diff --git a/src/Background/BackgroundCache.vala b/src/Background/BackgroundCache.vala
index 03b63188..2de0969e 100644
--- a/src/Background/BackgroundCache.vala
+++ b/src/Background/BackgroundCache.vala
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace Gala {
         public signal void file_changed (string filename);
 
         private Gee.HashMap<string,FileMonitor> file_monitors;
-        private Gee.HashMap<string,BackgroundSource> background_sources;
+        private BackgroundSource background_source;
 
         private Animation animation;
 
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ namespace Gala {
 
         construct {
             file_monitors = new Gee.HashMap<string,FileMonitor> ();
-            background_sources = new Gee.HashMap<string,BackgroundSource> ();
         }
 
         public void monitor_file (string filename) {
@@ -83,25 +82,19 @@ namespace Gala {
             return animation;
         }
 
-        public BackgroundSource get_background_source (Meta.Display display, string settings_schema) {
-            var background_source = background_sources[settings_schema];
+        public BackgroundSource get_background_source (Meta.Display display) {
             if (background_source == null) {
-                background_source = new BackgroundSource (display, settings_schema);
+                background_source = new BackgroundSource (display);
                 background_source.use_count = 1;
-                background_sources[settings_schema] = background_source;
             } else
                 background_source.use_count++;
 
             return background_source;
         }
 
-        public void release_background_source (string settings_schema) {
-            if (background_sources.has_key (settings_schema)) {
-                var source = background_sources[settings_schema];
-                if (--source.use_count == 0) {
-                    background_sources.unset (settings_schema);
-                    source.destroy ();
-                }
+        public void release_background_source () {
+            if (--background_source.use_count == 0) {
+                background_source.destroy ();
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/Background/BackgroundManager.vala b/src/Background/BackgroundManager.vala
index fd1d30fe..88300f26 100644
--- a/src/Background/BackgroundManager.vala
+++ b/src/Background/BackgroundManager.vala
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
 namespace Gala {
     public class BackgroundManager : Meta.BackgroundGroup {
-        private const string GNOME_BACKGROUND_SCHEMA = "org.gnome.desktop.background";
         private const string GALA_BACKGROUND_SCHEMA = "io.elementary.desktop.background";
         private const string DIM_WALLPAPER_KEY = "dim-wallpaper-in-dark-style";
         private const double DIM_OPACITY = 0.55;
@@ -46,14 +45,14 @@ namespace Gala {
         }
 
         construct {
-            background_source = BackgroundCache.get_default ().get_background_source (display, GNOME_BACKGROUND_SCHEMA);
+            background_source = BackgroundCache.get_default ().get_background_source (display);
             background_actor = create_background_actor ();
 
             destroy.connect (on_destroy);
         }
 
         private void on_destroy () {
-            BackgroundCache.get_default ().release_background_source (GNOME_BACKGROUND_SCHEMA);
+            BackgroundCache.get_default ().release_background_source ();
             background_source = null;
 
             if (new_background_actor != null) {
diff --git a/src/Background/BackgroundSource.vala b/src/Background/BackgroundSource.vala
index 46f16577..f9829bc5 100644
--- a/src/Background/BackgroundSource.vala
+++ b/src/Background/BackgroundSource.vala
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ namespace Gala {
         private uint[] hash_cache;
         private Meta.MonitorManager? monitor_manager;
 
-        public BackgroundSource (Meta.Display display, string settings_schema) {
-            Object (display: display, settings: new Settings (settings_schema));
+        public BackgroundSource (Meta.Display display) {
+            Object (display: display);
         }
 
         construct {
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ namespace Gala {
             monitor_manager = display.get_context ().get_backend ().get_monitor_manager ();
             monitor_manager.monitors_changed.connect (monitors_changed);
 
+            settings = new Settings ("org.gnome.desktop.background");
+
             // unfortunately the settings sometimes tend to fire random changes even though
             // nothing actually happened. The code below is used to prevent us from spamming
             // new actors all the time, which lead to some problems in other areas of the code