diff --git a/gtk/gtkstylecontext.c b/gtk/gtkstylecontext.c
index 43fb27a3ad..6f44c6dbfc 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkstylecontext.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkstylecontext.c
@@ -651,5 +651,26 @@ gtk_render_arrow (GtkStyleContext *context,
                               angle, x, y, size);
 }
 
+void
+gtk_render_background (GtkStyleContext *context,
+                       cairo_t         *cr,
+                       gdouble          x,
+                       gdouble          y,
+                       gdouble          width,
+                       gdouble          height)
+{
+  GtkStyleContextPrivate *priv;
+  GtkThemingEngineClass *engine_class;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_STYLE_CONTEXT (context));
+  g_return_if_fail (cr != NULL);
+
+  priv = GTK_STYLE_CONTEXT_GET_PRIVATE (context);
+  engine_class = GTK_THEMING_ENGINE_GET_CLASS (priv->theming_engine);
+
+  _gtk_theming_engine_set_context (priv->theming_engine, context);
+  engine_class->render_background (priv->theming_engine, cr, x, y, width, height);
+}
+
 #define __GTK_STYLE_CONTEXT_C__
 #include "gtkaliasdef.c"
diff --git a/gtk/gtkstylecontext.h b/gtk/gtkstylecontext.h
index 806d25f754..e68d6f9de5 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkstylecontext.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkstylecontext.h
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ void gtk_render_arrow  (GtkStyleContext *context,
                         gdouble          x,
                         gdouble          y,
                         gdouble          size);
+void gtk_render_background (GtkStyleContext *context,
+                            cairo_t         *cr,
+                            gdouble          x,
+                            gdouble          y,
+                            gdouble          width,
+                            gdouble          height);
 
 G_END_DECLS