diff --git a/poppler/SplashOutputDev.cc b/poppler/SplashOutputDev.cc
index ab0722a..e3b3ba9 100644
--- a/poppler/SplashOutputDev.cc
+++ b/poppler/SplashOutputDev.cc
@@ -3002,7 +3002,12 @@ void SplashOutputDev::setSoftMask(GfxState * /*state*/, double * /*bbox*/,
 
   softMask = new SplashBitmap(bitmap->getWidth(), bitmap->getHeight(),
 			      1, splashModeMono8, gFalse);
-  memset(softMask->getDataPtr(), 0,
+  unsigned char fill = 0;
+  if (transpGroupStack->blendingColorSpace) {
+	transpGroupStack->blendingColorSpace->getGray(backdropColor, &gray);
+	fill = colToByte(gray);
+  }
+  memset(softMask->getDataPtr(), fill,
 	 softMask->getRowSize() * softMask->getHeight());
   p = softMask->getDataPtr() + ty * softMask->getRowSize() + tx;
   int xMax = tBitmap->getWidth();