diff --git a/src/servo/layout/base.rs b/src/servo/layout/base.rs
index 03ae0345bf2..fce119c2d22 100644
--- a/src/servo/layout/base.rs
+++ b/src/servo/layout/base.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import style::style::SpecifiedStyle;
 import text::text_layout_methods;
 import vec::{push, push_all};
 
+import future::future;
+
 enum BoxKind {
     BlockBox,
     InlineBox,
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ enum BoxKind {
 }
 
 class Appearance {
-    let mut background_image: option<@image>;
+    let mut background_image: option<future<~image>>;
     let mut background_color: Color;
 
     new() {
diff --git a/src/servo/layout/display_list_builder.rs b/src/servo/layout/display_list_builder.rs
index 3c1d99f3824..09eeab8d524 100644
--- a/src/servo/layout/display_list_builder.rs
+++ b/src/servo/layout/display_list_builder.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 export build_display_list;
 
-import dl = display_list;
-import dom::rcu::Scope;
-import dom::base::{Text, NodeScope};
-import gfx::geometry::{au, au_to_px, box, px_to_au};
-import gfx::renderer;
-import util::color::methods;
-import util::tree;
+import base::{Box, TextBox, BTree, BoxTreeReadMethods};
 import box_builder::box_builder_methods;
-import text::text_layout_methods;
-import geom::size::Size2D;
+import dl = display_list;
+import dom::base::{Text, NodeScope};
+import dom::rcu::Scope;
 import geom::point::Point2D;
 import geom::rect::Rect;
-import base::{Box, TextBox, BTree, BoxTreeReadMethods};
+import geom::size::Size2D;
+import gfx::geometry::{au, au_to_px, box, px_to_au};
+import gfx::renderer;
+import text::text_layout_methods;
+import util::color::methods;
+import util::tree;
+
 import vec::push;
 
 #[doc = "
@@ -85,9 +86,10 @@ fn box_to_display_items(box: @Box, origin: Point2D<au>) -> ~[dl::display_item] {
             bounds: bounds
         }));
       }
-      (_, some(image)) {   
+      (_, some(image)) {
+        // FIXME: This should not copy and instead should use an ARC.
         push(items, dl::display_item({
-            item_type: dl::display_item_image(~copy *image),
+            item_type: dl::display_item_image(copy image.get()),
             bounds: bounds
         }));
       }
diff --git a/src/servo/layout/style/apply.rs b/src/servo/layout/style/apply.rs
index 95f796db753..4c5b27f7d45 100644
--- a/src/servo/layout/style/apply.rs
+++ b/src/servo/layout/style/apply.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import image::base::load;
 import base::{Box, BTree, NTree, LayoutData, BoxTreeReadMethods, SpecifiedStyle};
 import style::{default_style_methods, style_methods};
 
+import future_spawn = future::spawn;
+
 trait ApplyStyleBoxMethods {
     fn apply_style_for_subtree();
     fn apply_style();
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ impl ApplyStyleBoxMethods of ApplyStyleBoxMethods for @Box {
      "]
     fn apply_style() {
         // Right now, we only handle images.
-        self.node.read(|node| {
+        do self.node.read |node| {
             alt node.kind {
               ~Element(element) {
                 let style = self.node.get_specified_style();
@@ -44,10 +46,10 @@ impl ApplyStyleBoxMethods of ApplyStyleBoxMethods for @Box {
                       some(url) {
                         // FIXME: Some sort of BASE HREF support!
                         // FIXME: Parse URLs!
-                        // FIXME: Do not load synchronously!
+                        self.appearance.background_image = some(do future_spawn {
+                            ~load(url)
+                        });
                         #debug("loading image from %s", url);
-                        let image = @load(url);
-                        self.appearance.background_image = some(image);
                       }
                       none {
                         /* Ignore. */
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ impl ApplyStyleBoxMethods of ApplyStyleBoxMethods for @Box {
               }
               _ { /* Ignore. */ }
             }
-        })
+        }
     }
 }