diff --git a/adafruit_display_text/label.py b/adafruit_display_text/label.py
index c27e124..c7d3809 100755
--- a/adafruit_display_text/label.py
+++ b/adafruit_display_text/label.py
@@ -189,16 +189,39 @@ def _update_background_color(self, new_color):
             / 2
         )
         lines = self.text.count("\n") + 1
-        if not self._added_background_tilegrid:
-            # only if we have text or padding
-            if len(self.text) + self._padding_left + self._padding_right > 0:
+
+        if not self._added_background_tilegrid:  # no bitmap is in the self Group
+            # add bitmap if text is present and bitmap sizes > 0 pixels
+            if (
+                (len(self._text) > 0)
+                and (
+                    self._boundingbox[2] + self._padding_left + self._padding_right > 0
+                )
+                and (
+                    self._boundingbox[3] + self._padding_top + self._padding_bottom > 0
+                )
+            ):
                 if len(self) > 0:
                     self.insert(0, self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset))
                 else:
                     self.append(self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset))
                 self._added_background_tilegrid = True
-        else:
-            self[0] = self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset)
+
+        else:  # a bitmap is present in the self Group
+            # update bitmap if text is present and bitmap sizes > 0 pixels
+            if (
+                (len(self._text) > 0)
+                and (
+                    self._boundingbox[2] + self._padding_left + self._padding_right > 0
+                )
+                and (
+                    self._boundingbox[3] + self._padding_top + self._padding_bottom > 0
+                )
+            ):
+                self[0] = self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset)
+            else:  # delete the existing bitmap
+                self.pop(0)
+                self._added_background_tilegrid = False
 
     def _update_text(
         self, new_text
@@ -290,20 +313,8 @@ def _update_text(
             self.pop()
         self._text = new_text
         self._boundingbox = (left, top, left + right, bottom - top)
-        if (
-            self._background_color
-            and len(new_text) + self._padding_left + self._padding_right > 0
-        ):
-            if not self._added_background_tilegrid:
-                self._added_background_tilegrid = True
-                self.insert(0, self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset))
-            else:
-                self[0] = self._create_background_box(lines, y_offset)
-        else:
-            self._background_palette.make_transparent(0)
-            if self._added_background_tilegrid:
-                self.pop(0)
-                self._added_background_tilegrid = False
+
+        self._update_background_color(self._background_color)
 
     @property
     def bounding_box(self):