diff --git a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
index 66113864f7b8..d7ac3c31c6bd 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
+++ b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
@@ -5,27 +5,23 @@ themes=($themes)
 
 ensureDir $out
 
-default=
+defaultName=$(cd $default && ls | grep -v default)
+echo $defaultName
+ln -s $default/default $out/default
+ln -s $defaultName $out/$defaultName
 
 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 | grep -v default)
-
-    ln -sfn $theme/$themeName $out/$themeName
+    if [ "$theme" != default ]; then
+        themeName=$(cd $theme && ls | grep -v default)
+        ln -sfn $theme/$themeName $out/$themeName
+    else
+        themeName=default
+    fi
 
     if test -e $out/$tty; then
         echo "Multiple themes defined for the same TTY!"
@@ -33,5 +29,4 @@ for ((n = 0; n < ${#ttys[*]}; n++)); do
     fi
 
     ln -sfn $themeName $out/$tty
-    
 done
diff --git a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
index 5f557ac7f5cb..8ba46e1b6b34 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
@@ -24,18 +24,15 @@ let
         filter (x: !(elem x overridenTTYs)) requiredTTYs;
 
     in      
-      (map (tty: {
-        inherit tty;
-        theme = config.services.ttyBackgrounds.defaultTheme;
-      }) defaultTTYs)
-      ++ specificThemes;
+      (map (tty: { inherit tty; }) defaultTTYs) ++ specificThemes;
 
   themesUnpacked = stdenv.mkDerivation {
     name = "splash-themes";
     builder = ./tty-backgrounds-combine.sh;
+    default = unpackTheme config.services.ttyBackgrounds.defaultTheme;
     # !!! Should use XML here.
     ttys = map (x: x.tty) backgrounds;
-    themes = map (x: if x ? theme then (unpackTheme x.theme) else "default") backgrounds;
+    themes = map (x: if x ? theme then unpackTheme x.theme else "default") backgrounds;
   };
 
   unpackTheme = theme: import ../../lib/unpack-theme.nix {
@@ -124,7 +121,12 @@ in
                 # above.  Note that splashutils needs a TTY number
                 # instead of a device name, hence the ''${tty:3}.
                 theme=$(readlink ${themesUnpacked}/$tty)
-                ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty ''${tty:3} -c setcfg -t $theme || true
+                prevTheme=$(${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty ''${tty:3} -c getcfg |
+                    sed 's/theme: *\(.*\)/\1/;t;d' || true)
+                echo $tty $theme $prevTheme
+                if [ "$theme" != "$prevTheme" ]; then
+                    ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty ''${tty:3} -c setcfg -t $theme || true
+                fi
                 ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty ''${tty:3} -c setpic -t $theme || true
                 ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty ''${tty:3} -c on || true
             done