diff --git a/src/ol/color.js b/src/ol/color.js
index 4b52b056c5..482ebb01a1 100644
--- a/src/ol/color.js
+++ b/src/ol/color.js
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ export function toString(color) {
   if (b != (b | 0)) {
     b = (b + 0.5) | 0;
   }
-  const a = color[3] === undefined ? 1 : color[3];
+  const a = color[3] === undefined ? 1 : Math.round(color[3] * 100) / 100;
   return 'rgba(' + r + ',' + g + ',' + b + ',' + a + ')';
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ol/layer/Base.js b/src/ol/layer/Base.js
index 4a06cb4051..e2d6c5c1e5 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/Base.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/Base.js
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ import {assert} from '../asserts.js';
 import {assign} from '../obj.js';
 import {clamp} from '../math.js';
 
+/**
+ * A css color, or a function called with a view resolution returning a css color.
+ *
+ * @typedef {string|function(number):string} BackgroundColor
+ * @api
+ */
+
 /**
  * @typedef {import("../ObjectEventType").Types|'change:extent'|'change:maxResolution'|'change:maxZoom'|
  *    'change:minResolution'|'change:minZoom'|'change:opacity'|'change:visible'|'change:zIndex'} BaseLayerObjectEventTypes
@@ -39,6 +46,8 @@ import {clamp} from '../math.js';
  * visible.
  * @property {number} [maxZoom] The maximum view zoom level (inclusive) at which this layer will
  * be visible.
+ * @property {BackgroundColor} [background] Background color for the layer. If not specified, no background
+ * will be rendered.
  * @property {Object<string, *>} [properties] Arbitrary observable properties. Can be accessed with `#get()` and `#set()`.
  */
 
@@ -74,6 +83,12 @@ class BaseLayer extends BaseObject {
      */
     this.un;
 
+    /**
+     * @type {BackgroundColor|false}
+     * @private
+     */
+    this.background_ = options.background;
+
     /**
      * @type {Object<string, *>}
      */
@@ -116,6 +131,14 @@ class BaseLayer extends BaseObject {
     this.state_ = null;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get the background for this layer.
+   * @return {BackgroundColor|false} Layer background.
+   */
+  getBackground() {
+    return this.background_;
+  }
+
   /**
    * @return {string} CSS class name.
    */
@@ -265,6 +288,15 @@ class BaseLayer extends BaseObject {
     return /** @type {number} */ (this.get(LayerProperty.Z_INDEX));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sets the backgrlound color.
+   * @param {BackgroundColor} [opt_background] Background color.
+   */
+  setBackground(opt_background) {
+    this.background_ = opt_background;
+    this.changed();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Set the extent at which the layer is visible.  If `undefined`, the layer
    * will be visible at all extents.
diff --git a/src/ol/layer/BaseVector.js b/src/ol/layer/BaseVector.js
index 275ae720cc..b8fee1a734 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/BaseVector.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/BaseVector.js
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ import {
  * @property {import("../style/Style.js").StyleLike|null} [style] Layer style. When set to `null`, only
  * features that have their own style will be rendered. See {@link module:ol/style/Style~Style} for the default style
  * which will be used if this is not set.
+ * @property {import("./Base.js").BackgroundColor} [background] Background color for the layer. If not specified, no background
+ * will be rendered.
  * @property {boolean} [updateWhileAnimating=false] When set to `true`, feature batches will
  * be recreated during animations. This means that no vectors will be shown clipped, but the
  * setting will have a performance impact for large amounts of vector data. When set to `false`,
diff --git a/src/ol/layer/MapboxVector.js b/src/ol/layer/MapboxVector.js
index fe7b65e929..5821d98adb 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/MapboxVector.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/MapboxVector.js
@@ -3,17 +3,13 @@
  */
 import BaseEvent from '../events/Event.js';
 import EventType from '../events/EventType.js';
-import GeometryType from '../geom/GeometryType.js';
 import MVT from '../format/MVT.js';
-import RenderFeature from '../render/Feature.js';
 import SourceState from '../source/State.js';
-import TileEventType from '../source/TileEventType.js';
 import VectorTileLayer from '../layer/VectorTile.js';
 import VectorTileSource from '../source/VectorTile.js';
-import {Fill, Style} from '../style.js';
 import {applyStyle, setupVectorSource} from 'ol-mapbox-style';
-import {fromExtent} from '../geom/Polygon.js';
 import {getValue} from 'ol-mapbox-style/dist/stylefunction.js';
+import {toString} from '../color.js';
 
 const mapboxBaseUrl = 'https://api.mapbox.com';
 
@@ -188,6 +184,9 @@ const SourceType = {
  * is defined by the z-index of the layer, the `zIndex` of the style and the render order of features.
  * Higher z-index means higher priority. Within the same z-index, a feature rendered before another has
  * higher priority.
+ * @property {import("./Base.js").BackgroundColor|false} [background] Background color for the layer.
+ * If not specified, the background from the Mapbox style object will be used. Set to `false` to prevent
+ * the Mapbox style's background from being used.
  * @property {string} [className='ol-layer'] A CSS class name to set to the layer element.
  * @property {number} [opacity=1] Opacity (0, 1).
  * @property {boolean} [visible=true] Visibility.
@@ -283,6 +282,7 @@ class MapboxVectorLayer extends VectorTileLayer {
 
     super({
       source: source,
+      background: options.background,
       declutter: declutter,
       className: options.className,
       opacity: options.opacity,
@@ -493,53 +493,36 @@ class MapboxVectorLayer extends VectorTileLayer {
       (layer) => layer.type === 'background'
     );
     if (
+      this.getBackground() === undefined &&
       background &&
       (!background.layout || background.layout.visibility !== 'none')
     ) {
-      const style = new Style({
-        fill: new Fill(),
-      });
-      targetSource.addEventListener(TileEventType.TILELOADEND, (event) => {
-        const tile = /** @type {import("../VectorTile.js").default} */ (
-          /** @type {import("../source/Tile.js").TileSourceEvent} */ (event)
-            .tile
+      const colorFunction = (resolution) => {
+        const opacity =
+          /** @type {number} */ (
+            getValue(
+              background,
+              'paint',
+              'background-opacity',
+              this.getSource().getTileGrid().getZForResolution(resolution)
+            )
+          ) || 1;
+        const color = /** @type {*} */ (
+          getValue(
+            background,
+            'paint',
+            'background-color',
+            this.getSource().getTileGrid().getZForResolution(resolution)
+          )
         );
-        const styleFuntion = () => {
-          const opacity =
-            /** @type {number} */ (
-              getValue(
-                background,
-                'paint',
-                'background-opacity',
-                tile.tileCoord[0]
-              )
-            ) || 1;
-          const color = /** @type {*} */ (
-            getValue(background, 'paint', 'background-color', tile.tileCoord[0])
-          );
-          style
-            .getFill()
-            .setColor([
-              color.r * 255,
-              color.g * 255,
-              color.b * 255,
-              color.a * opacity,
-            ]);
-          return style;
-        };
-        const extentGeometry = fromExtent(
-          targetSource.tileGrid.getTileCoordExtent(tile.tileCoord)
-        );
-        const renderFeature = new RenderFeature(
-          GeometryType.POLYGON,
-          extentGeometry.getFlatCoordinates(),
-          extentGeometry.getEnds(),
-          {layer: background.id},
-          undefined
-        );
-        renderFeature.styleFunction = styleFuntion;
-        tile.getFeatures().unshift(renderFeature);
-      });
+        return toString([
+          color.r * 255,
+          color.g * 255,
+          color.b * 255,
+          color.a * opacity,
+        ]);
+      };
+      this.setBackground(colorFunction);
     }
     if (this.setMaxResolutionFromTileGrid_) {
       const tileGrid = targetSource.getTileGrid();
diff --git a/src/ol/layer/VectorTile.js b/src/ol/layer/VectorTile.js
index 3ef6279aff..4870b02614 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/VectorTile.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/VectorTile.js
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ import {assign} from '../obj.js';
  * @property {import("../style/Style.js").StyleLike|null} [style] Layer style. When set to `null`, only
  * features that have their own style will be rendered. See {@link module:ol/style/Style~Style} for the default style
  * which will be used if this is not set.
+ * @property {import("./Base.js").BackgroundColor|false} [background] Background color for the layer. If not specified, no
+ * background will be rendered.
  * @property {boolean} [updateWhileAnimating=false] When set to `true`, feature batches will be
  * recreated during animations. This means that no vectors will be shown clipped, but the setting
  * will have a performance impact for large amounts of vector data. When set to `false`, batches
@@ -145,6 +147,20 @@ class VectorTileLayer extends BaseVectorLayer {
         ? options.useInterimTilesOnError
         : true
     );
+
+    /**
+     * @return {import("./Base.js").BackgroundColor} Background color.
+     * @function
+     * @api
+     */
+    this.getBackground;
+
+    /**
+     * @param {import("./Base.js").BackgroundColor} background Background color.
+     * @function
+     * @api
+     */
+    this.setBackground;
   }
 
   createRenderer() {
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/Layer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/Layer.js
index 178b906f7d..5e1f3c65ef 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/Layer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/Layer.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   compose as composeTransform,
   create as createTransform,
 } from '../../transform.js';
+import {asArray} from '../../color.js';
 import {
   containsCoordinate,
   getBottomLeft,
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   getTopRight,
 } from '../../extent.js';
 import {createCanvasContext2D} from '../../dom.js';
+import {equals} from '../../array.js';
 
 /**
  * @abstract
@@ -83,20 +85,39 @@ class CanvasLayerRenderer extends LayerRenderer {
     this.pixelContext_ = null;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @param {import('../../PluggableMap.js').FrameState} frameState Frame state.
+   * @return {string} Background color.
+   */
+  getBackground(frameState) {
+    const layer = this.getLayer();
+    let background = layer.getBackground();
+    if (typeof background === 'function') {
+      background = background(frameState.viewState.resolution);
+    }
+    return background || undefined;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get a rendering container from an existing target, if compatible.
    * @param {HTMLElement} target Potential render target.
    * @param {string} transform CSS Transform.
    * @param {number} opacity Opacity.
+   * @param {string} [opt_backgroundColor] Background color.
    */
-  useContainer(target, transform, opacity) {
+  useContainer(target, transform, opacity, opt_backgroundColor) {
     const layerClassName = this.getLayer().getClassName();
     let container, context;
     if (
       target &&
       target.className === layerClassName &&
       target.style.opacity === '' &&
-      opacity === 1
+      opacity === 1 &&
+      (!opt_backgroundColor ||
+        equals(
+          asArray(target.style.backgroundColor),
+          asArray(opt_backgroundColor)
+        ))
     ) {
       const canvas = target.firstElementChild;
       if (canvas instanceof HTMLCanvasElement) {
@@ -121,6 +142,9 @@ class CanvasLayerRenderer extends LayerRenderer {
       style.position = 'absolute';
       style.width = '100%';
       style.height = '100%';
+      if (opt_backgroundColor) {
+        style.backgroundColor = opt_backgroundColor;
+      }
       context = createCanvasContext2D();
       const canvas = context.canvas;
       container.appendChild(canvas);
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
index 3485fddcf7..e68f3d04af 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/TileLayer.js
@@ -283,7 +283,12 @@ class CanvasTileLayerRenderer extends CanvasLayerRenderer {
 
     const canvasTransform = toTransformString(this.pixelTransform);
 
-    this.useContainer(target, canvasTransform, layerState.opacity);
+    this.useContainer(
+      target,
+      canvasTransform,
+      layerState.opacity,
+      this.getBackground(frameState)
+    );
     const context = this.context;
     const canvas = context.canvas;
 
diff --git a/test/browser/spec/ol/layer/MapboxVector.test.js b/test/browser/spec/ol/layer/MapboxVector.test.js
index 38b783597d..1079f06d52 100644
--- a/test/browser/spec/ol/layer/MapboxVector.test.js
+++ b/test/browser/spec/ol/layer/MapboxVector.test.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import MapboxVectorLayer, {
   normalizeSpriteUrl,
   normalizeStyleUrl,
 } from '../../../../../src/ol/layer/MapboxVector.js';
-import {get} from '../../../../../src/ol/proj.js';
+import {asString} from '../../../../../src/ol/color.js';
 import {unByKey} from '../../../../../src/ol/Observable.js';
 
 describe('ol/layer/MapboxVector', () => {
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ describe('ol/layer/MapboxVector', () => {
   });
 
   describe('background', function () {
-    it('adds a feature for the background', function (done) {
+    it('configures the layer with a background function', function (done) {
       const layer = new MapboxVectorLayer({
         styleUrl:
           'data:,' +
@@ -229,15 +229,45 @@ describe('ol/layer/MapboxVector', () => {
       const key = source.on('change', function () {
         if (source.getState() === 'ready') {
           unByKey(key);
-          source.getTile(14, 8938, 5680, 1, get('EPSG:3857')).load();
-          source.once('tileloadend', (event) => {
-            const features = event.tile.getFeatures();
-            expect(features[0].get('layer')).to.be('background');
-            expect(
-              features[0].getStyleFunction()().getFill().getColor()
-            ).to.eql([255, 0, 0, 0.8]);
-            done();
-          });
+          expect(layer.getBackground()(1)).to.eql(asString([255, 0, 0, 0.8]));
+          done();
+        }
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("avoids the style's background with `background: false`", function (done) {
+      const layer = new MapboxVectorLayer({
+        styleUrl:
+          'data:,' +
+          encodeURIComponent(
+            JSON.stringify({
+              version: 8,
+              sources: {
+                'foo': {
+                  tiles: ['/spec/ol/data/{z}-{x}-{y}.vector.pbf'],
+                  type: 'vector',
+                },
+              },
+              layers: [
+                {
+                  id: 'background',
+                  type: 'background',
+                  paint: {
+                    'background-color': '#ff0000',
+                    'background-opacity': 0.8,
+                  },
+                },
+              ],
+            })
+          ),
+        background: false,
+      });
+      const source = layer.getSource();
+      const key = source.on('change', function () {
+        if (source.getState() === 'ready') {
+          unByKey(key);
+          expect(layer.getBackground()).to.be(false);
+          done();
         }
       });
     });
@@ -274,15 +304,8 @@ describe('ol/layer/MapboxVector', () => {
       const key = source.on('change', function () {
         if (source.getState() === 'ready') {
           unByKey(key);
-          source.getTile(14, 8938, 5680, 1, get('EPSG:3857')).load();
-          source.once('tileloadend', (event) => {
-            const features = event.tile.getFeatures();
-            expect(features[0].get('layer')).to.be('landuse');
-            expect(
-              layer.getStyleFunction()(features[0])[0].getFill().getColor()
-            ).to.eql('rgba(255,0,0,0.8)');
-            done();
-          });
+          expect(layer.getBackground()).to.be(undefined);
+          done();
         }
       });
     });
diff --git a/test/browser/spec/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.test.js b/test/browser/spec/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.test.js
index 9240cbf8bc..f30d43d55b 100644
--- a/test/browser/spec/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.test.js
+++ b/test/browser/spec/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.test.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {getCenter} from '../../../../../../src/ol/extent.js';
 import {get as getProjection} from '../../../../../../src/ol/proj.js';
 import {getUid} from '../../../../../../src/ol/util.js';
 
-describe('ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer', function () {
+describe('ol/renderer/canvas/VectorTileLayer', function () {
   describe('constructor', function () {
     const head = document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
     const font = document.createElement('link');
@@ -246,6 +246,78 @@ describe('ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer', function () {
         done();
       });
     });
+
+    it('reuses render container when previous layer has a background', function (done) {
+      map.getLayers().insertAt(
+        0,
+        new TileLayer({
+          background: 'rgb(255, 0, 0)',
+          source: new XYZ({
+            url: 'rendering/ol/data/tiles/osm/{z}/{x}/{y}.png',
+          }),
+        })
+      );
+      map.once('rendercomplete', function () {
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layers').childElementCount).to.be(1);
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layer').childElementCount).to.be(1);
+        map.removeLayer(map.getLayers().item(1));
+        map.renderSync();
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layer').childElementCount).to.be(1);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('does not reuse render container when backgrounds are different', function (done) {
+      map.getLayers().insertAt(
+        0,
+        new TileLayer({
+          background: 'rgb(255, 0, 0)',
+          source: new XYZ({
+            url: 'rendering/ol/data/tiles/osm/{z}/{x}/{y}.png',
+          }),
+        })
+      );
+      map.getLayers().insertAt(
+        0,
+        new TileLayer({
+          background: 'rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.1)',
+          source: new XYZ({
+            url: 'rendering/ol/data/tiles/osm/{z}/{x}/{y}.png',
+          }),
+        })
+      );
+      map.once('rendercomplete', function () {
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layers').childElementCount).to.be(2);
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layer').childElementCount).to.be(1);
+        map.removeLayer(map.getLayers().item(1));
+        map.renderSync();
+        expect(document.querySelector('.ol-layers').childElementCount).to.be(1);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('sets the configured background (string) on the container', function (done) {
+      layer.setBackground('rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5)');
+      map.once('rendercomplete', function () {
+        expect(layer.getRenderer().container.style.backgroundColor).to.be(
+          'rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5)'
+        );
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('sets the configured background (function) on the container', function (done) {
+      layer.setBackground(function (resolution) {
+        expect(resolution).to.be(map.getView().getResolution());
+        return 'rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5)';
+      });
+      map.once('rendercomplete', function () {
+        expect(layer.getRenderer().container.style.backgroundColor).to.be(
+          'rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5)'
+        );
+        done();
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('#prepareFrame', function () {