diff --git a/kitty/bgimage_vertex.glsl b/kitty/bgimage_vertex.glsl
index c6f0f7433..7e2c171d0 100644
--- a/kitty/bgimage_vertex.glsl
+++ b/kitty/bgimage_vertex.glsl
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 #define tex_right 1
 #define tex_bottom 1
 
-uniform float unscaled;
-uniform vec2 translate; // [ left, top ]
+uniform float rescaled;
+uniform vec2 transform;  // [ pos_left_relative, pos_top_relative ]
 uniform vec4 sizes;  // [ window_width, window_height, image_width, image_height ]
 
 out vec2 texcoord;
@@ -28,12 +28,16 @@ const vec2 tex_map[] = vec2[4](
 );
 
 
-float unscaling_factor(int i) {
-    return unscaled * (sizes[i] / sizes[i + 2]) + (1 - unscaled);
+float scaling_factor(int i) {
+    return rescaled * (sizes[i] / sizes[i + 2]) + (1 - rescaled);
+}
+
+float position_divisor(int i) {
+    return (sizes[i] - sizes[i + 2]) * transform[i] / sizes[i + 2];
 }
 
 void main() {
     vec2 tex_coords = tex_map[gl_VertexID];
-    texcoord = vec2(tex_coords[0] * unscaling_factor(0) - translate[0], tex_coords[1] * unscaling_factor(1) - translate[1]);
+    texcoord = vec2(tex_coords[0] * scaling_factor(0) - position_divisor(0), tex_coords[1] * scaling_factor(1) - position_divisor(1));
     gl_Position = vec4(pos_map[gl_VertexID], 0, 1);
 }
diff --git a/kitty/shaders.c b/kitty/shaders.c
index 76a4d9f73..9276c01e7 100644
--- a/kitty/shaders.c
+++ b/kitty/shaders.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ typedef struct {
 static CellProgramLayout cell_program_layouts[NUM_PROGRAMS];
 static ssize_t blit_vertex_array;
 typedef struct {
-    GLint image_location, unscaled_location, translate_location, sizes_location, opacity_location, premult_location;
+    GLint image_location, rescaled_location, transform_location, sizes_location, opacity_location, premult_location;
 } BGImageProgramLayout;
 static BGImageProgramLayout bgimage_program_layout = {0};
 typedef struct {
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ init_cell_program(void) {
     bgimage_program_layout.image_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "image");
     bgimage_program_layout.opacity_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "opacity");
     bgimage_program_layout.sizes_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "sizes");
-    bgimage_program_layout.unscaled_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "unscaled");
-    bgimage_program_layout.translate_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "translate");
+    bgimage_program_layout.rescaled_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "rescaled");
+    bgimage_program_layout.transform_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "transform");
     bgimage_program_layout.premult_location = get_uniform_location(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM, "premult");
     tint_program_layout.tint_color_location = get_uniform_location(TINT_PROGRAM, "tint_color");
     tint_program_layout.edges_location = get_uniform_location(TINT_PROGRAM, "edges");
@@ -408,28 +408,28 @@ draw_bg(OSWindow *w) {
     bind_program(BGIMAGE_PROGRAM);
     bind_vertex_array(blit_vertex_array);
 
-    const bool unscaled = OPT(background_image_layout) == TILING || OPT(background_image_layout) == MIRRORED || OPT(background_image_layout) == CLAMPED;
+    const bool rescaled = OPT(background_image_layout) == TILING || OPT(background_image_layout) == MIRRORED || OPT(background_image_layout) == CLAMPED;
     static bool bgimage_constants_set = false;
     if (!bgimage_constants_set) {
         glUniform1i(bgimage_program_layout.image_location, BGIMAGE_UNIT);
         glUniform1f(bgimage_program_layout.opacity_location, OPT(background_opacity));
-        glUniform1f(bgimage_program_layout.unscaled_location, (GLfloat)unscaled);
+        glUniform1f(bgimage_program_layout.rescaled_location, (GLfloat)rescaled);
         bgimage_constants_set = true;
     }
-    float translate_left = 0.0f, translate_top = 0.0f;
-    if (unscaled) {
+    float pos_left_relative = 0.0f, pos_top_relative = 0.0f;
+    if (rescaled) {
         if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == TOP || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM) {
-            translate_left = ((float)w->window_width / 2.0f - (float)w->bgimage->width / 2.0f) / (float)w->bgimage->width;
+            pos_left_relative = 0.5f;
         } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == TOP_RIGHT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == RIGHT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_RIGHT) {
-            translate_left = ((float)w->window_width - (float)w->bgimage->width) / (float)w->bgimage->width;
+            pos_left_relative = 1.0f;
         }
         if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == LEFT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == CENTER || OPT(background_image_anchor) == RIGHT) {
-            translate_top = ((float)w->window_height / 2.0f - (float)w->bgimage->height / 2.0f) / (float)w->bgimage->height;
+            pos_top_relative = 0.5f;
         } else if (OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_LEFT || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM || OPT(background_image_anchor) == BOTTOM_RIGHT) {
-            translate_top = ((float)w->window_height - (float)w->bgimage->height) / (float)w->bgimage->height;
+            pos_top_relative = 1.0f;
         }
     }
-    glUniform2f(bgimage_program_layout.translate_location, (GLfloat)translate_left, (GLfloat)translate_top);
+    glUniform2f(bgimage_program_layout.transform_location, (GLfloat)pos_left_relative, (GLfloat)pos_top_relative);
     glUniform4f(bgimage_program_layout.sizes_location,
         (GLfloat)w->window_width, (GLfloat)w->window_height, (GLfloat)w->bgimage->width, (GLfloat)w->bgimage->height);
     glUniform1f(bgimage_program_layout.premult_location, w->is_semi_transparent ? 1.f : 0.f);