diff --git a/src/backend/backend.h b/src/backend/backend.h
index 104d6ca..c8151e1 100644
--- a/src/backend/backend.h
+++ b/src/backend/backend.h
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ enum image_operations {
 	// Same as APPLY_ALPHA, but `reg_op` is ignored and the operation applies to the
 	// full image
 	IMAGE_OP_APPLY_ALPHA_ALL,
+	// Change the effective size of the image, without touching the backing image
+	// itself. When the image is used, the backing image should be tiled to fill its
+	// effective size. `reg_op` and `reg_visibile` is ignored. `arg` is two integers,
+	// width and height, in that order.
+	IMAGE_OP_RESIZE_TILE,
 };
 
 struct backend_operations {
diff --git a/src/backend/gl/gl_common.c b/src/backend/gl/gl_common.c
index ea32339..acf8a9e 100644
--- a/src/backend/gl/gl_common.c
+++ b/src/backend/gl/gl_common.c
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ void gl_compose(backend_t *base, void *image_data, int dst_x, int dst_y,
 
 	// Painting
 	int nrects;
+
 	const rect_t *rects;
 	rects = pixman_region32_rectangles((region_t *)reg_tgt, &nrects);
 
@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ void gl_compose(backend_t *base, void *image_data, int dst_x, int dst_y,
 		}
 
 		if (ptex->target == GL_TEXTURE_2D) {
-			// GL_TEXTURE_2D coordinates are 0-1
+			// GL_TEXTURE_2D coordinates are normalized
 			texture_x1 /= ptex->width;
 			texture_y1 /= ptex->height;
 			texture_x2 /= ptex->width;
@@ -899,6 +900,7 @@ GLuint gl_new_texture(GLenum target) {
 bool gl_image_op(backend_t *base, enum image_operations op, void *image_data,
                  const region_t *reg_op, const region_t *reg_visible, void *arg) {
 	struct gl_texture *tex = image_data;
+	int *iargs = arg;
 	switch (op) {
 	case IMAGE_OP_INVERT_COLOR_ALL: tex->color_inverted = true; break;
 	case IMAGE_OP_DIM_ALL: log_warn("IMAGE_OP_DIM_ALL not implemented yet"); break;
@@ -906,7 +908,13 @@ bool gl_image_op(backend_t *base, enum image_operations op, void *image_data,
 	case IMAGE_OP_APPLY_ALPHA:
 		log_warn("IMAGE_OP_APPLY_ALPHA not implemented yet");
 		break;
+	case IMAGE_OP_RESIZE_TILE:
+		// texture is already set to repeat, so nothing else we need to do
+		tex->ewidth = iargs[0];
+		tex->eheight = iargs[1];
+		break;
 	}
+
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/gl/gl_common.h b/src/backend/gl/gl_common.h
index 78a5309..ba080ac 100644
--- a/src/backend/gl/gl_common.h
+++ b/src/backend/gl/gl_common.h
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ typedef struct gl_texture {
 	int *refcount;
 	GLuint texture;
 	GLenum target;
-	unsigned width;
-	unsigned height;
+	int width, height;
+	// The effective size of the texture
+	int ewidth, eheight;
 	unsigned depth;
 	bool y_inverted;
 	bool has_alpha;
diff --git a/src/backend/gl/glx.c b/src/backend/gl/glx.c
index c98fc50..038ba07 100644
--- a/src/backend/gl/glx.c
+++ b/src/backend/gl/glx.c
@@ -355,8 +355,8 @@ glx_bind_pixmap(backend_t *base, xcb_pixmap_t pixmap, struct xvisual_info fmt, b
 
 	auto wd = ccalloc(1, struct _glx_image_data);
 	wd->pixmap = pixmap;
-	wd->texture.width = r->width;
-	wd->texture.height = r->height;
+	wd->texture.width = wd->texture.ewidth = r->width;
+	wd->texture.height = wd->texture.eheight = r->height;
 	free(r);
 
 	auto fbcfg = glx_find_fbconfig(gd->display, gd->screen, fmt);
diff --git a/src/backend/xrender.c b/src/backend/xrender.c
index cdd3878..b3337a6 100644
--- a/src/backend/xrender.c
+++ b/src/backend/xrender.c
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ struct _xrender_image_data {
 	// A Picture links to the Pixmap
 	xcb_render_picture_t pict;
 	long width, height;
+	// The effective size of the image
+	long ewidth, eheight;
 	bool has_alpha;
 	double opacity;
 	xcb_visualid_t visual;
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ static void compose(backend_t *base, void *img_data, int dst_x, int dst_y,
 
 	x_set_picture_clip_region(base->c, xd->back[xd->curr_back], 0, 0, &reg);
 	xcb_render_composite(base->c, op, img->pict, alpha_pict, xd->back[xd->curr_back],
-	                     0, 0, 0, 0, dst_x, dst_y, img->width, img->height);
+	                     0, 0, 0, 0, dst_x, dst_y, img->ewidth, img->eheight);
 	pixman_region32_fini(&reg);
 }
 
@@ -226,8 +228,8 @@ bind_pixmap(backend_t *base, xcb_pixmap_t pixmap, struct xvisual_info fmt, bool
 
 	auto img = ccalloc(1, struct _xrender_image_data);
 	img->depth = fmt.visual_depth;
-	img->width = r->width;
-	img->height = r->height;
+	img->width = img->ewidth = r->width;
+	img->height = img->eheight = r->height;
 	img->pixmap = pixmap;
 	img->opacity = 1;
 	img->has_alpha = fmt.alpha_size != 0;
@@ -343,6 +345,7 @@ static bool image_op(backend_t *base, enum image_operations op, void *image,
 	region_t reg;
 	double dim_opacity;
 	double alpha_multiplier;
+	int *iargs = arg;
 	if (op == IMAGE_OP_APPLY_ALPHA_ALL) {
 		alpha_multiplier = *(double *)arg;
 		img->opacity *= alpha_multiplier;
@@ -414,6 +417,10 @@ static bool image_op(backend_t *base, enum image_operations op, void *image,
 		                     alpha_pict, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, img->width, img->height);
 		img->has_alpha = true;
 		break;
+	case IMAGE_OP_RESIZE_TILE:
+		img->ewidth = iargs[0];
+		img->eheight = iargs[1];
+		break;
 	case IMAGE_OP_APPLY_ALPHA_ALL: assert(false);
 	}
 	pixman_region32_fini(&reg);
diff --git a/src/compton.c b/src/compton.c
index 49a95e2..31d3f28 100644
--- a/src/compton.c
+++ b/src/compton.c
@@ -951,6 +951,8 @@ root_damaged(session_t *ps) {
       ps->root_image =
         ps->backend_data->ops->bind_pixmap(ps->backend_data, pixmap,
                                            x_get_visual_info(ps->c, ps->vis), false);
+      ps->backend_data->ops->image_op(ps->backend_data, IMAGE_OP_RESIZE_TILE,
+          ps->root_image, NULL, NULL, (int[]){ps->root_width, ps->root_height});
     }
   }
 
@@ -2088,7 +2090,7 @@ redir_stop(session_t *ps) {
         if (ps->root_image) {
           ps->backend_data->ops->release_image(ps->backend_data, ps->root_image);
           ps->root_image = NULL;
-	}
+        }
       } else {
         free_paint(ps, &w->paint);
       }