diff --git a/src/drawer.js b/src/drawer.js
index bfbc38c4..a38aed0a 100644
--- a/src/drawer.js
+++ b/src/drawer.js
@@ -310,16 +310,10 @@ $.Drawer.prototype = /** @lends OpenSeadragon.Drawer.prototype */{
             return;
         }
 
-
-        this.saveContext();
-        if ( typeof fillStyle === "function" ) {
-            this.context.fillStyle = fillStyle(this.context);
-        }
-        else {
-            this.context.fillStyle = fillStyle;
-        }
+        this.context.save();
+        this.context.fillStyle = fillStyle;
         this.context.fillRect(rect.x, rect.y, rect.width, rect.height);
-        this.restoreContext();
+        this.context.restore();
     },
 
     // private
diff --git a/src/openseadragon.js b/src/openseadragon.js
index a73295a8..3e3cffbd 100644
--- a/src/openseadragon.js
+++ b/src/openseadragon.js
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
   * @property {String|CanvasGradient|CanvasPattern|Function} [placeholderFillStyle=null]
   *     Draws a colored rectangle behind the tile if it is not loaded yet.
   *     You can pass a CSS color value like "#FF8800".
-  *     When passing a function the canvas context is available as argument which is useful when you draw a gradient or pattern.
+  *     When passing a function the tiledImage and canvas context are available as argument which is useful when you draw a gradient or pattern.
   *
   * @property {Number} [degrees=0]
   *     Initial rotation.
diff --git a/src/tiledimage.js b/src/tiledimage.js
index 94c87cb1..88f7857c 100644
--- a/src/tiledimage.js
+++ b/src/tiledimage.js
@@ -1172,7 +1172,16 @@ function drawTiles( tiledImage, lastDrawn ) {
 
     if ( tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle && lastDrawn.length === 0 ) {
         var placeholderRect = tiledImage._drawer.viewportToDrawerRectangle(tiledImage.getBounds(true));
-        tiledImage._drawer.drawPlaceholder(placeholderRect, tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle);
+
+        var fillStyle = null;
+        if ( typeof tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle === "function" ) {
+            fillStyle = tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle(tiledImage, tiledImage._drawer.context);
+        }
+        else {
+            fillStyle = tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle;
+        }
+
+        tiledImage._drawer.drawPlaceholder(placeholderRect, fillStyle);
     }
 
     for ( i = lastDrawn.length - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) {