diff --git compositing_iosurface_layer_mac.mm compositing_iosurface_layer_mac.mm
index 08d3d4d..02467a7 100644
--- compositing_iosurface_layer_mac.mm
+++ compositing_iosurface_layer_mac.mm
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
       (context_ && context_->cgl_context() != glContext) ||
       !renderWidgetHostView_ ||
       !renderWidgetHostView_->compositing_iosurface_) {
-    glClearColor(1, 1, 1, 1);
+    glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
     glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
     return;
   }
diff --git compositing_iosurface_mac.mm compositing_iosurface_mac.mm
index 45f4758..ed071b2 100644
--- compositing_iosurface_mac.mm
+++ compositing_iosurface_mac.mm
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ bool CompositingIOSurfaceMac::DrawIOSurface(
     glUseProgram(0); CHECK_AND_SAVE_GL_ERROR();
   } else {
     // Should match the clear color of RenderWidgetHostViewMac.
-    glClearColor(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
+    glClearColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
     glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
   }
 
diff --git compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.cc compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.cc
index 753c180..c5f09f1 100644
--- compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.cc
+++ compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.cc
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "base/debug/trace_event.h"
 #include "base/logging.h"
 #include "base/memory/scoped_ptr.h"
+#include "base/strings/stringprintf.h"
 #include "base/values.h"
 #include "content/browser/gpu/gpu_data_manager_impl.h"
 #include "gpu/config/gpu_driver_bug_workaround_type.h"
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ const char kfsBlit[] = GLSL_PROGRAM_AS_STRING(
     }
 );
 
+float bgcolor[] = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};
 
 // Only calculates position.
 const char kvsSolidWhite[] = GLSL_PROGRAM_AS_STRING(
@@ -238,6 +240,16 @@ GLuint CompileShaderGLSL(ShaderProgram shader_program, GLenum shader_type,
   const GLuint shader = glCreateShader(shader_type);
   DCHECK_NE(shader, 0u);
 
+  // Support customization of the background color.
+  std::string bg_shader;
+  if (shader_program == SHADER_PROGRAM_SOLID_WHITE &&
+      shader_type == GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER) {
+    bg_shader = base::StringPrintf(
+        "void main() { gl_FragColor = vec4(%f, %f, %f, 1.0); }",
+        bgcolor[0], bgcolor[1], bgcolor[2]);
+    kFragmentShaderSourceCodeMap[shader_program] = bg_shader.c_str();
+  }
+
   // Select and compile the shader program source code.
   if (shader_type == GL_VERTEX_SHADER) {
     const GLchar* source_snippets[] = {
@@ -412,6 +424,14 @@ void CompositingIOSurfaceShaderPrograms::SetOutputFormatForTesting(
   Reset();
 }
 
+// static
+void CompositingIOSurfaceShaderPrograms::SetBackgroundColor(
+    float r, float g, float b) {
+  bgcolor[0] = r;
+  bgcolor[1] = g;
+  bgcolor[2] = b;
+}
+
 GLuint CompositingIOSurfaceShaderPrograms::GetShaderProgram(int which) {
   if (shader_programs_[which] == 0u) {
     shader_programs_[which] =
diff --git compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.h compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.h
index de1987f..d36b988 100644
--- compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.h
+++ compositing_iosurface_shader_programs_mac.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ class CompositingIOSurfaceShaderPrograms {
     return rgb_to_yv12_output_format_;
   }
 
+  static void SetBackgroundColor(float r, float g, float b);
+
  protected:
   FRIEND_TEST_ALL_PREFIXES(CompositingIOSurfaceTransformerTest,
                            TransformsRGBToYV12);
diff --git render_widget_host_view_aura.cc render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
index 8493660..ce185939 100644
--- render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
+++ render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
@@ -2685,8 +2685,14 @@ void RenderWidgetHostViewAura::OnPaint(gfx::Canvas* canvas) {
     // For non-opaque windows, we don't draw anything, since we depend on the
     // canvas coming from the compositor to already be initialized as
     // transparent.
-    if (window_->layer()->fills_bounds_opaquely())
-      canvas->DrawColor(SK_ColorWHITE);
+    if (window_->layer()->fills_bounds_opaquely()) {
+      if (host_->IsRenderView()) {
+        canvas->DrawColor(GetContentClient()->browser()->GetBaseBackgroundColor(
+            RenderViewHost::From(host_)));
+      } else {
+        canvas->DrawColor(SK_ColorWHITE);
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git render_widget_host_view_mac.mm render_widget_host_view_mac.mm
index 9cdbc07..4f9c19e 100644
--- render_widget_host_view_mac.mm
+++ render_widget_host_view_mac.mm
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ RenderWidgetHostViewMac::RenderWidgetHostViewMac(RenderWidgetHost* widget)
     use_core_animation_ = true;
     background_layer_.reset([[CALayer alloc] init]);
     [background_layer_
-        setBackgroundColor:CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite)];
+        setBackgroundColor:CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear)];
     [cocoa_view_ setLayer:background_layer_];
     [cocoa_view_ setWantsLayer:YES];
   }
@@ -3108,7 +3108,7 @@ SkBitmap::Config RenderWidgetHostViewMac::PreferredReadbackFormat() {
 
     NSRect r = [self flipRectToNSRect:gfx::Rect(x, y, width, height)];
     CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context,
-                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite));
+                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear));
     CGContextFillRect(context, NSRectToCGRect(r));
   }
   if (damagedRect.bottom() > rect.bottom()) {
@@ -3130,7 +3130,7 @@ SkBitmap::Config RenderWidgetHostViewMac::PreferredReadbackFormat() {
 
     NSRect r = [self flipRectToNSRect:gfx::Rect(x, y, width, height)];
     CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context,
-                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite));
+                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear));
     CGContextFillRect(context, NSRectToCGRect(r));
   }
 }
@@ -3280,7 +3280,7 @@ SkBitmap::Config RenderWidgetHostViewMac::PreferredReadbackFormat() {
     }
   } else {
     CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context,
-                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite));
+                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear));
     CGContextFillRect(context, dirtyRect);
     if (renderWidgetHostView_->whiteout_start_time_.is_null())
       renderWidgetHostView_->whiteout_start_time_ = base::TimeTicks::Now();
@@ -4303,7 +4303,7 @@ extern NSString *NSTextInputReplacementRangeAttributeName;
   if (self = [super init]) {
     renderWidgetHostView_ = r;
 
-    [self setBackgroundColor:CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite)];
+    [self setBackgroundColor:CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear)];
     [self setAnchorPoint:CGPointMake(0, 0)];
     // Setting contents gravity is necessary to prevent the layer from being
     // scaled during dyanmic resizes (especially with devtools open).
@@ -4332,7 +4332,7 @@ extern NSString *NSTextInputReplacementRangeAttributeName;
                                                 inContext:context];
   } else {
     CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context,
-                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorWhite));
+                                   CGColorGetConstantColor(kCGColorClear));
     CGContextFillRect(context, clipRect);
   }
 }