diff --git a/app/assets/images/custom/checkerboard-pattern.png b/app/assets/images/custom/checkerboard-pattern.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb6895dc5
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/assets/images/custom/checkerboard-pattern.png differ
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
index 67803f9fe..a6cdea83a 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
@@ -1498,6 +1498,7 @@ ul.content-activities {
   }
 
   img {
+    background: url(asset-path("custom/checkerboard-pattern.png"));
     height: auto;
     max-width: 100%;