diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
index 8c29b14bbe..bb1c03f667 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerWindow.cpp
@@ -1453,34 +1453,60 @@ ServerWindow::_DispatchViewMessage(int32 code,
 		
 			break;
 		}
+		case AS_LAYER_SET_VIEW_BITMAP:
+		{
+			int32 bitmapToken, resizingMode, options;
+			BRect srcRect, dstRect;
+
+			link.Read<int32>(&bitmapToken);
+			link.Read<BRect>(&srcRect);
+			link.Read<BRect>(&dstRect);
+			link.Read<int32>(&resizingMode);
+			status_t status = link.Read<int32>(&options);
+
+			if (status == B_OK) {
+				ServerBitmap* bitmap = fServerApp->FindBitmap(bitmapToken);
+				if (bitmapToken == -1 || bitmap != NULL) {
+					fCurrentLayer->SetViewBitmap(bitmap, srcRect, dstRect,
+						resizingMode, options);
+
+					BRegion dirty(fCurrentLayer->Bounds());
+					fWindowLayer->InvalidateView(fCurrentLayer, dirty);
+				} else
+					status = B_BAD_VALUE;
+			}
+
+			fLink.StartMessage(status);
+			fLink.Flush();
+			break;
+		}
 		case AS_LAYER_PRINT_ALIASING:
 		{
 			DTRACE(("ServerWindow %s: Message AS_LAYER_PRINT_ALIASING: ViewLayer: %s\n", Title(), fCurrentLayer->Name()));
 			bool fontAliasing;
-			link.Read<bool>(&fontAliasing);
-			fCurrentLayer->CurrentState()->SetForceFontAliasing(fontAliasing);
-			
+			if (link.Read<bool>(&fontAliasing) == B_OK)
+				fCurrentLayer->CurrentState()->SetForceFontAliasing(fontAliasing);	
 			break;
 		}
 		case AS_LAYER_CLIP_TO_PICTURE:
 		{
 			DTRACE(("ServerWindow %s: Message AS_LAYER_CLIP_TO_PICTURE: ViewLayer: %s\n", Title(), fCurrentLayer->Name()));
-		// TODO: you are not allowed to use ViewLayer regions here!!!
-			
+			// TODO: you are not allowed to use ViewLayer regions here!!!
+
 			int32 pictureToken;
 			BPoint where;
 			bool inverse = false;
-			
+
 			link.Read<int32>(&pictureToken);
 			link.Read<BPoint>(&where);
 			link.Read<bool>(&inverse);
-							
+
 			// search for a picture with the specified token.
 			ServerPicture *picture = fServerApp->FindPicture(pictureToken);
 			// TODO: Increase that picture's reference count.(~ allocate a picture)
 			if (picture == NULL)
 				break;
-			
+
 			BRegion region;
 			// TODO: I think we also need the BView's token
 			// I think PictureToRegion would fit better into the ViewLayer class (?)
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.cpp b/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.cpp
index fa9f928dad..f5bfc76e56 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@
 
 #include "ViewLayer.h"
 
+#include "BitmapManager.h"
 #include "Desktop.h"
 #include "DrawingEngine.h"
 #include "ServerApp.h"
+#include "ServerBitmap.h"
 #include "ServerWindow.h"
 #include "WindowLayer.h"
 
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ ViewLayer::ViewLayer(BRect frame, const char* name,
 
 	fViewColor(RGBColor(255, 255, 255)),
 	fDrawState(new (nothrow) DrawState),
+	fViewBitmap(NULL),
 
 	fResizeMode(resizeMode),
 	fFlags(flags),
@@ -372,6 +375,25 @@ ViewLayer::SetUserClipping(const BRegion& region)
 }
 
 
+void
+ViewLayer::SetViewBitmap(ServerBitmap* bitmap, BRect sourceRect,
+	BRect destRect, int32 resizingMode, int32 options)
+{
+	if (fViewBitmap != NULL)
+		gBitmapManager->DeleteBitmap(fViewBitmap);
+
+	// the caller is allowed to delete the bitmap after setting the background
+	if (bitmap != NULL)
+		bitmap->Acquire();
+
+	fViewBitmap = bitmap;					
+	fBitmapSource = sourceRect;
+	fBitmapDestination = destRect;
+	fBitmapResizingMode = resizingMode;
+	fBitmapOptions = options;
+}
+
+
 void
 ViewLayer::ConvertToParent(BPoint* point) const
 {
@@ -844,6 +866,22 @@ ViewLayer::Draw(DrawingEngine* drawingEngine, BRegion* effectiveClipping,
 	// add the current clipping
 	redraw.IntersectWith(effectiveClipping);
 
+	if (fViewBitmap != NULL) {
+		// draw view bitmap
+		// TODO: support other options!
+		BRect rect = fBitmapDestination;
+		ConvertToScreenForDrawing(&rect);
+
+		// TODO: this messes with the screen clipping, but might not be supposed to do so.
+		drawingEngine->ConstrainClippingRegion(&redraw);
+		// TODO: fDrawState is probably not what we want to use here...
+		drawingEngine->DrawBitmap(fViewBitmap, fBitmapSource,
+			rect, fDrawState);
+		drawingEngine->ConstrainClippingRegion(NULL);
+
+		redraw.Exclude(rect);
+	}
+
 	if (!fViewColor.IsTransparentMagic()) {
 		// fill visible region with view color
 		drawingEngine->FillRegion(redraw, fViewColor);
diff --git a/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.h b/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.h
index 2a9e788caf..b1077a87bf 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/ViewLayer.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class BList;
 class DrawState;
 class DrawingEngine;
 class WindowLayer;
+class ServerBitmap;
 
 
 class ViewLayer {
@@ -133,6 +134,8 @@ class ViewLayer {
 								{ return fViewColor; }
 			void			SetViewColor(const RGBColor& color)
 								{ fViewColor = color; }
+			void			SetViewBitmap(ServerBitmap* bitmap, BRect sourceRect,
+								BRect destRect, int32 resizingMode, int32 options);
 
 			void			PushState();
 			void			PopState();
@@ -188,6 +191,11 @@ class ViewLayer {
 
 			RGBColor		fViewColor;
 			DrawState*		fDrawState;
+			ServerBitmap*	fViewBitmap;
+			BRect			fBitmapSource;
+			BRect			fBitmapDestination;
+			int32			fBitmapResizingMode;
+			int32			fBitmapOptions;
 
 			uint32			fResizeMode;
 			uint32			fFlags;