diff --git a/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md b/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
index f6f2c8e68..fb7e0cbb4 100644
--- a/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
+++ b/api-reports/NativeScript.api.md
@@ -2197,6 +2197,8 @@ export class TabContentItem extends ContentView {
 export class TabNavigationBase extends View {
     android: any /* android.view.View */;
 
+    getTabBarBackgroundArgbColor(): any
+
     getTabBarBackgroundColor(): any
 
     getTabBarColor(): any
diff --git a/nativescript-core/ui/bottom-navigation/bottom-navigation.android.ts b/nativescript-core/ui/bottom-navigation/bottom-navigation.android.ts
index 077a4096c..ce3bfd17d 100644
--- a/nativescript-core/ui/bottom-navigation/bottom-navigation.android.ts
+++ b/nativescript-core/ui/bottom-navigation/bottom-navigation.android.ts
@@ -578,9 +578,7 @@ export class BottomNavigation extends TabNavigationBase {
 
             // BACKGROUND-COLOR
             const backgroundColor = tabStripItem.style.backgroundColor;
-            if (backgroundColor) {
-                tabItemSpec.backgroundColor = backgroundColor.android;
-            }
+            tabItemSpec.backgroundColor = backgroundColor ? backgroundColor.android : this.getTabBarBackgroundArgbColor();
 
             // COLOR
             const color = titleLabel.style.color;
diff --git a/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.d.ts b/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.d.ts
index 1a6b24418..7440e23e6 100644
--- a/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.d.ts
+++ b/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.d.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@ export class TabNavigationBase extends View {
      */
     getTabBarBackgroundColor(): any
 
+    /**
+     * @private
+     * Method is intended to be overridden by inheritors and used as "protected"
+     */
+    getTabBarBackgroundArgbColor(): any
+
     /**
      * @private
      * Method is intended to be overridden by inheritors and used as "protected"
diff --git a/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.ts b/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.ts
index eb8d96ed0..ee035bf1f 100644
--- a/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.ts
+++ b/nativescript-core/ui/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base/tab-navigation-base.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ export class TabNavigationBase extends View implements TabNavigationBaseDefiniti
         return null;
     }
 
+    public getTabBarBackgroundArgbColor(): any {
+        // This method is implemented only for Android
+        const colorDrawable = this.getTabBarBackgroundColor();
+
+        return colorDrawable && colorDrawable.getColor && colorDrawable.getColor();
+    }
+
     public setTabBarBackgroundColor(value: any): void {
         // overridden by inheritors
     }
diff --git a/nativescript-core/ui/tabs/tabs.android.ts b/nativescript-core/ui/tabs/tabs.android.ts
index 3659eed9a..6008b7980 100644
--- a/nativescript-core/ui/tabs/tabs.android.ts
+++ b/nativescript-core/ui/tabs/tabs.android.ts
@@ -653,9 +653,7 @@ export class Tabs extends TabsBase {
 
             // BACKGROUND-COLOR
             const backgroundColor = tabStripItem.style.backgroundColor;
-            if (backgroundColor) {
-                tabItemSpec.backgroundColor = backgroundColor.android;
-            }
+            tabItemSpec.backgroundColor = backgroundColor ? backgroundColor.android : this.getTabBarBackgroundArgbColor();
 
             // COLOR
             const color = nestedLabel.style.color;