diff --git a/test/boot-environment.nix b/test/boot-environment.nix
index af7b96785185..05099ee97bb2 100644
--- a/test/boot-environment.nix
+++ b/test/boot-environment.nix
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ rec {
         inherit (pkgs) openssh;
       })
 
+      # Transparent TTY backgrounds.
+      (import ./upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix {
+        inherit (pkgs) stdenv splashutils;
+        backgrounds = (import ./splash-themes.nix {
+          inherit (pkgs) fetchurl;
+        }).ttyBackgrounds;
+      })
+
       # Handles the maintenance/stalled event (single-user shell).
       (import ./upstart-jobs/maintenance-shell.nix {
         inherit (pkgs) bash;
diff --git a/test/splash-themes.nix b/test/splash-themes.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cbc725dda1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/splash-themes.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{fetchurl}:
+
+rec {
+
+  # Some themes.
+  
+  themeBabyTux = fetchurl {
+    url = http://www.bootsplash.de/files/themes/Theme-BabyTux.tar.bz2;
+    md5 = "a6d89d1c1cff3b6a08e2f526f2eab4e0";
+  };
+
+  themeFrozenBubble = fetchurl {
+    url = http://www.bootsplash.de/files/themes/Theme-FrozenBubble.tar.bz2;
+    md5 = "da49f04988ab04b7e0de117b0d25061a";
+  };
+
+  themePativo = fetchurl {
+    url = http://www.bootsplash.de/files/themes/Theme-Pativo.tar.bz2;
+    md5 = "9e13beaaadf88d43a5293e7ab757d569";
+  };
+
+
+  # The themes to use for each tty.  For each tty except the first
+  # entry in the list, you can omit `theme' to get the same theme as
+  # the first one.  If a tty does not appear, it doesn't get a
+  # theme (i.e., it will keep a black background).
+  
+  ttyBackgrounds = [
+    { tty = 1;
+      theme = themeBabyTux;
+    }
+    { tty = 2;
+    }
+    { tty = 3;
+      theme = themeFrozenBubble;
+    }
+    { tty = 4;
+      theme = themePativo;
+    }
+    { tty = 6;
+      theme = themeFrozenBubble;
+    }
+  ];
+  
+}
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..50bab1fcd8cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+source $stdenv/setup
+
+ttys=($ttys)
+themes=($themes)
+
+ensureDir $out
+
+default=
+
+for ((n = 0; n < ${#ttys[*]}; n++)); do
+    tty=${ttys[$n]}
+    theme=${themes[$n]}
+
+    if test "$theme" = "default"; then
+        if test -z "$default"; then
+            echo "No default theme!"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        theme=$default
+    fi
+        
+    if test -z "$default"; then default=$theme; fi
+
+    echo "TTY $tty -> $theme"
+
+    themeName=$(cd $theme && ls)
+    
+    ln -sf $theme/$themeName $out/$themeName
+
+    if test -e $out/$tty; then
+        echo "Multiple themes defined for the same TTY!"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    ln -sf $themeName $out/$tty
+    
+done
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fd8eabea6a66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/tty-backgrounds.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+{stdenv, splashutils, backgrounds}:
+
+rec {
+  name = "tty-backgrounds";
+
+  unpackTheme = theme: stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    name = "theme";
+    builder = ./unpack-theme.sh;
+    inherit theme;
+  };
+
+  themesUnpacked = stdenv.mkDerivation {
+    name = "splash-themes";
+    builder = ./tty-backgrounds-combine.sh;
+    # !!! Should use XML here.
+    ttys = map (x: x.tty) backgrounds;
+    themes = map (x: if x ? theme then (unpackTheme x.theme) else "default") backgrounds;
+  };
+
+  job = "
+start on hardware-scan
+
+script
+
+    rm -f /etc/splash
+    ln -s ${themesUnpacked} /etc/splash
+
+    # Critical: tell the kernel where to find splash_helper.  It calls
+    # this program every time we switch between consoles.
+    echo ${splashutils}/bin/splash_helper > /proc/sys/kernel/fbsplash
+
+    # Set the theme for each console, as determined by
+    # tty-backgrounds-combine.sh above.
+    for tty in ${toString (map (x: x.tty) backgrounds)}; do
+        theme=$(readlink ${themesUnpacked}/$tty)
+        ${splashutils}/bin/splash_util --tty $tty -c setcfg -t $theme || true
+        ${splashutils}/bin/splash_util --tty $tty -c setpic -t $theme || true
+        ${splashutils}/bin/splash_util --tty $tty -c on || true
+    done
+
+end script
+  ";
+  
+}
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh b/test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c3a860692e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/unpack-theme.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+source $stdenv/setup
+
+ensureDir $out
+
+tar xvfj $theme -C $out
+
+themeName=$(cd $out && ls)
+
+for i in $out/$themeName/config/*.cfg; do
+    echo "converting $i"
+    # Rewrite /etc paths.  Also, the file names
+    # config/bootsplash-<RES>.cfg should be <RES>.cfg.
+    sed "s^/etc/bootsplash/themes^$out^g" < $i > $out/$themeName/$(basename $i | sed 's^.*-^^')
+done
+
+rm $out/$themeName/config/*.cfg