diff --git a/terminatorlib/config.py b/terminatorlib/config.py
index b0888a71..4f7567ec 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/config.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/config.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ DEFAULTS = {
                 'background_color'      : '#000000',
                 'background_darkness'   : 0.5,
                 'background_type'       : 'solid',
+                'background_image'      : '',
                 'backspace_binding'     : 'ascii-del',
                 'delete_binding'        : 'escape-sequence',
                 'color_scheme'          : 'grey_on_black',
@@ -253,8 +254,6 @@ DEFAULTS = {
                 'autoclean_groups'      : True,
                 'http_proxy'            : '',
                 'ignore_hosts'          : ['localhost','127.0.0.0/8','*.local'],
-                'background_image'      : '',
-                'background_alpha'      : 0.0,
                 # Titlebar
                 'title_hide_sizetext'     : False,
                 'title_transmit_fg_color' : '#ffffff',
diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminal.py b/terminatorlib/terminal.py
index 58f964c8..2cd7079a 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/terminal.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminal.py
@@ -149,12 +149,6 @@ class Terminal(Gtk.VBox):
             self.composite_support = True
         dbg('composite_support: %s' % self.composite_support)
 
-        self.background_alpha = self.config['background_darkness']
-        if self.config['background_type'] == 'image' and self.config['background_image'] != '':
-            self.set_background_image(self.config['background_image'])
-        else:
-            self.background_image = None
-
         self.vte.show()
         self.update_url_matches()
 
@@ -723,11 +717,16 @@ class Terminal(Gtk.VBox):
             self.bgcolor = Gdk.RGBA()
             self.bgcolor.parse(self.config['background_color'])
 
-        if self.config['background_type'] == 'transparent' or self.config['background_type'] == 'image':
+        if self.config['background_type'] in ('transparent', 'image'):
             self.bgcolor.alpha = self.config['background_darkness']
         else:
             self.bgcolor.alpha = 1
 
+        if self.config['background_type'] == 'image' and self.config['background_image'] != '':
+            self.set_background_image(self.config['background_image'])
+        else:
+            self.background_image = None
+
         factor = self.config['inactive_color_offset']
         if factor > 1.0:
           factor = 1.0