diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
index f3a95d81dca..78e0dd17285 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
@@ -82,12 +82,32 @@ bool menu::exclusive_input_pressed(int &iptkey, int key, int repeat)
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 menu::global_state::global_state(running_machine &machine, ui_options const &options)
-	: widgets_manager(machine, options)
+	: widgets_manager(machine)
 	, m_machine(machine)
 	, m_cleanup_callbacks()
+	, m_bgrnd_bitmap()
 	, m_stack()
 	, m_free()
 {
+	render_manager &render(machine.render());
+	auto const texture_free([&render](render_texture *texture) { render.texture_free(texture); });
+
+	// create a texture for main menu background
+	m_bgrnd_texture = texture_ptr(render.texture_alloc(render_texture::hq_scale), texture_free);
+	if (options.use_background_image() && (&machine.system() == &GAME_NAME(___empty)))
+	{
+		m_bgrnd_bitmap = std::make_unique<bitmap_argb32>(0, 0);
+		emu_file backgroundfile(".", OPEN_FLAG_READ);
+		render_load_jpeg(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, backgroundfile, nullptr, "background.jpg");
+
+		if (!m_bgrnd_bitmap->valid())
+			render_load_png(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, backgroundfile, nullptr, "background.png");
+
+		if (m_bgrnd_bitmap->valid())
+			m_bgrnd_texture->set_bitmap(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, m_bgrnd_bitmap->cliprect(), TEXFORMAT_ARGB32);
+		else
+			m_bgrnd_bitmap->reset();
+	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.h b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.h
index d51cb470da4..ab9799371f0 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.h
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.h
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ private:
 
 		void add_cleanup_callback(cleanup_callback &&callback);
 
+		bitmap_argb32 *bgrnd_bitmap() { return m_bgrnd_bitmap.get(); }
+		render_texture * bgrnd_texture() { return m_bgrnd_texture.get(); }
+
 		void reset_topmost(reset_options options) { if (m_stack) m_stack->reset(options); }
 
 		template <typename T>
@@ -283,6 +286,9 @@ private:
 		running_machine         &m_machine;
 		cleanup_callback_vector m_cleanup_callbacks;
 
+		bitmap_ptr              m_bgrnd_bitmap;
+		texture_ptr             m_bgrnd_texture;
+
 		std::unique_ptr<menu>   m_stack;
 		std::unique_ptr<menu>   m_free;
 	};
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.cpp
index 9b8c11a8897..3d92bd7c03a 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.cpp
@@ -21,12 +21,11 @@ namespace ui {
 //  ctor
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-widgets_manager::widgets_manager(running_machine &machine, ui_options const &options)
+widgets_manager::widgets_manager(running_machine &machine)
 	: m_hilight_bitmap(std::make_unique<bitmap_argb32>(256, 1))
 	, m_hilight_texture()
 	, m_hilight_main_bitmap(std::make_unique<bitmap_argb32>(1, 128))
 	, m_hilight_main_texture()
-	, m_bgrnd_bitmap()
 	, m_bgrnd_texture()
 {
 	render_manager &render(machine.render());
@@ -56,23 +55,6 @@ widgets_manager::widgets_manager(running_machine &machine, ui_options const &opt
 
 	// create a texture for arrow icons
 	m_arrow_texture = texture_ptr(render.texture_alloc(render_triangle), texture_free);
-
-	// create a texture for main menu background
-	m_bgrnd_texture = texture_ptr(render.texture_alloc(render_texture::hq_scale), texture_free);
-	if (options.use_background_image() && (&machine.system() == &GAME_NAME(___empty)))
-	{
-		m_bgrnd_bitmap = std::make_unique<bitmap_argb32>(0, 0);
-		emu_file backgroundfile(".", OPEN_FLAG_READ);
-		render_load_jpeg(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, backgroundfile, nullptr, "background.jpg");
-
-		if (!m_bgrnd_bitmap->valid())
-			render_load_png(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, backgroundfile, nullptr, "background.png");
-
-		if (m_bgrnd_bitmap->valid())
-			m_bgrnd_texture->set_bitmap(*m_bgrnd_bitmap, m_bgrnd_bitmap->cliprect(), TEXFORMAT_ARGB32);
-		else
-			m_bgrnd_bitmap->reset();
-	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.h b/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.h
index 88c476de23d..5e9c79f78ba 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.h
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/widgets.h
@@ -28,12 +28,11 @@ TYPE DEFINITIONS
 class widgets_manager
 {
 public:
-	widgets_manager(running_machine &machine, ui_options const &options);
+	widgets_manager(running_machine &machine);
 
 	render_texture *hilight_texture() { return m_hilight_texture.get(); }
 	render_texture *hilight_main_texture() { return m_hilight_main_texture.get(); }
 	render_texture *arrow_texture() { return m_arrow_texture.get(); }
-	bitmap_argb32 *bgrnd_bitmap() { return m_bgrnd_bitmap.get(); }
 	render_texture * bgrnd_texture() { return m_bgrnd_texture.get(); }
 
 	using bitmap_ptr = std::unique_ptr<bitmap_argb32>;
@@ -45,7 +44,6 @@ private:
 	bitmap_ptr              m_hilight_main_bitmap;
 	texture_ptr             m_hilight_main_texture;
 	texture_ptr             m_arrow_texture;
-	bitmap_ptr              m_bgrnd_bitmap;
 	texture_ptr             m_bgrnd_texture;
 
 	static void render_triangle(bitmap_argb32 &dest, bitmap_argb32 &source, const rectangle &sbounds, void *param);