 Where the image should be positioned. The value of configured will use the configured value.
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 05c03abb9..76a4d9f73 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -418,14 +418,14 @@ draw_bg(OSWindow *w) {
     }
     float translate_left = 0.0f, translate_top = 0.0f;
     if (unscaled) {
-        if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == NORTH || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == SOUTH) {
+        if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == TOP || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM) {
             translate_left = ((float)w->window_width / 2.0f - (float)w->bgimage->width / 2.0f) / (float)w->bgimage->width;
-        } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == NORTHEAST || OPT(background_image_anchor) == EAST || OPT(background_image_anchor) == SOUTHEAST) {
+        } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == TOP_RIGHT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == RIGHT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_RIGHT) {
             translate_left = ((float)w->window_width - (float)w->bgimage->width) / (float)w->bgimage->width;
         }
-        if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == WEST || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == EAST) {
+        if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == LEFT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == RIGHT) {
             translate_top = ((float)w->window_height / 2.0f - (float)w->bgimage->height / 2.0f) / (float)w->bgimage->height;
-        } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == SOUTHWEST || OPT(background_image_anchor) == SOUTH || OPT(background_image_anchor) == SOUTHEAST) {
+        } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_LEFT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_RIGHT) {
             translate_top = ((float)w->window_height - (float)w->bgimage->height) / (float)w->bgimage->height;
         }
     }