diff --git a/ports/unix/mpconfigport.h b/ports/unix/mpconfigport.h
index c94845229c..237b99bfe8 100644
--- a/ports/unix/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/ports/unix/mpconfigport.h
@@ -194,6 +194,8 @@
 
 extern const struct _mp_print_t mp_stderr_print;
 
+#define RUN_BACKGROUND_TASKS
+
 #if !(defined(MICROPY_GCREGS_SETJMP) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__i386__) || defined(__thumb2__) || defined(__thumb__) || defined(__arm__))
 // Fall back to setjmp() implementation for discovery of GC pointers in registers.
 #define MICROPY_GCREGS_SETJMP (1)
diff --git a/shared-module/bitmaptools/__init__.c b/shared-module/bitmaptools/__init__.c
index 6818316768..8068bbe8b6 100644
--- a/shared-module/bitmaptools/__init__.c
+++ b/shared-module/bitmaptools/__init__.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  * THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
+#include "shared/runtime/interrupt_char.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/bitmaptools/__init__.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/displayio/Bitmap.h"
 #include "shared-bindings/displayio/Palette.h"
@@ -376,6 +377,10 @@ void common_hal_bitmaptools_boundary_fill(displayio_bitmap_t *destination,
         }
 
         mp_obj_list_get(fill_area, &list_length, &fill_points);
+        RUN_BACKGROUND_TASKS;
+        if (mp_hal_is_interrupted()) {
+            return;
+        }
     }
 
     // set dirty the area so displayio will draw