diff --git a/docs/api-reference.md b/docs/api-reference.md
index 4338b45d..f2b90803 100644
--- a/docs/api-reference.md
+++ b/docs/api-reference.md
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ interface Validators {
     isTshirtSize(value: string): boolean
     isArbitrarySize(value: string): boolean
     isArbitraryPosition(value: string): boolean
-    isArbitraryUrl(value: string): boolean
+    isArbitraryImage(value: string): boolean
     isArbitraryNumber(value: string): boolean
     isArbitraryShadow(value: string): boolean
     isAny(value: string): boolean
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ A brief summary for each validator:
 -   `isTshirtSize`checks whether class part is a T-shirt size (`sm`, `xl`), optionally with a preceding number (`2xl`).
 -   `isArbitrarySize` checks whether class part is an arbitrary value which starts with `size:` (`[size:200px_100px]`) which is necessary for background-size classNames.
 -   `isArbitraryPosition` checks whether class part is an arbitrary value which starts with `position:` (`[position:200px_100px]`) which is necessary for background-position classNames.
--   `isArbitraryUrl` checks whether class part is an arbitrary value which starts with `url:` or `url(` (`[url('/path-to-image.png')]`, `url:var(--maybe-a-url-at-runtime)]`) which is necessary for background-image classNames.
+-   `isArbitraryImage` checks whether class part is an arbitrary value which is an iamge, e.g. by starting with `image:`, `url:`, `linear-gradient(` or `url(` (`[url('/path-to-image.png')]`, `image:var(--maybe-an-image-at-runtime)]`) which is necessary for background-image classNames.
 -   `isArbitraryShadow` checks whether class part is an arbitrary value which starts with the same pattern as a shadow value (`[0_35px_60px_-15px_rgba(0,0,0,0.3)]`), namely with two lengths separated by a underscore.
 -   `isAny` always returns true. Be careful with this validator as it might match unwanted classes. I use it primarily to match colors or when I'm certain there are no other class groups in a namespace.
 
diff --git a/docs/changelog/v1-to-v2-migration.md b/docs/changelog/v1-to-v2-migration.md
index de7e804a..5461418d 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/v1-to-v2-migration.md
+++ b/docs/changelog/v1-to-v2-migration.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ By exports:
 -   `validators`
     -   [`isLength`: Does not check for arbitrary values anymore](#validatorsislength-does-not-check-for-arbitrary-values-anymore)
     -   [`isInteger`: Does not check for arbitrary values anymore](#validatorsisinteger-does-not-check-for-arbitrary-values-anymore)
+    -   [`isArbitraryUrl`: Renamed](#validatorsisarbitraryurl-renamed)
     -   [`isArbitraryWeight`: Removed](#validatorsisarbitraryweight-removed)
 -   `createTailwindMerge`
     -   [Mandatory elements added](#createtailwindmerge-mandatory-elements-added)
@@ -301,6 +302,23 @@ If those classes use arbitrary values but there is only a single class group tha
 
 Otherwise, proceed as shown in the minimal upgrade.
 
+### `validators.isArbitraryUrl`: Renamed
+
+Related: [#300](https://github.com/dcastil/tailwind-merge/pull/300)
+
+`isArbitraryUrl` was used to detect arbitrary `background-image` values. However, the `background-image` CSS property supports more than just URLs, so the functionality of the validator was expanded to also detect values like `image:var(--maybe-an-image-at-runtime)]` or `linear-gradient(rgba(0,0,255,0.5),rgba(255,255,0,0.5))` and therefore renamed as well.
+
+#### Upgrade
+
+Replace all uses of `validators.isArbitraryUrl` with `validators.isArbitraryImage`.
+
+```diff
+  import { validators } from 'tailwind-merge'
+
+- validators.isArbitraryUrl
++ validators.isArbitraryImage
+```
+
 ### `validators.isArbitraryWeight`: Removed
 
 Related: [#288](https://github.com/dcastil/tailwind-merge/pull/288)
diff --git a/src/lib/default-config.ts b/src/lib/default-config.ts
index 214ab601..8c48a964 100644
--- a/src/lib/default-config.ts
+++ b/src/lib/default-config.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ import { fromTheme } from './from-theme'
 import { Config, DefaultClassGroupIds, DefaultThemeGroupIds } from './types'
 import {
     isAny,
+    isArbitraryImage,
     isArbitraryLength,
     isArbitraryNumber,
     isArbitraryPosition,
     isArbitraryShadow,
     isArbitrarySize,
-    isArbitraryUrl,
     isArbitraryValue,
     isInteger,
     isLength,
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ export function getDefaultConfig() {
                     bg: [
                         'none',
                         { 'gradient-to': ['t', 'tr', 'r', 'br', 'b', 'bl', 'l', 'tl'] },
-                        isArbitraryUrl,
+                        isArbitraryImage,
                     ],
                 },
             ],
diff --git a/src/lib/validators.ts b/src/lib/validators.ts
index 2a4c2005..93757b75 100644
--- a/src/lib/validators.ts
+++ b/src/lib/validators.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ const lengthUnitRegex =
     /\d+(%|px|r?em|[sdl]?v([hwib]|min|max)|pt|pc|in|cm|mm|cap|ch|ex|r?lh|cq(w|h|i|b|min|max))|\b(calc|min|max|clamp)\(.+\)|^0$/
 // Shadow always begins with x and y offset separated by underscore
 const shadowRegex = /^-?((\d+)?\.?(\d+)[a-z]+|0)_-?((\d+)?\.?(\d+)[a-z]+|0)/
+const imageRegex =
+    /^(url|image|image-set|cross-fade|element|(repeating-)?(linear|radial|conic)-gradient)\(.+\)$/
 
 export function isLength(value: string) {
     return isNumber(value) || stringLengths.has(value) || fractionRegex.test(value)
@@ -39,16 +41,20 @@ export function isTshirtSize(value: string) {
     return tshirtUnitRegex.test(value)
 }
 
+const sizeLabels = new Set(['length', 'size', 'percentage'])
+
 export function isArbitrarySize(value: string) {
-    return getIsArbitraryValue(value, 'size', isNever)
+    return getIsArbitraryValue(value, sizeLabels, isNever)
 }
 
 export function isArbitraryPosition(value: string) {
     return getIsArbitraryValue(value, 'position', isNever)
 }
 
-export function isArbitraryUrl(value: string) {
-    return getIsArbitraryValue(value, 'url', isUrl)
+const imageLabels = new Set(['image', 'url'])
+
+export function isArbitraryImage(value: string) {
+    return getIsArbitraryValue(value, imageLabels, isImage)
 }
 
 export function isArbitraryShadow(value: string) {
@@ -59,16 +65,16 @@ export function isAny() {
     return true
 }
 
-function isLengthOnly(value: string) {
-    return lengthUnitRegex.test(value)
-}
-
-function getIsArbitraryValue(value: string, label: string, testValue: (value: string) => boolean) {
+function getIsArbitraryValue(
+    value: string,
+    label: string | Set<string>,
+    testValue: (value: string) => boolean,
+) {
     const result = arbitraryValueRegex.exec(value)
 
     if (result) {
         if (result[1]) {
-            return result[1] === label
+            return typeof label === 'string' ? result[1] === label : label.has(result[1])
         }
 
         return testValue(result[2]!)
@@ -77,14 +83,18 @@ function getIsArbitraryValue(value: string, label: string, testValue: (value: st
     return false
 }
 
-function isNever() {
-    return false
+function isLengthOnly(value: string) {
+    return lengthUnitRegex.test(value)
 }
 
-function isUrl(value: string) {
-    return value.startsWith('url(')
+function isNever() {
+    return false
 }
 
 function isShadow(value: string) {
     return shadowRegex.test(value)
 }
+
+function isImage(value: string) {
+    return imageRegex.test(value)
+}
diff --git a/tests/arbitrary-values.test.ts b/tests/arbitrary-values.test.ts
index 34bad8a5..8d485be1 100644
--- a/tests/arbitrary-values.test.ts
+++ b/tests/arbitrary-values.test.ts
@@ -65,4 +65,12 @@ test('handles ambiguous arbitrary values correctly', () => {
     expect(twMerge('text-2xl text-[calc(theme(fontSize.4xl)/1.125)]')).toBe(
         'text-[calc(theme(fontSize.4xl)/1.125)]',
     )
+    expect(twMerge('bg-cover bg-[percentage:30%] bg-[length:200px_100px]')).toBe(
+        'bg-[length:200px_100px]',
+    )
+    expect(
+        twMerge(
+            'bg-none bg-[url(.)] bg-[image:.] bg-[url:.] bg-[linear-gradient(.)] bg-gradient-to-r',
+        ),
+    ).toBe('bg-gradient-to-r')
 })
diff --git a/tests/public-api.test.ts b/tests/public-api.test.ts
index eaacfb01..12deb896 100644
--- a/tests/public-api.test.ts
+++ b/tests/public-api.test.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ test('has correct export types', () => {
         isArbitraryPosition: expect.any(Function),
         isArbitraryShadow: expect.any(Function),
         isArbitrarySize: expect.any(Function),
-        isArbitraryUrl: expect.any(Function),
+        isArbitraryImage: expect.any(Function),
         isArbitraryValue: expect.any(Function),
         isInteger: expect.any(Function),
         isLength: expect.any(Function),
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ test('validators have correct inputs and outputs', () => {
     expect(validators.isTshirtSize('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
     expect(validators.isArbitrarySize('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
     expect(validators.isArbitraryPosition('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
-    expect(validators.isArbitraryUrl('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
+    expect(validators.isArbitraryImage('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
     expect(validators.isArbitraryNumber('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
     expect(validators.isArbitraryShadow('')).toEqual(expect.any(Boolean))
 })
diff --git a/tests/validators.test.ts b/tests/validators.test.ts
index d45cbb60..4a67630b 100644
--- a/tests/validators.test.ts
+++ b/tests/validators.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const {
     isTshirtSize,
     isArbitrarySize,
     isArbitraryPosition,
-    isArbitraryUrl,
+    isArbitraryImage,
     isArbitraryNumber,
     isArbitraryShadow,
 } = validators
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ test('isTshirtSize', () => {
 test('isArbitrarySize', () => {
     expect(isArbitrarySize('[size:2px]')).toBe(true)
     expect(isArbitrarySize('[size:bla]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitrarySize('[length:bla]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitrarySize('[percentage:bla]')).toBe(true)
 
     expect(isArbitrarySize('[2px]')).toBe(false)
     expect(isArbitrarySize('[bla]')).toBe(false)
@@ -135,15 +137,18 @@ test('isArbitraryPosition', () => {
     expect(isArbitraryPosition('position:2px')).toBe(false)
 })
 
-test('isArbitraryUrl', () => {
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('[url:var(--my-url)]')).toBe(true)
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('[url(something)]')).toBe(true)
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('[url:bla]')).toBe(true)
-
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('[var(--my-url)]')).toBe(false)
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('[bla]')).toBe(false)
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('url:2px')).toBe(false)
-    expect(isArbitraryUrl('url(2px)')).toBe(false)
+test('isArbitraryImage', () => {
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[url:var(--my-url)]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[url(something)]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[url:bla]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[image:bla]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[linear-gradient(something)]')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[repeating-conic-gradient(something)]')).toBe(true)
+
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[var(--my-url)]')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('[bla]')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('url:2px')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isArbitraryImage('url(2px)')).toBe(false)
 })
 
 test('isArbitraryNumber', () => {