diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/TextExample.android.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/TextExample.android.js
index 4159d0c18..42d17ed07 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/TextExample.android.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/TextExample.android.js
@@ -310,6 +310,15 @@ var TextExample = React.createClass({
               </Text>
             </Text>
           </Text>
+          <Text style={{backgroundColor: 'rgba(100, 100, 100, 0.3)'}}>
+            Same alpha as background,
+            <Text>
+              Inherited alpha from background,
+              <Text style={{backgroundColor: 'rgba(100, 100, 100, 0.3)'}}>
+                Reapply alpha
+              </Text>
+            </Text>
+          </Text>
         </UIExplorerBlock>
         <UIExplorerBlock title="containerBackgroundColor attribute">
           <View style={{flexDirection: 'row', height: 85}}>
diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/TextInputExample.android.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/TextInputExample.android.js
index 9659e9180..99f28231f 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/TextInputExample.android.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/TextInputExample.android.js
@@ -221,6 +221,13 @@ exports.examples = [
             style={styles.singleLine}
             underlineColorAndroid="blue"
           />
+          <TextInput
+            defaultValue="Same BackgroundColor as View "
+            style={[styles.singleLine, {backgroundColor: 'rgba(100, 100, 100, 0.3)'}]}>
+            <Text style={{backgroundColor: 'rgba(100, 100, 100, 0.3)'}}>
+              Darker backgroundColor
+            </Text>
+          </TextInput>
         </View>
       );
     }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactTextShadowNode.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactTextShadowNode.java
index 8fb0ee4d6..21540b59c 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactTextShadowNode.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactTextShadowNode.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class ReactTextShadowNode extends ReactShadowNode {
     // a new spannable will be wiped out
     List<SetSpanOperation> ops = new ArrayList<SetSpanOperation>();
     buildSpannedFromTextCSSNode(textCSSNode, sb, ops);
-    if (textCSSNode.mFontSize == -1) {
+    if (textCSSNode.mFontSize == UNSET) {
       sb.setSpan(
           new AbsoluteSizeSpan((int) Math.ceil(PixelUtil.toPixelFromSP(ViewDefaults.FONT_SIZE_SP))),
           0,
@@ -315,7 +315,8 @@ public class ReactTextShadowNode extends ReactShadowNode {
       }
       markUpdated();
     }
-    if (styles.hasKey(ViewProps.BACKGROUND_COLOR)) {
+    // Don't apply background color to anchor TextView since it will be applied on the View directly
+    if (styles.hasKey(ViewProps.BACKGROUND_COLOR) && this.isVirtualAnchor() == false) {
       if (styles.isNull(ViewProps.BACKGROUND_COLOR)) {
         mIsBackgroundColorSet = false;
       } else {