diff --git a/src/Background/SystemBackground.vala b/src/Background/SystemBackground.vala
index 85c0fdd8..34b0f00e 100644
--- a/src/Background/SystemBackground.vala
+++ b/src/Background/SystemBackground.vala
@@ -1,36 +1,20 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2014 Tom Beckmann
- * Copyright 2023 elementary, Inc. <https://elementary.io>
+ * Copyright 2023-2024 elementary, Inc. <https://elementary.io>
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
  */
 
 public class Gala.SystemBackground : GLib.Object {
-    private const Clutter.Color DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLOR = { 0x2e, 0x34, 0x36, 0xff };
-
     public Meta.BackgroundActor background_actor { get; construct; }
 
-    private static Meta.Background? system_background = null;
-
     public SystemBackground (Meta.Display display) {
         Object (background_actor: new Meta.BackgroundActor (display, 0));
     }
 
     construct {
-        if (system_background == null) {
-            system_background = new Meta.Background (background_actor.meta_display);
-            system_background.set_color (DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLOR);
-        }
+        var system_background = new Meta.Background (background_actor.meta_display);
+        system_background.set_color ({ 0x2e, 0x34, 0x36, 0xff });
 
         ((Meta.BackgroundContent) background_actor.content).background = system_background;
     }
-
-    public static void refresh () {
-        // Meta.Background.refresh_all does not refresh backgrounds with the WALLPAPER style.
-        // (Last tested with mutter 3.28)
-        // As a workaround, re-apply the current color again to force the wallpaper texture
-        // to be rendered from scratch.
-        if (system_background != null) {
-            system_background.set_color (DEFAULT_BACKGROUND_COLOR);
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/WindowManager.vala b/src/WindowManager.vala
index ed28642f..a5683efe 100644
--- a/src/WindowManager.vala
+++ b/src/WindowManager.vala
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ namespace Gala {
             unowned Meta.Display display = get_display ();
             display.gl_video_memory_purged.connect (() => {
                 Meta.Background.refresh_all ();
-                SystemBackground.refresh ();
             });
         }