diff --git a/src/viewer/text/draw.c b/src/viewer/text/draw.c
index 65a16e70..5acd4cb8 100644
--- a/src/viewer/text/draw.c
+++ b/src/viewer/text/draw.c
@@ -324,12 +324,22 @@ draw_doc(struct session *ses, struct document_view *doc_view, int active)
 
 	vs = doc_view->vs;
 	if (!vs) {
-		draw_box(term, box, ' ', 0, &color);
+		int bgchar = get_opt_int("ui.background_char", ses);
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
+		draw_box(term, box, bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#else
+		draw_box(term, box, (unsigned char)bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#endif
 		return;
 	}
 
 	if (document_has_frames(doc_view->document)) {
-		draw_box(term, box, ' ', 0, &color);
+		int bgchar = get_opt_int("ui.background_char", ses);
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
+		draw_box(term, box, bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#else
+		draw_box(term, box, (unsigned char)bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#endif
 		draw_frame_lines(term, doc_view->document->frame_desc, box->x, box->y, &color);
 		if (vs->current_link == -1)
 			vs->current_link = 0;
@@ -380,7 +390,13 @@ draw_doc(struct session *ses, struct document_view *doc_view, int active)
 	}
 	doc_view->last_x = vx;
 	doc_view->last_y = vy;
-	draw_box(term, box, ' ', 0, &color);
+
+	int bgchar = get_opt_int("ui.background_char", ses);
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
+	draw_box(term, box, bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#else
+	draw_box(term, box, (unsigned char)bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(term, "desktop"));
+#endif
 	if (!doc_view->document->height) return;
 
 	while (vs->y >= doc_view->document->height) vs->y -= box->height;
@@ -481,11 +497,16 @@ draw_formatted(struct session *ses, int rerender)
 	if (!ses->doc_view || !ses->doc_view->document) {
 		/*INTERNAL("document not formatted");*/
 		struct el_box box;
+		int bgchar = get_opt_int("ui.background_char", ses);
 
 		set_box(&box, 0, 1,
 			ses->tab->term->width,
 			ses->tab->term->height - 2);
-		draw_box(ses->tab->term, &box, ' ', 0, NULL);
+#ifdef CONFIG_UTF8
+		draw_box(ses->tab->term, &box, bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(ses->tab->term, "desktop"));
+#else
+		draw_box(ses->tab->term, &box, (unsigned char)bgchar, 0, get_bfu_color(ses->tab->term, "desktop"));
+#endif
 		return;
 	}