diff --git a/frappe/hooks.py b/frappe/hooks.py
index 3c19d67150..e6fdf58b1f 100644
--- a/frappe/hooks.py
+++ b/frappe/hooks.py
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ user_privacy_documents = [
 		'doctype': 'User',
 		'match_field': 'name',
 		'personal_fields': ['email', 'username', 'first_name', 'middle_name', 'last_name', 'full_name', 'birth_date',
-			'user_image', 'phone', 'mobile_no', 'location', 'banner_image', 'interest', 'bio', 'email_signature', 'background_image'],
+			'user_image', 'phone', 'mobile_no', 'location', 'banner_image', 'interest', 'bio', 'email_signature'],
 		'applies_to_website_user': 1
 	},
 
diff --git a/frappe/utils/user.py b/frappe/utils/user.py
index 50fad3b8d4..a50604819e 100755
--- a/frappe/utils/user.py
+++ b/frappe/utils/user.py
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class UserPermissions:
 
 	def load_user(self):
 		d = frappe.db.sql("""select email, first_name, last_name, creation,
-			email_signature, user_type, language, background_style, background_image,
+			email_signature, user_type, language, background_style,
 			mute_sounds, send_me_a_copy, document_follow_notify
 			from tabUser where name = %s""", (self.name,), as_dict=1)[0]
 
diff --git a/frappe/www/desk.html b/frappe/www/desk.html
index 95598309ba..34c53cd93e 100644
--- a/frappe/www/desk.html
+++ b/frappe/www/desk.html
@@ -33,11 +33,6 @@
 		<footer></footer>
 	</div>
 
-	<!-- hack! load background image asap, before desktop is rendered -->
-	{% if background_image %}
-	<img src="{{ background_image }}" style="height: 1px; width: 1px; margin-bottom: -1px;">
-	{% endif %}
-
 	<script type="text/javascript" src="/assets/frappe/js/lib/jquery/jquery.min.js"></script>
 
 	<script type="text/javascript">
diff --git a/frappe/www/desk.py b/frappe/www/desk.py
index cd255db91c..689bf725f0 100644
--- a/frappe/www/desk.py
+++ b/frappe/www/desk.py
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ def get_context(context):
 		"sounds": hooks["sounds"],
 		"boot": boot if context.get("for_mobile") else boot_json,
 		"csrf_token": csrf_token,
-		"background_image": (boot.status != 'failed' and
-			(boot.user.background_image or boot.default_background_image) or None),
 		"google_analytics_id": frappe.conf.get("google_analytics_id"),
 		"mixpanel_id": frappe.conf.get("mixpanel_id")
 	})