diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/dc.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/dc.rkt
index c57cc460..6b42b5be 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/dc.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-lib/mred/private/wx/gtk/dc.rkt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 (define x11-bitmap%
   (class bitmap%
     (init w h gdk-win)
-    (super-make-object (make-alternate-bitmap-kind w h))
+    (super-make-object (make-alternate-bitmap-kind w h 1.0))
 
     (define pixmap (gdk_pixmap_new gdk-win 
 				   (min (max 1 w) 32000)
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/dc.rktl b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/dc.rktl
index af95da3f..a7459986 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/dc.rktl
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/dc.rktl
@@ -751,6 +751,66 @@
 
 (test #t 'get-path-bounding-box (test-square-bounding-boxes))
 
+;; -----------------------------------------------------------
+;; Check pixel operations on a bitmap with a x2 backing scale
+
+(let ([bm (make-bitmap 10 11 #:backing-scale 2)])
+  (test 2.0 'scale (send bm get-backing-scale))
+  (test 10 'width (send bm get-width))
+  (test 11 'height (send bm get-height))
+
+  (define dc (send bm make-dc))
+  (send dc set-pen "black" 0 'transparent)
+  (send dc set-brush (make-color 100 100 200) 'solid)
+  (send dc draw-rectangle 0 0 3 3)
+
+  (let ([s (make-bytes 4)])
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 2 2 1 1 s)
+    (test (list 255 100 100 200) 'scaled (bytes->list s))
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 4 4 1 1 s)
+    (test 0 'scaled (bytes-ref s 0))
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 2 2 1 1 s #:unscaled? #t)
+    (test (list 255 100 100 200) 'unscaled (bytes->list s))
+
+    (send bm set-argb-pixels 0 0 2 1 #"\xff\x0\x0\x0\xff\x0\x0\x0" 
+          #:unscaled? #t)
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 0 0 1 1 s #:unscaled? #t)
+    (test (list 255 0 0 0) 'unscaled (bytes->list s))
+    ;; scaled is average of black and blue:
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 0 0 1 1 s)
+    (test (list 255 50 50 100) 'scaled (bytes->list s))
+
+    (send bm set-argb-pixels 0 0 2 1 #"\xff\x0\x0\x0\xff\x0\x0\x0")
+    (send bm get-argb-pixels 0 0 1 1 s)
+    (test (list 255 0 0 0) 'scaled (bytes->list s))))
+
+(let ([p (collection-file-path "sk.jpg" "icons")])
+  (let ([bm1 (read-bitmap p)]
+        [bm2 (read-bitmap p #:backing-scale 2)])
+    (test 2.0 'scale (send bm2 get-backing-scale))
+    (test (ceiling (* 1/2 (send bm1 get-width))) 'read-width (send bm2 get-width))
+    (test (ceiling (* 1/2 (send bm1 get-height))) 'read-height (send bm2 get-height))))
+
+(let ([p (collection-file-path "very-small-planet.png" "icons")])
+  (define-syntax-rule (test-fail rx body)
+    (test #t 
+          'error
+          (with-handlers ([exn? (lambda (e)
+                                  (regexp-match? rx (exn-message e)))])
+            body
+            #f)))
+  (test-fail "mask.*backing scale" (read-bitmap p 
+                                                'png/mask
+                                                #:backing-scale 2))
+  (test-fail "can only install a mask.*backing scale"
+             (send (read-bitmap p #:backing-scale 2)
+                   set-loaded-mask
+                   (read-bitmap p)))
+  (test-fail "can only load a file.*backing scale"
+             (send (read-bitmap p #:backing-scale 2)
+                   load-file
+                   p)))
+
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
 (report-errs)
diff --git a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/draw.rkt b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/draw.rkt
index 135e429d..880c35b3 100644
--- a/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/draw.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/gui-pkgs/gui-test/tests/gracket/draw.rkt
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@
        [use-bitmap? #f]
        [platform-bitmap? #f]
        [compat-bitmap? #f]
+       [scaled-bitmap? #f]
        [use-record? #f]
        [serialize-record? #f]
        [use-bad? #f]
@@ -309,6 +310,8 @@
                                        (make-platform-bitmap w h)]
                                       [compat-bitmap?
                                        (send this make-bitmap w h)]
+                                      [scaled-bitmap?
+                                       (make-bitmap w h #:backing-scale 3.0)]
                                       [else
                                        (make-object bitmap% w h depth-one? c-gray?)])))
 			       #f)]
@@ -1310,15 +1313,16 @@
 	    (super-new [parent parent][style '(hscroll vscroll)])
 	    (init-auto-scrollbars (* 2 DRAW-WIDTH) (* 2 DRAW-HEIGHT) 0 0))
 	  vp)])
-    (make-object choice% #f '("Canvas" "Pixmap" "Bitmap" "Platform" "Compatible" "Record" "Serialize" "Bad") hp0
+    (make-object choice% #f '("Canvas" "Pixmap" "Bitmap" "Platform" "Compatible" "Backing x3" "Record" "Serialize" "Bad") hp0
 		 (lambda (self event)
 		   (set! use-bitmap? (< 0 (send self get-selection)))
 		   (set! depth-one? (= 2 (send self get-selection)))
 		   (set! platform-bitmap? (= 3 (send self get-selection)))
 		   (set! compat-bitmap? (= 4 (send self get-selection)))
-		   (set! use-record? (<= 5 (send self get-selection) 6))
-		   (set! serialize-record? (= 6 (send self get-selection)))
-		   (set! use-bad? (< 7 (send self get-selection)))
+		   (set! scaled-bitmap? (= 5 (send self get-selection)))
+		   (set! use-record? (<= 6 (send self get-selection) 6))
+		   (set! serialize-record? (= 7 (send self get-selection)))
+		   (set! use-bad? (< 8 (send self get-selection)))
 		   (send canvas refresh)))
     (make-object button% "PS" hp
 		 (lambda (self event)