diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate-symbols.yml b/.github/workflows/generate-symbols.yml
index 6ecfa04ff8..f73d33dca4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate-symbols.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate-symbols.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ on:
       steam_branch:
         description: DFHack Steam branch to deploy to (leave blank to skip deploy)
         type: string
-        default: staging
 
 jobs:
   package:
@@ -113,8 +112,6 @@ jobs:
         else
           BETA_PARAMS="-beta ${{ inputs.df_steam_branch }}"
         fi
-        touch $HOME/Steam/logs/stderr.txt
-        tail -F $HOME/Steam/logs/stderr.txt &
         ${{ steps.steamcmd.outputs.executable }} \
           +@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 \
           +force_install_dir $PWD/DF_steam \
@@ -223,8 +220,6 @@ jobs:
         else
           BETA_PARAMS="-beta ${{ inputs.df_steam_branch }}"
         fi
-        touch $HOME/Steam/logs/stderr.txt
-        tail -F $HOME/Steam/logs/stderr.txt &
         ${{ steps.steamcmd.outputs.executable }} \
           +@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 \
           +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/watch-df-steam.yml b/.github/workflows/watch-df-steam.yml
index 330cdc46c6..12d428f1e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/watch-df-steam.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/watch-df-steam.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ jobs:
             version: 51.01-beta
             df_steam_branch: beta
             steam_branch: adventure-beta
+          - dfhack_ref: testing
+            structures_ref: testing
+            version: testing
+            df_steam_branch: testing
+            steam_branch: ''
     steps:
     - name: Setup steamcmd
       id: steamcmd
@@ -30,36 +35,54 @@ jobs:
         path: state
         key: watchstate-${{ matrix.version }}-${{ env.TIMESTAMP_SECONDS }}
         restore-keys: watchstate-${{ matrix.version }}
-    - name: Detect changes on branch
-      shell: bash
+    - name: Prep Steam auth
       env:
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-        STEAM_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.STEAM_USERNAME }}
         STEAM_CONFIG_VDF: ${{ secrets.STEAM_CONFIG_VDF }}
       run: |
         mkdir -p $HOME/Steam/config
         echo "$STEAM_CONFIG_VDF" | base64 -d >$HOME/Steam/config/config.vdf
-        touch $HOME/Steam/logs/{appinfo,cloud,compat,parental,workshop}_log.txt
-        ls -l $HOME/Steam/logs
-        tail -n0 -F $HOME/Steam/logs/* &
-        timestamp=$(${{ steps.steamcmd.outputs.executable }} \
-          +@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 \
-          +login $STEAM_USERNAME \
-          +app_info_request 975370 \
-          +app_info_print 975370 \
-          +quit | awk '/^{/,0' | awk '/^\t\t"branches"/,0' | awk '/^\t\t\t"beta"/,0' | fgrep timeupdated | head -n1 | cut -d'"' -f4)
-        ls -l $HOME/Steam/logs
-        echo "timestamp of last branch update:        $timestamp"
-        mkdir -p state
-        touch state/timestamp
-        last_timestamp=$(cat state/timestamp)
-        echo "stored timestamp of last branch update: $last_timestamp"
-        if [ "$timestamp" != "$last_timestamp" ]; then
-          echo "launching generate-symbols"
-          echo "$timestamp" >state/timestamp
-          gh workflow run generate-symbols.yml -R DFHack/dfhack -r ${{ matrix.dfhack_ref }} -f structures_ref=${{ matrix.structures_ref }} -f version=${{ matrix.version }} -f platform=all -f channel=steam -f df_steam_branch=${{ matrix.df_steam_branch }} -f steam_branch=${{ matrix.steam_branch }}
-          echo TIMESTAMP_UPDATED=1 >> $GITHUB_ENV
-        fi
+    - name: Compare branch metadata
+      uses: nick-fields/retry@v3
+      env:
+        STEAM_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.STEAM_USERNAME }}
+      with:
+        timeout_minutes: 2
+        command: |
+          timestamp=$(${{ steps.steamcmd.outputs.executable }} \
+            +@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 \
+            +login $STEAM_USERNAME \
+            +app_info_request 975370 \
+            +app_info_print 975370 \
+            +quit | \
+              awk '/^{/,0' | \
+              awk '/^\t\t"branches"/,0' | \
+              awk '/^\t\t\t"beta"/,0' | \
+              fgrep timeupdated | \
+              head -n1 | \
+              cut -d'"' -f4)
+          echo "timestamp of last branch update:        $timestamp"
+          mkdir -p state
+          touch state/timestamp
+          last_timestamp=$(cat state/timestamp)
+          echo "stored timestamp of last branch update: $last_timestamp"
+          if [ "$timestamp" != "$last_timestamp" ]; then
+            echo "$timestamp" >state/timestamp
+            echo TIMESTAMP_UPDATED=1 >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          fi
+    - name: Launch symbol generation workflow
+      if: env.TIMESTAMP_UPDATED
+      env:
+        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      run: |
+        gh workflow run generate-symbols.yml \
+          -R DFHack/dfhack \
+          -r ${{ matrix.dfhack_ref }} \
+          -f structures_ref=${{ matrix.structures_ref }} \
+          -f version=${{ matrix.version }} \
+          -f platform=all \
+          -f channel=steam \
+          -f df_steam_branch=${{ matrix.df_steam_branch }} \
+          -f steam_branch=${{ matrix.steam_branch }}
     - name: Save state
       uses: actions/cache/save@v4
       if: env.TIMESTAMP_UPDATED
diff --git a/docs/changelog.txt b/docs/changelog.txt
index ca28bc7d5c..21e95d62fd 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog.txt
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Template for new versions:
 ## Fixes
 - Fixed misidentification of visitors from your own civ as residents; affects all tools that iterate through citizens/residents
 - `cursecheck`: don't try to rely on cursor; check for selected unit instead
+- Fixed incorrect DFHack background window texture when DF is started in ascii mode and subsequently switched to graphics mode
 
 ## Misc Improvements
 - `suspendmanager`: Account for walls planned on the z-layer below when determining accessibility to a job
diff --git a/library/lua/gui.lua b/library/lua/gui.lua
index ec8b9352bc..dac075f1dc 100644
--- a/library/lua/gui.lua
+++ b/library/lua/gui.lua
@@ -10,7 +10,16 @@ local getval = utils.getval
 
 local to_pen = dfhack.pen.parse
 
-CLEAR_PEN = to_pen{tile=dfhack.internal.getAddress('init') and df.global.init.texpos_border_interior or nil, ch=32, fg=0, bg=0, write_to_lower=true}
+local function getInteriorTexpos()
+    if not dfhack.internal.getAddress('init') then return end
+    if dfhack.screen.inGraphicsMode() then
+        return df.global.init.texpos_border_interior
+    else
+        return df.global.init.classic_texpos_border_interior
+    end
+end
+
+CLEAR_PEN = to_pen{tile=getInteriorTexpos(), ch=32, fg=0, bg=0, write_to_lower=true}
 TRANSPARENT_PEN = to_pen{tile=0, ch=0}
 KEEP_LOWER_PEN = to_pen{ch=32, fg=0, bg=0, keep_lower=true}
 
diff --git a/test/library/gui.lua b/test/library/gui.lua
index 3fc8b889d6..6cc2b5a302 100644
--- a/test/library/gui.lua
+++ b/test/library/gui.lua
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ function test.getKeyDisplay()
 end
 
 function test.clear_pen()
+    local expected_tile = dfhack.screen.inGraphicsMode() and
+        df.global.init.texpos_border_interior or df.global.init.classic_texpos_border_interior
+
     expect.table_eq(gui.CLEAR_PEN, {
-        tile = df.global.init.texpos_border_interior,
+        tile = expected_tile,
         ch = string.byte(' '),
         fg = COLOR_BLACK,
         bg = COLOR_BLACK,