diff --git a/ui/styling/background.android.ts b/ui/styling/background.android.ts
index bdf46cee5..792ef156f 100644
--- a/ui/styling/background.android.ts
+++ b/ui/styling/background.android.ts
@@ -153,17 +153,16 @@ export module ad {
 
         var backgroundValue = v.style._getValue(style.backgroundInternalProperty);
         var borderWidth = v.borderWidth;
+        var bkg = <any>nativeView.getBackground();
 
-        if (v.borderWidth === 0 && v.borderRadius === 0 &&
+        if (!types.isNullOrUndefined(bkg) && v.borderWidth === 0 && v.borderRadius === 0 &&
             !v.style._getValue(style.backgroundImageProperty) &&
             v.style._getValue(style.backgroundColorProperty)) {
-            let bkg = nativeView.getBackground();
             if (bkg && bkg.setColorFilter) {
                 bkg.setColorFilter(v.style._getValue(style.backgroundColorProperty).android, android.graphics.PorterDuff.Mode.SRC_IN);
             }
         } else if (v.borderWidth !== 0 || v.borderRadius !== 0 || !backgroundValue.isEmpty()) {
 
-            let bkg = <any>nativeView.getBackground();
             if (!(bkg instanceof dts.ad.BorderDrawable)) {
                 bkg = new dts.ad.BorderDrawable();
                 let viewClass = types.getClass(v);