diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.py b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.py
index a231c6f9a1..227ccd98d9 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.py
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ class SpectralExtraction(PluginTemplateMixin, ApertureSubsetSelectMixin,
       Whether the ``background`` aperture should be considered wavelength-dependent (requires
       ``wavelength_dependent`` to also be set to ``True``). The cone is defined
       to intersect ``background`` at ``reference_spectral_value``.
+    * ```bg_spec_per_spaxel``:
+        Whether to normalize the resulting summed background per spaxel when calling
+        ``extract_bg_spectrum``.  Otherwise, the spectrum will be scaled by the ratio between the
+        areas of the aperture and the background aperture. Only applicable if ``function`` is 'Sum'.
     * ``bg_spec_add_results`` (:class:`~jdaviz.core.template_mixin.AddResults`)
+    * :meth:`extract_bg_spectrum`
     * ``aperture_method`` (:class:`~jdaviz.core.template_mixin.SelectPluginComponent`):
       Method to use for extracting spectrum (and background, if applicable).
     * ``add_results`` (:class:`~jdaviz.core.template_mixin.AddResults`)
@@ -78,6 +83,7 @@ class SpectralExtraction(PluginTemplateMixin, ApertureSubsetSelectMixin,
     bg_scale_factor = Float(1).tag(sync=True)
     bg_wavelength_dependent = Bool(False).tag(sync=True)
 
+    bg_spec_per_spaxel = Bool(False).tag(sync=True)
     bg_spec_results_label = Unicode().tag(sync=True)
     bg_spec_results_label_default = Unicode().tag(sync=True)
     bg_spec_results_label_auto = Bool(True).tag(sync=True)
@@ -184,7 +190,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def user_api(self):
         expose = ['dataset', 'function', 'aperture',
                   'background', 'bg_wavelength_dependent',
-                  'bg_spec_add_results', 'extract_bg_spectrum',
+                  'bg_spec_per_spaxel', 'bg_spec_add_results', 'extract_bg_spectrum',
                   'add_results', 'extract',
                   'wavelength_dependent', 'reference_spectral_value',
                   'aperture_method']
@@ -472,7 +478,7 @@ def extract(self, return_bg=False, add_data=True, **kwargs):
                                            self.wavelength_dependent,
                                            selected_func, **kwargs)
 
-        bg_spec = self.extract_bg_spectrum(add_data=False)
+        bg_spec = self.extract_bg_spectrum(add_data=False, bg_spec_per_spaxel=False)
         if bg_spec is not None:
             spec = spec - bg_spec
 
@@ -518,15 +524,20 @@ def extract_bg_spectrum(self, add_data=False, **kwargs):
             Additional keyword arguments passed to the NDDataArray collapse operation.
             Examples include ``propagate_uncertainties`` and ``operation_ignores_mask``.
         """
+        # allow internal calls to override the behavior of the bg_spec_per_spaxel traitlet
+        bg_spec_per_spaxel = kwargs.pop('bg_spec_per_spaxel', self.bg_spec_per_spaxel)
         if self.background.selected != self.background.default_text:
             bg_spec = self._extract_from_aperture(self.spectral_cube, self.uncert_cube,
                                                   self.background, self.bg_weight_mask,
                                                   self.bg_wavelength_dependent,
                                                   self.function_selected.lower(), **kwargs)
             if self.function_selected.lower() == 'sum':
-                # then scale according to aperture areas across the spectral axis (allowing for
-                # independent wavelength-dependence btwn the aperture and background)
-                bg_spec *= self.aperture_area_along_spectral / self.bg_area_along_spectral
+                if bg_spec_per_spaxel:
+                    bg_spec *= 1 / self.bg_area_along_spectral
+                else:
+                    # then scale according to aperture areas across the spectral axis (allowing for
+                    # independent wavelength-dependence btwn the aperture and background)
+                    bg_spec *= self.aperture_area_along_spectral / self.bg_area_along_spectral
         else:
             bg_spec = None
 
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.vue b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.vue
index 3621d399a4..574d2d4768 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.vue
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/spectral_extraction.vue
@@ -141,6 +141,14 @@
               <span style="padding: 6px">Export Background Spectrum</span>
             </v-expansion-panel-header>
             <v-expansion-panel-content class="plugin-expansion-panel-content">
+              <v-row v-if="function_selected === 'Sum'">
+                <v-switch
+                  v-model="bg_spec_per_spaxel"
+                  label="Normalize per-spaxel"
+                  hint="Whether to normalize the resulting summed background per spaxel (not shown in preview).  Otherwise, the spectrum will be scaled by the ratio between the areas of the aperture to the background aperture."
+                  persistent-hint
+                ></v-switch>
+              </v-row>
               <plugin-add-results
                 :label.sync="bg_spec_results_label"
                 :label_default="bg_spec_results_label_default"
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/tests/test_spectral_extraction.py b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/tests/test_spectral_extraction.py
index 8261de7888..f2aad8c433 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/tests/test_spectral_extraction.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/cubeviz/plugins/spectral_extraction/tests/test_spectral_extraction.py
@@ -343,6 +343,9 @@ def test_background_subtraction(cubeviz_helper, spectrum1d_cube_largest):
         assert extract_plg._obj.marks['bg_spec'].visible
 
         bg_spec = extract_plg.extract_bg_spectrum()
+        extract_plg.bg_spec_per_spaxel = True
+        bg_spec_normed = extract_plg.extract_bg_spectrum()
+        assert np.all(bg_spec_normed.flux.value < bg_spec.flux.value)
         spec = extract_plg.extract()
 
     assert np.allclose(spec.flux, spec_no_bg.flux - bg_spec.flux)