diff --git a/gtk/gtkcssshorthandpropertyimpl.c b/gtk/gtkcssshorthandpropertyimpl.c
index cd1dfda7bb..33d5335813 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkcssshorthandpropertyimpl.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkcssshorthandpropertyimpl.c
@@ -307,6 +307,24 @@ parse_background (GtkCssShorthandProperty *shorthand,
       else if (!G_IS_VALUE (&values[1]) &&
                _gtk_css_parser_try_enum (parser, GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT, &enum_value))
         {
+          if (enum_value <= GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+            {
+              int vertical;
+
+              if (_gtk_css_parser_try_enum (parser, GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT, &vertical))
+                {
+                  if (vertical >= GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+                    {
+                      _gtk_css_parser_error (parser, "Not a valid 2nd value for border-repeat");
+                      return FALSE;
+                    }
+                  else
+                    enum_value |= vertical << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT;
+                }
+              else
+                enum_value |= enum_value << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT;
+            }
+
           g_value_init (&values[1], GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT);
           g_value_set_enum (&values[1], enum_value);
         }
diff --git a/gtk/gtkcssstylepropertyimpl.c b/gtk/gtkcssstylepropertyimpl.c
index 3038eb01c8..447e1df88e 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkcssstylepropertyimpl.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkcssstylepropertyimpl.c
@@ -432,6 +432,72 @@ css_image_value_compute (GtkCssStyleProperty    *property,
   g_value_take_object (computed, image);
 }
 
+static gboolean
+background_repeat_value_parse (GtkCssStyleProperty *property,
+                               GValue              *value,
+                               GtkCssParser        *parser,
+                               GFile               *base)
+{
+  int repeat, vertical;
+
+  if (!_gtk_css_parser_try_enum (parser, GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT, &repeat))
+    {
+      _gtk_css_parser_error (parser, "Not a valid value");
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  if (repeat <= GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+    {
+      if (_gtk_css_parser_try_enum (parser, GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT, &vertical))
+        {
+          if (vertical >= GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+            {
+              _gtk_css_parser_error (parser, "Not a valid 2nd value");
+              return FALSE;
+            }
+          else
+            repeat |= vertical << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT;
+        }
+      else
+        repeat |= repeat << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT;
+    }
+
+  g_value_set_enum (value, repeat);
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+static void
+background_repeat_value_print (GtkCssStyleProperty *property,
+                               const GValue        *value,
+                               GString             *string)
+{
+  GEnumClass *enum_class;
+  GEnumValue *enum_value;
+  GtkCssBackgroundRepeat repeat;
+
+  repeat = g_value_get_enum (value);
+  enum_class = g_type_class_ref (GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT);
+  enum_value = g_enum_get_value (enum_class, repeat);
+
+  /* only triggers for 'repeat-x' and 'repeat-y' */
+  if (enum_value)
+    g_string_append (string, enum_value->value_nick);
+  else
+    {
+      enum_value = g_enum_get_value (enum_class, GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_HORIZONTAL (repeat));
+      g_string_append (string, enum_value->value_nick);
+
+      if (GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_HORIZONTAL (repeat) != GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_VERTICAL (repeat))
+        {
+          enum_value = g_enum_get_value (enum_class, GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_VERTICAL (repeat));
+          g_string_append (string, " ");
+          g_string_append (string, enum_value->value_nick);
+        }
+    }
+
+  g_type_class_unref (enum_class);
+}
+
 /*** REGISTRATION ***/
 
 #define rgba_init(rgba, r, g, b, a) G_STMT_START{ \
@@ -707,10 +773,10 @@ _gtk_css_style_property_init_properties (void)
   gtk_style_property_register            ("background-repeat",
                                           GTK_TYPE_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT,
                                           0,
+                                          background_repeat_value_parse,
+                                          background_repeat_value_print,
                                           NULL,
-                                          NULL,
-                                          NULL,
-                                          GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT);
+                                          GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT | (GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT));
   g_value_init (&value, GTK_TYPE_CSS_IMAGE);
   _gtk_style_property_register           ("background-image",
                                           CAIRO_GOBJECT_TYPE_PATTERN,
diff --git a/gtk/gtkcsstypesprivate.h b/gtk/gtkcsstypesprivate.h
index a2492df7d4..95123bea27 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkcsstypesprivate.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkcsstypesprivate.h
@@ -30,9 +30,24 @@ typedef enum {
   GTK_CSS_CURRENT_COLOR /*< nick=currentColor >*/
 } GtkCssSpecialValue;
 
-typedef enum {
-  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT,
+/* We encode horizontal and vertical repeat in one enum value.
+ * This eases parsing and storage, but you need to be aware that
+ * you have to "unpack" this value.
+ */
+#define GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT (8)
+#define GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK ((1 << GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT) - 1)
+#define GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_HORIZONTAL(repeat) ((repeat) & GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+#define GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_VERTICAL(repeat) (((repeat) >> GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_SHIFT) & GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_MASK)
+typedef enum /*< enum >*/
+{
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_INVALID, /*< skip >*/
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT, /* start at one so we know if a value has been set */
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_SPACE,
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_ROUND,
   GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_NO_REPEAT,
+  /* need to hardcode the numer or glib-mkenums makes us into a flags type */
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_X = 1025,
+  GTK_CSS_BACKGROUND_REPEAT_Y = 260
 } GtkCssBackgroundRepeat;
 
 typedef enum {