diff --git a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
index 112ffec88..7f9626111 100644
--- a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
@@ -199,6 +199,16 @@ describe "EditorComponent", ->
       atom.config.set("editor.showInvisibles", false)
       expect(component.lineNodeForScreenRow(10).textContent).toBe nbsp
 
+    it "gives the lines div the same background color as the editor to improve GPU performance", ->
+      linesNode = componentNode.querySelector('.lines')
+      backgroundColor = getComputedStyle(wrapperNode).backgroundColor
+      expect(linesNode.style.backgroundColor).toBe backgroundColor
+
+      wrapperNode.style.backgroundColor = 'rgb(255, 0, 0)'
+      advanceClock(component.domPollingInterval)
+      runSetImmediateCallbacks()
+      expect(linesNode.style.backgroundColor).toBe 'rgb(255, 0, 0)'
+
     describe "when showInvisibles is enabled", ->
       invisibles = null
 
diff --git a/src/editor-component.coffee b/src/editor-component.coffee
index 543212e81..f9e015ad7 100644
--- a/src/editor-component.coffee
+++ b/src/editor-component.coffee
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
 
   visible: false
   autoHeight: false
+  backgroundColor: null
   pendingScrollTop: null
   pendingScrollLeft: null
   selectOnMouseMove: false
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
           showIndentGuide, renderedRowRange, @pendingChanges, scrollTop, scrollLeft,
           @scrollingVertically, scrollHeight, scrollWidth, mouseWheelScreenRow, invisibles,
           @visible, scrollViewHeight, @scopedCharacterWidthsChangeCount, lineWidth, @useHardwareAcceleration,
-          placeholderText, @performedInitialMeasurement
+          placeholderText, @performedInitialMeasurement, @backgroundColor
         }
 
         ScrollbarComponent
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     @updatesPaused = true
     @measureLineHeightAndDefaultCharWidth()
     @measureHeightAndWidth()
+    @sampleBackgroundColor()
     @measureScrollbars()
     @props.editor.setVisible(true)
     @updatesPaused = false
@@ -772,6 +774,7 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     if @visible = @isVisible()
       if wasVisible
         @measureHeightAndWidth()
+        @sampleBackgroundColor()
       else
         @performInitialMeasurement()
         @forceUpdate()
@@ -813,6 +816,13 @@ EditorComponent = React.createClass
     clientWidth -= paddingLeft
     editor.setWidth(clientWidth) if clientWidth > 0
 
+  sampleBackgroundColor: (suppressUpdate) ->
+    {parentView} = @props
+    {backgroundColor} = getComputedStyle(parentView.element)
+    if backgroundColor isnt @backgroundColor
+      @backgroundColor = backgroundColor
+      @requestUpdate() unless suppressUpdate
+
   measureLineHeightAndDefaultCharWidthIfNeeded: (prevState) ->
     if not isEqualForProperties(prevState, @state, 'lineHeight', 'fontSize', 'fontFamily')
       if @visible
diff --git a/src/lines-component.coffee b/src/lines-component.coffee
index 14135089a..c4c2980ff 100644
--- a/src/lines-component.coffee
+++ b/src/lines-component.coffee
@@ -19,12 +19,13 @@ LinesComponent = React.createClass
     {performedInitialMeasurement} = @props
 
     if performedInitialMeasurement
-      {editor, highlightDecorations, scrollHeight, scrollWidth, placeholderText} = @props
+      {editor, highlightDecorations, scrollHeight, scrollWidth, placeholderText, backgroundColor} = @props
       {lineHeightInPixels, defaultCharWidth, scrollViewHeight, scopedCharacterWidthsChangeCount} = @props
       style =
         height: Math.max(scrollHeight, scrollViewHeight)
         width: scrollWidth
         WebkitTransform: @getTransform()
+        backgroundColor: backgroundColor
 
     div {className: 'lines', style},
       div className: 'placeholder-text', placeholderText if placeholderText?
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ LinesComponent = React.createClass
       'renderedRowRange', 'lineDecorations', 'highlightDecorations', 'lineHeightInPixels', 'defaultCharWidth',
       'scrollTop', 'scrollLeft', 'showIndentGuide', 'scrollingVertically', 'invisibles', 'visible',
       'scrollViewHeight', 'mouseWheelScreenRow', 'scopedCharacterWidthsChangeCount', 'lineWidth', 'useHardwareAcceleration',
-      'placeholderText', 'performedInitialMeasurement'
+      'placeholderText', 'performedInitialMeasurement', 'backgroundColor'
     )
 
     {renderedRowRange, pendingChanges} = newProps