--- a/XftFontDescription.st	Sun Oct 11 07:52:22 2015 +0100
+++ b/XftFontDescription.st	Sun Oct 11 07:57:11 2015 +0100
@@ -663,13 +663,19 @@
 
     opaque ifTrue:[
         bg  := aGC backgroundPaint.
-        bgPixel := bg colorId.
-        "/bgPixel notNil ifTrue:[
-            bgR := bg scaledRed.
-            bgG := bg scaledGreen.
-            bgB := bg scaledBlue.
-            bgA := (bg alpha * 65535) rounded.
-        "/].
+        bg isColor ifTrue:[
+            bgPixel := bg colorId.
+            "/bgPixel notNil ifTrue:[
+                bgR := bg scaledRed.
+                bgG := bg scaledGreen.
+                bgB := bg scaledBlue.
+                bgA := (bg alpha * 65535) rounded.
+            "/].
+        ] ifFalse:[
+            "images are not yet implemented"
+            "/ #todo: fill background rectangle
+            bgR := bgG := bgB := bgA := 16rFFFF.
+        ].
         bgR isNil ifTrue:[
             "/ when drawing into a pixmap...
             bg colorId == 0 ifTrue:[