diff --git a/src/tetris/background.h b/src/tetris/background.h
index c1bddf674..b9bdfc42d 100644
--- a/src/tetris/background.h
+++ b/src/tetris/background.h
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ void DrawBackground(const std::string& s) { // drawn to the standard plane
 }
 
 void DrawBoard() { // draw all fixed components of the game
-  DrawBackground(BackgroundFile);
+  try{
+    DrawBackground(BackgroundFile);
+  }catch(TetrisNotcursesErr& e){
+    stdplane_->printf(1, 1, "couldn't load %s", BackgroundFile.c_str());
+  }
   int y, x;
   stdplane_->get_dim(&y, &x);
   board_top_y_ = y - (BOARD_HEIGHT + 2);
diff --git a/src/tetris/main.cpp b/src/tetris/main.cpp
index ef6cd2c74..4920b1e88 100644
--- a/src/tetris/main.cpp
+++ b/src/tetris/main.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <ncpp/NotCurses.hh>
 #include "version.h"
 
-const std::string BackgroundFile = "../data/tetris-background.jpeg";
+const std::string BackgroundFile = NOTCURSES_SHARE "/tetris-background.jpeg";
 
 using namespace std::chrono_literals;