diff --git a/capplets/appearance/ChangeLog b/capplets/appearance/ChangeLog
index 9b3ab57b1..51e85e879 100644
--- a/capplets/appearance/ChangeLog
+++ b/capplets/appearance/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2007-11-18  Jens Granseuer  <jensgr@gmx.net>
+
+	* appearance-desktop.c: (desktop_init): add shortcut for
+	/usr/share/backgrounds to background file chooser and also consider it
+	when setting the initial directory (bug #497807)
+
 2007-11-11  Jens Granseuer  <jensgr@gmx.net>
 
 	* appearance-style.c: (changed_on_disk_cb):
diff --git a/capplets/appearance/appearance-desktop.c b/capplets/appearance/appearance-desktop.c
index c0b0c58ae..648d6a8ce 100644
--- a/capplets/appearance/appearance-desktop.c
+++ b/capplets/appearance/appearance-desktop.c
@@ -944,6 +944,7 @@ desktop_init (AppearanceData *data,
   GtkCellRenderer *cr;
   GtkFileFilter *filter;
   const gchar *pictures;
+  const gchar *start_dir;
 
   g_object_set (gtk_settings_get_default (), "gtk-tooltip-timeout", 500, NULL);
 
@@ -1077,12 +1078,22 @@ desktop_init (AppearanceData *data,
   gtk_file_chooser_set_select_multiple (data->wp_filesel, TRUE);
   gtk_file_chooser_set_use_preview_label (data->wp_filesel, FALSE);
 
+  start_dir = g_get_home_dir ();
+
+  if (g_file_test ("/usr/share/backgrounds", G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
+    gtk_file_chooser_add_shortcut_folder (data->wp_filesel,
+                                          "/usr/share/backgrounds", NULL);
+    start_dir = "/usr/share/backgrounds";
+  }
+
   pictures = g_get_user_special_dir (G_USER_DIRECTORY_PICTURES);
   if (pictures != NULL && g_file_test (pictures, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
     gtk_file_chooser_add_shortcut_folder (data->wp_filesel, pictures, NULL);
-    gtk_file_chooser_set_current_folder (data->wp_filesel, pictures);
+    start_dir = pictures;
   }
 
+  gtk_file_chooser_set_current_folder (data->wp_filesel, start_dir);
+
   filter = gtk_file_filter_new ();
   gtk_file_filter_add_pixbuf_formats (filter);
   gtk_file_filter_set_name (filter, _("Images"));