diff --git a/system/wallpaper.cpp b/system/wallpaper.cpp
index 5f36b95..a637f0d 100644
--- a/system/wallpaper.cpp
+++ b/system/wallpaper.cpp
@@ -1,37 +1,73 @@
 #include "wallpaper.h"
 
+#include <QDBusServiceWatcher>
+
 Wallpaper::Wallpaper(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent)
-    , m_interface("com.cutefish.Settings",
-                  "/Theme", "com.cutefish.Theme",
-                  QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this)
+    , m_interface(nullptr)
 {
-    if (m_interface.isValid()) {
-        connect(&m_interface, SIGNAL(wallpaperChanged(QString)), this, SLOT(onPathChanged(QString)));
-        connect(&m_interface, SIGNAL(darkModeDimsWallpaerChanged()), this, SIGNAL(dimsWallpaperChanged()));
-        connect(&m_interface, SIGNAL(backgroundTypeChanged()), this, SIGNAL(typeChanged()));
-        connect(&m_interface, SIGNAL(backgroundColorChanged()), this, SIGNAL(colorChanged()));
-    }
+    // The shell starts before cutefish-settings, so the signals are hooked up
+    // again once the service appears; without this the desktop would keep the
+    // background it read at startup for the rest of the session.
+    QDBusServiceWatcher *watcher = new QDBusServiceWatcher(this);
+    watcher->setConnection(QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
+    watcher->addWatchedService("com.cutefish.Settings");
+    connect(watcher, &QDBusServiceWatcher::serviceRegistered, this, &Wallpaper::init);
+
+    init();
+}
+
+void Wallpaper::init()
+{
+    delete m_interface;
+    m_interface = new QDBusInterface("com.cutefish.Settings",
+                                     "/Theme", "com.cutefish.Theme",
+                                     QDBusConnection::sessionBus(), this);
+
+    if (!m_interface->isValid())
+        return;
+
+    connect(m_interface, SIGNAL(wallpaperChanged(QString)), this, SLOT(onPathChanged(QString)));
+    connect(m_interface, SIGNAL(darkModeDimsWallpaerChanged()), this, SIGNAL(dimsWallpaperChanged()));
+    connect(m_interface, SIGNAL(backgroundTypeChanged()), this, SIGNAL(typeChanged()));
+    connect(m_interface, SIGNAL(backgroundColorChanged()), this, SIGNAL(colorChanged()));
+    connect(m_interface, SIGNAL(backgroundVisibleChanged()), this, SIGNAL(backgroundVisibleChanged()));
+
+    emit typeChanged();
+    emit pathChanged();
+    emit colorChanged();
+    emit dimsWallpaperChanged();
+    emit backgroundVisibleChanged();
+}
+
+QVariant Wallpaper::themeProperty(const char *name) const
+{
+    return m_interface ? m_interface->property(name) : QVariant();
 }
 
 int Wallpaper::type() const
 {
-    return m_interface.property("backgroundType").toInt();
+    return themeProperty("backgroundType").toInt();
 }
 
 QString Wallpaper::path() const
 {
-    return m_interface.property("wallpaper").toString();
+    return themeProperty("wallpaper").toString();
 }
 
 bool Wallpaper::dimsWallpaper() const
 {
-    return m_interface.property("darkModeDimsWallpaer").toBool();
+    return themeProperty("darkModeDimsWallpaer").toBool();
 }
 
 QString Wallpaper::color() const
 {
-    return m_interface.property("backgroundColor").toString();
+    return themeProperty("backgroundColor").toString();
+}
+
+bool Wallpaper::backgroundVisible() const
+{
+    return themeProperty("backgroundVisible").toBool();
 }
 
 void Wallpaper::onPathChanged(QString path)
diff --git a/system/wallpaper.h b/system/wallpaper.h
index c48502f..5902e77 100644
--- a/system/wallpaper.h
+++ b/system/wallpaper.h
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QDBusInterface>
 
+/**
+ * The desktop background as cutefish-settings publishes it over
+ * com.cutefish.Theme: an image (type 0) or a plain colour (type 1).
+ */
 class Wallpaper : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -11,6 +15,7 @@ class Wallpaper : public QObject
     Q_PROPERTY(QString path READ path NOTIFY pathChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool dimsWallpaper READ dimsWallpaper NOTIFY dimsWallpaperChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString color READ color NOTIFY colorChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool backgroundVisible READ backgroundVisible NOTIFY backgroundVisibleChanged)
 
 public:
     explicit Wallpaper(QObject *parent = nullptr);
@@ -21,19 +26,26 @@ public:
     bool dimsWallpaper() const;
 
     QString color() const;
+    bool backgroundVisible() const;
 
 signals:
     void pathChanged();
     void dimsWallpaperChanged();
     void typeChanged();
     void colorChanged();
+    void backgroundVisibleChanged();
+
+private:
+    QVariant themeProperty(const char *name) const;
 
 private slots:
+    void init();
     void onPathChanged(QString path);
 
 private:
-    QDBusInterface m_interface;
-    QString m_wallpaper;
+    // Recreated in init(): a QDBusInterface built while cutefish-settings is
+    // not on the bus caches a failed introspection and never recovers.
+    QDBusInterface *m_interface;
 };
 
 #endif // WALLPAPER_H