diff --git a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
index 9e479104e5..5312836b1c 100644
--- a/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences/backgrounds/BackgroundsView.cpp
@@ -191,10 +191,12 @@ BackgroundsView::BackgroundsView()
 	rightbox->AddChild(BLayoutBuilder::Group<>(B_VERTICAL, B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING)
 		.AddGrid(B_USE_DEFAULT_SPACING, B_USE_SMALL_SPACING)
 			.Add(imageMenuField->CreateLabelLayoutItem(), 0, 0)
-			.Add(imageMenuField->CreateMenuBarLayoutItem(), 1, 0)
+			.Add(imageMenuField->CreateMenuBarLayoutItem(), 1, 0, 2, 1)
 			.Add(placementMenuField->CreateLabelLayoutItem(), 0, 1)
-			.Add(placementMenuField->CreateMenuBarLayoutItem(), 1, 1)
+			.Add(placementMenuField->CreateMenuBarLayoutItem(), 1, 1, 2, 1)
 			.Add(fIconLabelOutline, 1, 2)
+				// checkbox only spans one column so that it
+				// doesn't dictate the width of the menu bars.
 			.End()
 		.AddGlue()
 		.Add(fPicker)