diff --git a/lighthouse-core/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js b/lighthouse-core/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
index 03ef833dc4d7..d928db8e42f9 100644
--- a/lighthouse-core/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
+++ b/lighthouse-core/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
@@ -24,6 +24,43 @@ const Gather = require('./gather');
 function getInterstitial() {
   const viewportSize = window.outerWidth * window.outerHeight;
 
+  const hasNonTransparentBackground = computedStyle => {
+    // Simple early exit for a solid background color.
+    const bgColor = computedStyle.backgroundColor;
+    const hasSolidBackground = (/#\d{6}/.test(bgColor) ||
+        /rgb\(/.test(bgColor) ||
+        /hsl\(/.test(bgColor) ||
+        /^\w+$/.test(bgColor));
+
+    if (hasSolidBackground) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // Next try rgba.
+    const hasRGBA = /^rgba\([^\)]+\)/.exec(bgColor);
+    if (hasRGBA !== null && hasRGBA.length >= 2) {
+      const alpha = parseFloat(hasRGBA[1].split(',').slice(-1));
+      if (alpha > 0) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Then HSLA.
+    const hasHSLA = /^hsla\([^\)]+\)/.exec(bgColor);
+    if (hasHSLA !== null && hasHSLA.length >= 2) {
+      const alpha = parseFloat(hasHSLA[1].split(',').slice(-1));
+      if (alpha > 0) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Finally try and see if there's a background image.
+    const hasBackgroundImage = computedStyle.backgroundImage !== 'none';
+    const backgroundRepeats = /repeat/.test(computedStyle.backgroundRepeat);
+
+    return (hasBackgroundImage && backgroundRepeats);
+  };
+
   // Walk the tree of elements...
   const candidates = [...document.querySelectorAll('*')]
     .filter(e => {
@@ -47,7 +84,9 @@ function getInterstitial() {
       const isCoveringViewport = ((size / viewportSize) > 0.5);
 
       // Check it's visible.
-      const isVisible = computedStyle.opacity > 0 && computedStyle.display !== 'none';
+      const isVisible = computedStyle.opacity > 0 &&
+          computedStyle.display !== 'none' &&
+          hasNonTransparentBackground(computedStyle);
 
       // Check it's clickable.
       const isClickable = computedStyle.pointerEvents !== 'none';
@@ -63,6 +102,10 @@ function getInterstitial() {
 
 class Interstitial extends Gather {
 
+  static get test() {
+    return getInterstitial;
+  }
+
   afterPass(options) {
     const driver = options.driver;
 
diff --git a/lighthouse-core/test/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js b/lighthouse-core/test/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
index 33fa91b1aede..dad2ec08c61a 100644
--- a/lighthouse-core/test/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
+++ b/lighthouse-core/test/driver/gatherers/interstitial.js
@@ -53,4 +53,111 @@ describe('Interstitial gatherer', () => {
       assert.equal(interstitialGatherer.artifact, -1);
     });
   });
+
+  it('successfully locates interstitial-like elements', () => {
+    return new Promise((resolve, _) => {
+      const context = {
+        window: {
+          getComputedStyle(element) {
+            const styles = {
+              backgroundColor: 'red',
+              position: 'fixed',
+              opacity: 1,
+              pointerEvents: 'auto',
+              display: 'block'
+            };
+
+            switch (element.name) {
+              case 1:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.backgroundColor = 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)';
+                break;
+
+              case 2:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.backgroundColor = 'hsla(0, 0, 0, 0)';
+                break;
+
+              case 3:
+                // Passes test.
+                styles.backgroundColor = 'hsla(0, 0, 0, 0)';
+                styles.backgroundImage = 'url(example.png)';
+                styles.backgroundRepeat = 'repeat-x';
+                break;
+
+              case 4:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.position = 'relative';
+                break;
+
+              case 5:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.opacity = 0;
+                break;
+
+              case 6:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.pointerEvents = 'none';
+                break;
+
+              case 7:
+                // Fails test.
+                styles.display = 'none';
+                break;
+
+              default:
+                // Passes test.
+                break;
+            }
+
+            return styles;
+          },
+          outerWidth: 500,
+          outerHeight: 500
+        },
+        document: {
+          querySelectorAll() {
+            const getBoundingClientRect = function() {
+              // Fails test.
+              if (this.name === 8) {
+                return {
+                  width: 100, height: 100
+                };
+              }
+
+              // Passes test.
+              return {
+                width: 500, height: 500
+              };
+            };
+
+            return [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].map(name => {
+              return {
+                name,
+                getBoundingClientRect: getBoundingClientRect.bind({name})
+              };
+            });
+          }
+        }
+      };
+
+      global.window = context.window;
+      global.document = context.document;
+      global.__returnResults = results => {
+        assert.ok(Array.isArray(results));
+        assert.equal(results.length, 2);
+        assert.equal(results[0].name, 0);
+        assert.equal(results[1].name, 3);
+        resolve();
+
+        global.__returnResults = null;
+      };
+
+      const test = InterstitialGatherer.test.bind(context);
+      test();
+
+      global.window = null;
+      global.document = null;
+    });
+  });
 });