diff --git a/avogadro/mainwindow.cpp b/avogadro/mainwindow.cpp
index 1e417800..4999b3ba 100644
--- a/avogadro/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/avogadro/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ void MainWindow::setupInterface()
   m_multiViewWidget->setFactory(m_viewFactory);
   setCentralWidget(m_multiViewWidget);
   auto* glWidget = new GLWidget(this);
+  m_viewFactory->setGLWidget(glWidget);
 
   // set the background color (alpha channel default should be opaque)
   auto color =
diff --git a/avogadro/viewfactory.cpp b/avogadro/viewfactory.cpp
index 86e4644a..05c77d21 100644
--- a/avogadro/viewfactory.cpp
+++ b/avogadro/viewfactory.cpp
@@ -12,13 +12,9 @@
 
 namespace Avogadro {
 
-ViewFactory::ViewFactory()
-{
-}
+ViewFactory::ViewFactory() {}
 
-ViewFactory::~ViewFactory()
-{
-}
+ViewFactory::~ViewFactory() {}
 
 QStringList ViewFactory::views() const
 {
@@ -32,8 +28,17 @@ QStringList ViewFactory::views() const
 
 QWidget* ViewFactory::createView(const QString& view)
 {
-  if (view == QObject::tr("3D View"))
-    return new QtOpenGL::GLWidget;
+  if (view == QObject::tr("3D View")) {
+    // get the background color, etc.
+    if (m_glWidget != nullptr) {
+      auto newWidget = new QtOpenGL::GLWidget(m_glWidget);
+      // set the background color, etc.
+      auto bgColor = m_glWidget->renderer().scene().backgroundColor();
+      newWidget->renderer().scene().setBackgroundColor(bgColor);
+      return newWidget;
+    } else
+      return new QtOpenGL::GLWidget;
+  }
 #ifdef AVO_USE_VTK
   else if (view == QObject::tr("VTK"))
     return new VTK::vtkGLWidget;
diff --git a/avogadro/viewfactory.h b/avogadro/viewfactory.h
index 6313256a..a865b8d3 100644
--- a/avogadro/viewfactory.h
+++ b/avogadro/viewfactory.h
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 #define AVOGADRO_VIEWFACTORY_H
 
 #include <avogadro/qtgui/viewfactory.h>
+#include <avogadro/qtopengl/glwidget.h>
+#ifdef AVO_USE_VTK
+#include <avogadro/vtk/vtkglwidget.h>
+#endif
 
 namespace Avogadro {
 
@@ -18,6 +22,10 @@ class ViewFactory : public QtGui::ViewFactory
 
   QStringList views() const;
   QWidget* createView(const QString& view);
+  void setGLWidget(QtOpenGL::GLWidget* glWidget) { m_glWidget = glWidget; }
+
+protected:
+  QtOpenGL::GLWidget* m_glWidget = nullptr;
 };
 
 } // End namespace Avogadro