diff --git a/src/core/core.datasetController.js b/src/core/core.datasetController.js
index 2d8972e6e2f..d17c7be0029 100644
--- a/src/core/core.datasetController.js
+++ b/src/core/core.datasetController.js
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ helpers.extend(DatasetController.prototype, {
 		}
 
 		if (style.fill === false || style.fill === null) {
-			style.backgroundColor = 'rgba(0,0,0,0)';
+			style.backgroundColor = style.borderColor;
 		}
 
 		return style;
diff --git a/test/specs/plugin.legend.tests.js b/test/specs/plugin.legend.tests.js
index 1fd4821bb59..880a72c6532 100644
--- a/test/specs/plugin.legend.tests.js
+++ b/test/specs/plugin.legend.tests.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ describe('Legend block tests', function() {
 			datasetIndex: 1
 		}, {
 			text: 'dataset3',
-			fillStyle: 'rgba(0,0,0,0)',
+			fillStyle: 'green',
 			hidden: false,
 			lineCap: 'butt',
 			lineDash: [],
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ describe('Legend block tests', function() {
 
 		expect(chart.legend.legendItems).toEqual([{
 			text: 'dataset3',
-			fillStyle: 'rgba(0,0,0,0)',
+			fillStyle: 'green',
 			hidden: false,
 			lineCap: 'butt',
 			lineDash: [],