diff --git a/osu.Game/Graphics/Backgrounds/Background.cs b/osu.Game/Graphics/Backgrounds/Background.cs
index 6fc8b0e070..d3d530a540 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Graphics/Backgrounds/Background.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Graphics/Backgrounds/Background.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Sprites;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
-using OpenTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds
 {
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds
                 RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                 Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                 Origin = Anchor.Centre,
-                Colour = Color4.DarkGray,
                 FillMode = FillMode.Fill,
             });
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
index 78561cecbf..e326cdb0ca 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenBeatmap.cs
@@ -4,19 +4,14 @@
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics.Transforms;
-using OpenTK;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
 {
-    public class BackgroundScreenBeatmap : BackgroundScreen
+    public class BackgroundScreenBeatmap : BlurrableBackgroundScreen
     {
-        private Background background;
-
         private WorkingBeatmap beatmap;
-        private Vector2 blurTarget;
 
         public WorkingBeatmap Beatmap
         {
@@ -30,21 +25,21 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
 
                 Schedule(() =>
                 {
-                    LoadComponentAsync(new BeatmapBackground(beatmap), b =>
+                    LoadComponentAsync(new BeatmapBackground(beatmap), b => Schedule(() =>
                     {
                         float newDepth = 0;
-                        if (background != null)
+                        if (Background != null)
                         {
-                            newDepth = background.Depth + 1;
-                            background.FinishTransforms();
-                            background.FadeOut(250);
-                            background.Expire();
+                            newDepth = Background.Depth + 1;
+                            Background.FinishTransforms();
+                            Background.FadeOut(250);
+                            Background.Expire();
                         }
 
                         b.Depth = newDepth;
-                        Add(background = b);
-                        background.BlurSigma = blurTarget;
-                    });
+                        Add(Background = b);
+                        Background.BlurSigma = BlurTarget;
+                    }));
                 });
             }
         }
@@ -54,9 +49,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
             Beatmap = beatmap;
         }
 
-        public TransformSequence<Background> BlurTo(Vector2 sigma, double duration, Easing easing = Easing.None)
-            => background?.BlurTo(blurTarget = sigma, duration, easing);
-
         public override bool Equals(BackgroundScreen other)
         {
             var otherBeatmapBackground = other as BackgroundScreenBeatmap;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenDefault.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenDefault.cs
index 38df9b13ef..989883c8b3 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenDefault.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Backgrounds/BackgroundScreenDefault.cs
@@ -3,32 +3,32 @@
 
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.MathUtils;
 using osu.Framework.Threading;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds
 {
-    public class BackgroundScreenDefault : BackgroundScreen
+    public class BackgroundScreenDefault : BlurrableBackgroundScreen
     {
         private int currentDisplay;
         private const int background_count = 5;
 
         private string backgroundName => $@"Menu/menu-background-{currentDisplay % background_count + 1}";
 
-        private Background current;
-
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load()
         {
+            currentDisplay = RNG.Next(0, background_count);
             display(new Background(backgroundName));
         }
 
         private void display(Background newBackground)
         {
-            current?.FadeOut(800, Easing.InOutSine);
-            current?.Expire();
+            Background?.FadeOut(800, Easing.InOutSine);
+            Background?.Expire();
 
-            Add(current = newBackground);
+            Add(Background = newBackground);
             currentDisplay++;
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/BlurrableBackgroundScreen.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/BlurrableBackgroundScreen.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..92d32badc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/BlurrableBackgroundScreen.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2007-2018 ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>.
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
+
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Transforms;
+using osu.Game.Graphics.Backgrounds;
+using OpenTK;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Screens
+{
+    public abstract class BlurrableBackgroundScreen : BackgroundScreen
+    {
+        protected Background Background;
+
+        protected Vector2 BlurTarget;
+
+        public TransformSequence<Background> BlurTo(Vector2 sigma, double duration, Easing easing = Easing.None)
+            => Background?.BlurTo(BlurTarget = sigma, duration, easing);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Menu/MainMenu.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Menu/MainMenu.cs
index 7e97859be6..2dd6e1d7e1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Menu/MainMenu.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Menu/MainMenu.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ using osu.Framework.Input.EventArgs;
 using osu.Framework.Input.States;
 using osu.Framework.Screens;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
+using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Graphics.Containers;
 using osu.Game.Screens.Backgrounds;
 using osu.Game.Screens.Charts;
@@ -64,6 +65,20 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Menu
                 },
                 sideFlashes = new MenuSideFlashes(),
             };
+
+            buttons.StateChanged += state =>
+            {
+                switch (state)
+                {
+                    case ButtonSystemState.Initial:
+                    case ButtonSystemState.Exit:
+                        background.FadeColour(Color4.White, 500, Easing.OutSine);
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        background.FadeColour(OsuColour.Gray(0.8f), 500, Easing.OutSine);
+                        break;
+                }
+            };
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader(true)]