diff --git a/server/backgrounds/backgrounds_suite_test.go b/server/backgrounds/backgrounds_suite_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ad81907b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/backgrounds/backgrounds_suite_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package backgrounds
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/log"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/tests"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+func TestBackgrounds(t *testing.T) {
+	tests.Init(t, false)
+	log.SetLevel(log.LevelFatal)
+	RegisterFailHandler(Fail)
+	RunSpecs(t, "Backgrounds Suite")
+}
diff --git a/server/backgrounds/handler.go b/server/backgrounds/handler.go
index b00a51696..2aa2aefbf 100644
--- a/server/backgrounds/handler.go
+++ b/server/backgrounds/handler.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (h *Handler) serveImage(ctx context.Context, item cache.Item) (io.Reader, e
 	}
 	c := http.Client{Timeout: imageRequestTimeout}
 	req, _ := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, imageURL(image), nil)
-	resp, err := c.Do(req) //nolint:bodyclose,gosec // No need to close resp.Body, it will be closed via the CachedStream wrapper
+	resp, err := c.Do(req) //nolint:bodyclose,gosec // On success the body is closed via the CachedStream wrapper
 	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
 		defaultImage, _ := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(consts.DefaultUILoginBackgroundOffline)
 		return strings.NewReader(string(defaultImage)), nil
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ func (h *Handler) serveImage(ctx context.Context, item cache.Item) (io.Reader, e
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not get background image from hosting service: %w", err)
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		_ = resp.Body.Close()
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status code getting background image from hosting service: %d", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 	log.Debug(ctx, "Got background image from hosting service", "image", image, "elapsed", time.Since(start))
diff --git a/server/backgrounds/handler_test.go b/server/backgrounds/handler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31197f895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/backgrounds/handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package backgrounds
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+type testItem string
+
+func (i testItem) Key() string { return string(i) }
+
+type recordingBody struct {
+	io.Reader
+	closed *bool
+}
+
+func (b recordingBody) Close() error {
+	*b.closed = true
+	return nil
+}
+
+type stubTransport struct {
+	statusCode int
+	closed     *bool
+}
+
+func (t stubTransport) RoundTrip(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	return &http.Response{
+		StatusCode: t.statusCode,
+		Header:     make(http.Header),
+		Body:       recordingBody{Reader: strings.NewReader("image-bytes"), closed: t.closed},
+	}, nil
+}
+
+var _ = Describe("serveImage", func() {
+	var closed bool
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		closed = false
+	})
+
+	stubStatus := func(statusCode int) {
+		original := http.DefaultTransport
+		http.DefaultTransport = stubTransport{statusCode: statusCode, closed: &closed}
+		DeferCleanup(func() { http.DefaultTransport = original })
+	}
+
+	It("closes the response body when the hosting service returns an error", func() {
+		stubStatus(http.StatusNotFound)
+
+		_, err := (&Handler{}).serveImage(context.Background(), testItem("some-image.webp"))
+
+		Expect(err).To(MatchError(ContainSubstring("unexpected status code")))
+		Expect(closed).To(BeTrue(), "response body was left open")
+	})
+
+	It("hands the still-open body to the caller on success", func() {
+		stubStatus(http.StatusOK)
+
+		reader, err := (&Handler{}).serveImage(context.Background(), testItem("some-image.webp"))
+
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(closed).To(BeFalse(), "response body must stay open for the CachedStream wrapper")
+		body, _ := io.ReadAll(reader)
+		Expect(string(body)).To(Equal("image-bytes"))
+	})
+})