diff --git a/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.cpp b/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.cpp
index e6b11e8d8..0f1904dcb 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.cpp
@@ -1482,6 +1482,22 @@ void GameListWidget::reloadThemeSpecificImages()
   m_model->reloadThemeSpecificImages();
 }
 
+void GameListWidget::setBackgroundPath(const std::string_view path)
+{
+  if (!path.empty())
+  {
+    Host::SetBaseStringSettingValue("UI", "GameListBackgroundPath",
+                                    Path::MakeRelative(path, EmuFolders::DataRoot).c_str());
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    Host::DeleteBaseSettingValue("UI", "GameListBackgroundPath");
+  }
+
+  Host::CommitBaseSettingChanges();
+  updateBackground(true);
+}
+
 void GameListWidget::updateBackground(bool reload_image)
 {
   const bool had_image = !m_background_image.isNull();
@@ -1529,6 +1545,11 @@ void GameListWidget::updateBackground(bool reload_image)
   });
 }
 
+bool GameListWidget::hasBackground() const
+{
+  return !m_background_image.isNull();
+}
+
 void GameListWidget::onRefreshProgress(const QString& status, int current, int total, int entry_count, float time)
 {
   // Avoid spamming the UI on very short refresh (e.g. game exit).
diff --git a/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.h b/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.h
index 9255ce6d8..0a815f819 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.h
+++ b/src/duckstation-qt/gamelistwidget.h
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ public:
   void refresh(bool invalidate_cache);
   void cancelRefresh();
   void reloadThemeSpecificImages();
-  void updateBackground(bool reload_image);
+  void setBackgroundPath(const std::string_view path);
+  bool hasBackground() const;
 
   bool isShowingGameList() const;
   bool isShowingGameGrid() const;
@@ -293,6 +294,7 @@ protected:
 
 private:
   void setViewMode(int stack_index);
+  void updateBackground(bool reload_image);
 
   Ui::GameListWidget m_ui;
 
diff --git a/src/duckstation-qt/mainwindow.cpp b/src/duckstation-qt/mainwindow.cpp
index 218039ae4..db7bca7c3 100644
--- a/src/duckstation-qt/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/duckstation-qt/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ void MainWindow::updateGameListRelatedActions()
 
   const bool game_grid = m_game_list_widget->isShowingGameGrid();
   const bool game_list = m_game_list_widget->isShowingGameList();
-  const bool has_background = Host::GetBaseStringSettingValue("UI", "GameListBackgroundPath") != "";
+  const bool has_background = m_game_list_widget->hasBackground();
 
   m_ui.menuSortBy->setDisabled(disable);
   m_ui.actionMergeDiscSets->setDisabled(disable);
@@ -2741,18 +2741,13 @@ void MainWindow::onViewChangeGameListBackgroundTriggered()
   if (path.isEmpty())
     return;
 
-  std::string relative_path = Path::MakeRelative(QDir::toNativeSeparators(path).toStdString(), EmuFolders::DataRoot);
-  Host::SetBaseStringSettingValue("UI", "GameListBackgroundPath", relative_path.c_str());
-  Host::CommitBaseSettingChanges();
-  m_game_list_widget->updateBackground(true);
+  m_game_list_widget->setBackgroundPath(QDir::toNativeSeparators(path).toStdString());
   m_ui.actionClearGameListBackground->setEnabled(true);
 }
 
 void MainWindow::onViewClearGameListBackgroundTriggered()
 {
-  Host::DeleteBaseSettingValue("UI", "GameListBackgroundPath");
-  Host::CommitBaseSettingChanges();
-  m_game_list_widget->updateBackground(true);
+  m_game_list_widget->setBackgroundPath({});
   m_ui.actionClearGameListBackground->setEnabled(false);
 }