diff --git a/src/desktop.cpp b/src/desktop.cpp
index ea6ef1bc3e5826ee0b47c6836ac4c37fb45b0d41..3f40e7e75d2803a0091f420898447cd894461d8e 100644
--- a/src/desktop.cpp
+++ b/src/desktop.cpp
@@ -1874,7 +1874,7 @@ static void _namedview_modified (SPObject *obj, guint flags, SPDesktop *desktop)
 
     if (flags & SP_OBJECT_MODIFIED_FLAG) {
         if (nv->pagecheckerboard) {
-            desktop->canvas->setBackgroundCheckerboard();
+            desktop->canvas->setBackgroundCheckerboard(nv->pagecolor);
         } else {
             desktop->canvas->setBackgroundColor(nv->pagecolor);
         }
diff --git a/src/display/cairo-utils.cpp b/src/display/cairo-utils.cpp
index 6dd343298e9b41b38b8864225dcda3f8d1fe36a3..0a1dbd3d6614daa7e2bd3aa461265b7395c0e135 100644
--- a/src/display/cairo-utils.cpp
+++ b/src/display/cairo-utils.cpp
@@ -1280,18 +1280,29 @@ int ink_cairo_surface_linear_to_srgb(cairo_surface_t *surface)
 }
 
 cairo_pattern_t *
-ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard()
+ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard(guint32 rgba)
 {
     int const w = 6;
     int const h = 6;
 
+    double r = SP_RGBA32_R_F(rgba);
+    double g = SP_RGBA32_G_F(rgba);
+    double b = SP_RGBA32_B_F(rgba);
+
+    float hsl[3];
+    SPColor::rgb_to_hsl_floatv(hsl, r, g, b);    
+    hsl[2] += hsl[2] < 0.08 ? 0.08 : -0.08; // 0.08 = 0.77-0.69, the original checkerboard colors.
+
+    float rgb2[3];
+    SPColor::hsl_to_rgb_floatv(rgb2, hsl[0], hsl[1], hsl[2]);
+
     cairo_surface_t *s = cairo_image_surface_create(CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32, 2*w, 2*h);
 
     cairo_t *ct = cairo_create(s);
     cairo_set_operator(ct, CAIRO_OPERATOR_SOURCE);
-    cairo_set_source_rgb(ct, 0.77, 0.77, 0.77);
+    cairo_set_source_rgb(ct, r, g, b);
     cairo_paint(ct);
-    cairo_set_source_rgb(ct, 0.69, 0.69, 0.69);
+    cairo_set_source_rgb(ct, rgb2[0], rgb2[1], rgb2[2]);
     cairo_rectangle(ct, 0, 0, w, h);
     cairo_rectangle(ct, w, h, w, h);
     cairo_fill(ct);
diff --git a/src/display/cairo-utils.h b/src/display/cairo-utils.h
index 61f23659395c3160407808398cade4004f5cb2d8..fbcee5413a45ef72141ec8092a1f3a28bd5a6ef5 100644
--- a/src/display/cairo-utils.h
+++ b/src/display/cairo-utils.h
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ double srgb_to_linear( const double c );
 int ink_cairo_surface_srgb_to_linear(cairo_surface_t *surface);
 int ink_cairo_surface_linear_to_srgb(cairo_surface_t *surface);
 
-cairo_pattern_t *ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard();
+cairo_pattern_t *ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard(guint32 rgba = 0xC4C4C4FF);
 
 GdkPixbuf *ink_pixbuf_create_from_cairo_surface(cairo_surface_t *s);
 void convert_pixels_pixbuf_to_argb32(guchar *data, int w, int h, int rs);
diff --git a/src/display/sp-canvas.cpp b/src/display/sp-canvas.cpp
index 8d10ccb33d0a568da8f5c10ee0e73f63f787df9f..8e3851dd73d29bd11a12a52bcc789501903eca6d 100644
--- a/src/display/sp-canvas.cpp
+++ b/src/display/sp-canvas.cpp
@@ -2728,12 +2728,13 @@ void SPCanvas::setBackgroundColor(guint32 rgba) {
     addIdle();
 }
 
-void SPCanvas::setBackgroundCheckerboard() {
+void SPCanvas::setBackgroundCheckerboard(guint32 rgba)
+{
     if (_background_is_checkerboard) return;
     if (_background) {
         cairo_pattern_destroy(_background);
     }
-    _background = ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard();
+    _background = ink_cairo_pattern_create_checkerboard(rgba);
     _background_is_checkerboard = true;
     dirtyAll();
     addIdle();
diff --git a/src/display/sp-canvas.h b/src/display/sp-canvas.h
index 368a058384834f9535e63a3b00c4dad940a95515..9b782e8a47e1f861ab1084309ea7144589e65904 100644
--- a/src/display/sp-canvas.h
+++ b/src/display/sp-canvas.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ struct SPCanvas {
     SPCanvasGroup *getRoot();
 
     void setBackgroundColor(guint32 rgba);
-    void setBackgroundCheckerboard();
+    void setBackgroundCheckerboard(guint32 rgba = 0xC4C4C4FF);
 
     /// Returns new canvas as widget.
     static GtkWidget *createAA();