diff --git a/.config/systemd/user/restore-gnome.service b/.config/systemd/user/restore-gnome.service
index 08c5589..1651a82 100644
--- a/.config/systemd/user/restore-gnome.service
+++ b/.config/systemd/user/restore-gnome.service
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Before=gnome-session-pre.target
 ConditionPathIsDirectory=%h/.config/gnome-settings
 
 [Service]
+Environment=FRESH_SESSION=1
 Type=oneshot
 ExecStart=%h/.local/bin/restore-gnome
 
diff --git a/.local/bin/randomize-background b/.local/bin/randomize-background
index 44880ce..6f67f23 100755
--- a/.local/bin/randomize-background
+++ b/.local/bin/randomize-background
@@ -8,13 +8,25 @@
 #  - Pairs => Both "<name>-d.jpg" and "<name>-l.jpg" exist
 #  - Singles => Any other "*.jpg" not following the -d/-l scheme,
 #               used as dark and light at the same time
+#
+# The live `gsettings` URIs point at uniquely named copies
+# because `gnome-shell` caches background images by file URI;
+# `restore-gnome` cleans up that temporary state during the next login
 
 set -eu
 
 
+XDG_CONFIG_HOME="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"
+XDG_DATA_HOME="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}"
+XDG_STATE_HOME="${XDG_STATE_HOME:-$HOME/.local/state}"
+
+
 SOURCE_DIR="$HOME/Cloud/Null-Tech/Backgrounds"
-TARGET_DIR="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/backgrounds"
-STATE_FILE="${XDG_STATE_HOME:-$HOME/.local/state}/current-background.txt"
+TARGET_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME/backgrounds"
+
+
+LOCAL_INI="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-settings/local/temporary_background.ini"
+STATE_FILE="$XDG_STATE_HOME/current-background.txt"
 
 
 [ -d "$SOURCE_DIR" ] || { echo "No such folder: $SOURCE_DIR" >&2; exit 1; }
@@ -43,33 +55,87 @@ candidates=$(
     done
 )
 
-
 if [ -z "$candidates" ]; then
     echo "No usable *.jpg files in: $SOURCE_DIR" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
 
-
 echo "Found $(printf '%s\n' "$candidates" | wc -l) candidate(s)"
 
 
 # The glob expands alphabetically => "$candidates" is already sorted
 # => Pick the first candidate sorting strictly after the last-used one,
-#    falling back to the first (e.g., for start, wrap-around, or missing state file)
-last=$(cat "$STATE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || true)
-chosen=$(printf '%s\n' "$candidates" | awk -F '\t' -v last="$last" '$1 > last { print; exit }')
-[ -n "$chosen" ] || chosen=$(printf '%s\n' "$candidates" | head -n 1)
+#    falling back to the first one if necessary
+#    (e.g., for start, wrap-around, or missing state file)
+last_background=$(cat "$STATE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || true)
+next_background=$(printf '%s\n' "$candidates" | awk -F '\t' -v last_background="$last_background" '$1 > last_background { print; exit }')
+[ -n "$next_background" ] || next_background=$(printf '%s\n' "$candidates" | head -n 1)
 
 
-dark=$(printf '%s' "$chosen" | cut -f 1)
-light=$(printf '%s' "$chosen" | cut -f 2)
-echo "Chosen: $(basename "$dark")"
+dark_source=$(printf '%s' "$next_background" | cut -f 1)
+light_source=$(printf '%s' "$next_background" | cut -f 2)
+echo "Chosen background: $(basename "$dark_source")"
 
 
-mkdir -p "$TARGET_DIR" "$(dirname "$STATE_FILE")"
-cp -- "$dark" "$TARGET_DIR/dark.jpg"
-cp -- "$light" "$TARGET_DIR/light.jpg"
-printf '%s\n' "$dark" > "$STATE_FILE"
+dark_target="$TARGET_DIR/dark.jpg"
+light_target="$TARGET_DIR/light.jpg"
+
+# Create a unique name per run
+# so that the URIs below never repeat
+timestamp=$(date +%s)
+
+dark_live_target="$TARGET_DIR/dark-tmp-$timestamp.jpg"
+light_live_target="$TARGET_DIR/light-tmp-$timestamp.jpg"
+
+
+mkdir -p \
+    "$TARGET_DIR" \
+    "$(dirname "$LOCAL_INI")" \
+    "$(dirname "$STATE_FILE")"
+
+
+# Fixed-name copies, referenced as login-time defaults in the *.ini files
+cp -- "$dark_source" "$dark_target"
+cp -- "$light_source" "$light_target"
+
+
+# Uniquely named copies for the live `gsettings` URIs
+# to ensure `gnome-shell` uses the correct files right away
+cp -- "$dark_source" "$dark_live_target"
+cp -- "$light_source" "$light_live_target"
+
+
+printf '%s\n' "$dark_source" > "$STATE_FILE"
+
+
+Background=org.gnome.desktop.background
+Screensaver=org.gnome.desktop.screensaver
+
+gsettings set $Background picture-uri-dark "file://$dark_live_target"
+gsettings set $Background picture-uri "file://$light_live_target"
+gsettings set $Screensaver picture-uri "file://$dark_live_target"
+
+
+# Persist the unique URIs for `restore-gnome`,
+# which loads local/*.ini after the base *.ini files
+cat > "$LOCAL_INI" <<EOF
+# Written by $(basename "$0") - do not edit
+
+[org/gnome/desktop/background]
+
+picture-uri-dark='file://$dark_live_target'
+picture-uri='file://$light_live_target'
+
+
+[org/gnome/desktop/screensaver]
+
+picture-uri='file://$dark_live_target'
+EOF
+
+
+# Remove the uniquely named copies of previously chosen wallpapers
+find "$TARGET_DIR" -name 'dark-tmp-*.jpg' ! -name "dark-tmp-$timestamp.jpg" -delete
+find "$TARGET_DIR" -name 'light-tmp-*.jpg' ! -name "light-tmp-$timestamp.jpg" -delete
 
 
 echo "Installed as: $TARGET_DIR/{dark,light}.jpg"
diff --git a/.local/bin/restore-gnome b/.local/bin/restore-gnome
index 596794d..0d05ede 100755
--- a/.local/bin/restore-gnome
+++ b/.local/bin/restore-gnome
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ dconf dump / > "$BACKUP_DIR/$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).ini"
 ls -1t "$BACKUP_DIR"/*.ini | tail -n +11 | xargs -r rm --
 
 
+# Remove temporary background image files
+# created by ~/.local/bin/randomize-background
+if [ "${FRESH_SESSION:-}" = "1" ]; then
+    echo "Removing session-scoped background image files"
+    rm -f "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-settings/local/temporary_background.ini"
+    find "$XDG_DATA_HOME/backgrounds" -name '*-tmp-*.jpg' -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
 
 echo "Resetting managed subtrees in dconf"