diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/segmented-bar/segmented-bar.android.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/segmented-bar/segmented-bar.android.ts
index b42a79aac..8cc4a216d 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/segmented-bar/segmented-bar.android.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/segmented-bar/segmented-bar.android.ts
@@ -290,7 +290,11 @@ export class SegmentedBarStyler implements style.Styler {
             stateDrawable.addState(arr, colorDrawable);
             stateDrawable.setBounds(0, 15, vg.getRight(), vg.getBottom());
 
-            vg.setBackground(stateDrawable);
+            if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 16) {
+                vg.setBackground(stateDrawable);
+            } else {
+                vg.setBackgroundDrawable(stateDrawable);
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -299,7 +303,12 @@ export class SegmentedBarStyler implements style.Styler {
         ensureSegmentedBarColorDrawableClass();
         for (let tabIndex = 0; tabIndex < tabHost.getTabWidget().getTabCount(); tabIndex++) {
             let vg = <android.view.ViewGroup>tabHost.getTabWidget().getChildTabViewAt(tabIndex);
-            vg.setBackground(nativeValue[tabIndex]);
+
+            if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 16) {
+                vg.setBackground(nativeValue[tabIndex]);
+            } else {
+                vg.setBackgroundDrawable(nativeValue[tabIndex]);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/styling/background.android.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/styling/background.android.ts
index 2d47e0af8..7db04bfca 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/styling/background.android.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/styling/background.android.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ export module ad {
                 
                 backgroundDrawable = new org.nativescript.widgets.BorderDrawable(density, v.toString());
                 refreshBorderDrawable(v, <org.nativescript.widgets.BorderDrawable>backgroundDrawable);
-                nativeView.setBackground(backgroundDrawable);
+
+                if (getSDK() >= 16) {
+                    nativeView.setBackground(backgroundDrawable);
+                } else {
+                    nativeView.setBackgroundDrawable(backgroundDrawable);
+                }
             }
             else {
                 refreshBorderDrawable(v, <org.nativescript.widgets.BorderDrawable>backgroundDrawable);
@@ -96,12 +101,21 @@ export module ad {
             // reset the value with the default native value
             if (v instanceof button.Button) {
                 let nativeButton = new android.widget.Button(nativeView.getContext());
-                nativeView.setBackground(nativeButton.getBackground());
+
+                if (getSDK() >= 16) {
+                    nativeView.setBackground(nativeButton.getBackground());
+                } else {
+                    nativeView.setBackgroundDrawable(nativeButton.getBackground());
+                }
             }
             else {
                 let viewClass = types.getClass(v);
                 if (_defaultBackgrounds.has(viewClass)) {
-                    nativeView.setBackground(_defaultBackgrounds.get(viewClass));
+                    if (getSDK() >= 16) {
+                        nativeView.setBackground(_defaultBackgrounds.get(viewClass));
+                    } else {
+                        nativeView.setBackgroundDrawable(_defaultBackgrounds.get(viewClass));
+                    }
                 }
             }