diff --git a/src/drawer.js b/src/drawer.js
index c9c94214..bfbc38c4 100644
--- a/src/drawer.js
+++ b/src/drawer.js
@@ -310,14 +310,16 @@ $.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.fillRect(rect.x, rect.y, rect.width, rect.height);
+        this.restoreContext();
     },
 
     // private
diff --git a/src/tiledimage.js b/src/tiledimage.js
index cea8d2b1..039a4f7f 100644
--- a/src/tiledimage.js
+++ b/src/tiledimage.js
@@ -1172,12 +1172,8 @@ function drawTiles( tiledImage, lastDrawn ) {
     }
 
     if ( tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle && lastDrawn.length === 0 ) {
-        tiledImage._drawer.saveContext();
-
         var placeholderRect = tiledImage._drawer.viewportToDrawerRectangle(tiledImage.getBounds(true));
         tiledImage._drawer.drawPlaceholder(placeholderRect, tiledImage.placeholderFillStyle);
-
-        tiledImage._drawer.restoreContext();
     }
 
     for ( i = lastDrawn.length - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) {