diff --git a/kitty/child-monitor.c b/kitty/child-monitor.c
index 055506d1c..6d7b9bb9b 100644
--- a/kitty/child-monitor.c
+++ b/kitty/child-monitor.c
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ render(monotonic_t now, bool input_read) {
         if (!w->fonts_data) { log_error("No fonts data found for window id: %llu", w->id); continue; }
         if (prepare_to_render_os_window(w, now, &active_window_id, &active_window_bg, &num_visible_windows, &all_windows_have_same_bg)) needs_render = true;
         if (w->last_active_window_id != active_window_id || w->last_active_tab != w->active_tab || w->focused_at_last_render != w->is_focused) needs_render = true;
-        if (w->render_calls < 3 && w->bgimage != NULL) needs_render = true;
+        if (w->render_calls < 3 && w->bgimage.texture_id) needs_render = true;
         if (needs_render) render_os_window(w, now, active_window_id, active_window_bg, num_visible_windows, all_windows_have_same_bg);
     }
     last_render_at = now;
diff --git a/kitty/graphics.h b/kitty/graphics.h
index b9abcbd19..4c62cbb37 100644
--- a/kitty/graphics.h
+++ b/kitty/graphics.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ typedef struct {
     uint32_t texture_id;
     unsigned int height, width;
     uint8_t* bitmap;
+    bool load_failed, needs_free;
 } BackgroundImage;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 21e40a001..5ac7cfc23 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ draw_bg(int program, OSWindow *w) {
     glUniform1f(glGetUniformLocation(program_id(program), "width"), (float)(w->window_width));
     glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0 + BGIMAGE_UNIT);
 
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, w->bgimage->texture_id);
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, w->bgimage.texture_id);
     glDrawArrays(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4);
 
     unbind_vertex_array();
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ draw_cells_interleaved(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, Screen *screen, OSWind
     if (OPT(background_opacity) != 0.0)
     glDrawArraysInstanced(GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, 0, 4, screen->lines * screen->columns);
 
-    if (screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || w->bgimage != NULL) {
+    if (screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || w->bgimage.texture_id) {
         draw_graphics(GRAPHICS_PROGRAM, vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen->grman->render_data, 0, screen->grman->num_of_below_refs);
         bind_program(CELL_BG_PROGRAM);
         // draw background for non-default bg cells
@@ -595,10 +595,10 @@ draw_cells(ssize_t vao_idx, ssize_t gvao_idx, GLfloat xstart, GLfloat ystart, GL
     );
 #undef SCALE
     if (os_window->is_semi_transparent) {
-        if (screen->grman->count || os_window->bgimage != NULL) draw_cells_interleaved_premult(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
+        if (screen->grman->count || os_window->bgimage.texture_id) draw_cells_interleaved_premult(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
         else draw_cells_simple(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen);
     } else {
-        if (screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs || screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || os_window->bgimage != NULL) draw_cells_interleaved(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
+        if (screen->grman->num_of_negative_refs || screen->grman->num_of_below_refs || os_window->bgimage.texture_id) draw_cells_interleaved(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen, os_window);
         else draw_cells_simple(vao_idx, gvao_idx, screen);
     }
 }
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ create_border_vao(void) {
 void
 draw_borders(ssize_t vao_idx, unsigned int num_border_rects, BorderRect *rect_buf, bool rect_data_is_dirty, uint32_t viewport_width, uint32_t viewport_height, color_type active_window_bg, unsigned int num_visible_windows, bool all_windows_have_same_bg, OSWindow *w) {
 
-    if (w->bgimage != NULL) {
+    if (w->bgimage.texture_id) {
         glEnable(GL_BLEND);
         BLEND_ONTO_OPAQUE;
         draw_bg((OPT(background_image_layout) == TILING || OPT(background_image_layout) == MIRRORED) ? BGIMAGE_TILED_PROGRAM : BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, w);
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ draw_borders(ssize_t vao_idx, unsigned int num_border_rects, BorderRect *rect_bu
         unbind_vertex_array();
         unbind_program();
     }
-    if (w->bgimage != NULL) glDisable(GL_BLEND);
+    if (w->bgimage.texture_id) glDisable(GL_BLEND);
 }
 
 // }}}
diff --git a/kitty/state.c b/kitty/state.c
index dac1535cc..2c7ddc559 100644
--- a/kitty/state.c
+++ b/kitty/state.c
@@ -84,16 +84,9 @@ add_os_window() {
 
     bool wants_bg = OPT(background_image) && OPT(background_image)[0] != 0;
     if (wants_bg) {
-        bool has_bg;
-        has_bg = global_state.bgimage != NULL;
-
-        if (!has_bg) {
-            BackgroundImage* bgimage = calloc(1, sizeof(BackgroundImage));
+        if (!global_state.bgimage.texture_id && !global_state.bgimage.load_failed) {
             size_t size;
-
-            has_bg = png_path_to_bitmap(OPT(background_image), &bgimage->bitmap, &bgimage->width, &bgimage->height, &size);
-            if (has_bg) {
-                bgimage->texture_id = 0;
+            if (png_path_to_bitmap(OPT(background_image), &global_state.bgimage.bitmap, &global_state.bgimage.width, &global_state.bgimage.height, &size)) {
                 RepeatStrategy r;
                 switch (OPT(background_image_layout)) {
                     case SCALED:
@@ -104,14 +97,16 @@ add_os_window() {
                     default:
                         r = REPEAT_DEFAULT; break;
                 }
-                send_image_to_gpu(&bgimage->texture_id, bgimage->bitmap, bgimage->width,
-                        bgimage->height, false, true, OPT(background_image_linear), r);
-                ans->bgimage = bgimage;
-                global_state.bgimage = bgimage;
-            }
-        } else {
-            // Reusing already loaded bgimage
-            ans->bgimage = global_state.bgimage;
+                global_state.bgimage.texture_id = 0;
+                send_image_to_gpu(&global_state.bgimage.texture_id, global_state.bgimage.bitmap, global_state.bgimage.width,
+                        global_state.bgimage.height, false, true, OPT(background_image_linear), r);
+                global_state.bgimage.needs_free = true;
+                free(global_state.bgimage.bitmap); global_state.bgimage.bitmap = NULL;
+            } else global_state.bgimage.load_failed = true;
+        }
+        if (global_state.bgimage.texture_id) {
+            memcpy(&ans->bgimage, &global_state.bgimage, sizeof(global_state.bgimage));
+            ans->bgimage.needs_free = false;
         }
     }
 
@@ -293,6 +288,9 @@ destroy_os_window_item(OSWindow *w) {
     remove_vao(w->tab_bar_render_data.vao_idx);
     remove_vao(w->gvao_idx);
     free(w->tabs); w->tabs = NULL;
+    if (w->bgimage.needs_free) {
+        free(w->bgimage.bitmap); free_texture(&w->bgimage.texture_id);
+    }
 }
 
 bool
@@ -960,6 +958,13 @@ finalize(void) {
     if (detached_windows.windows) free(detached_windows.windows);
     detached_windows.capacity = 0;
     if (OPT(background_image)) free(OPT(background_image));
+    if (global_state.bgimage.needs_free) {
+        free(global_state.bgimage.bitmap);
+        // we leak the texture here since it is not guaranteed
+        // that freeing the texture will work during shutdown and
+        // the GPU driver should take care of it when the OpenGL context is
+        // destroyed.
+    }
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/kitty/state.h b/kitty/state.h
index 9cb43c104..01a1faf75 100644
--- a/kitty/state.h
+++ b/kitty/state.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int viewport_width, viewport_height, window_width, window_height;
     double viewport_x_ratio, viewport_y_ratio;
     Tab *tabs;
-    BackgroundImage *bgimage;
+    BackgroundImage bgimage;
     unsigned int active_tab, num_tabs, capacity, last_active_tab, last_num_tabs, last_active_window_id;
     bool focused_at_last_render, needs_render;
     ScreenRenderData tab_bar_render_data;
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
     id_type os_window_id_counter, tab_id_counter, window_id_counter;
     PyObject *boss;
-    BackgroundImage *bgimage;
+    BackgroundImage bgimage;
     OSWindow *os_windows;
     size_t num_os_windows, capacity;
     OSWindow *callback_os_window;