diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/tilelayer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/tilelayer.js
index 160a0f9609..99dbd59469 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/tilelayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/tilelayer.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer = function(tileLayer) {
    * @protected
    * @type {CanvasRenderingContext2D}
    */
-  this.context = ol.dom.createCanvasContext2D();
+  this.context = this.context === null ? null :  ol.dom.createCanvasContext2D();
 
   /**
    * @private
@@ -178,19 +178,20 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame = function(frameState, layer
       this.renderedRevision != sourceRevision) ||
       oversampling != this.oversampling_) {
 
-    var tilePixelSize = tileSource.getTilePixelSize(z, pixelRatio, projection);
-    var width = Math.round(tileRange.getWidth() * tilePixelSize[0] / oversampling);
-    var height = Math.round(tileRange.getHeight() * tilePixelSize[1] / oversampling);
     var context = this.context;
-    var canvas = context.canvas;
-    var opaque = tileSource.getOpaque(projection);
-    if (canvas.width != width || canvas.height != height) {
-      this.oversampling_ = oversampling;
-      canvas.width = width;
-      canvas.height = height;
-    } else {
-      context.clearRect(0, 0, width, height);
-      oversampling = this.oversampling_;
+    if (context) {
+      var tilePixelSize = tileSource.getTilePixelSize(z, pixelRatio, projection);
+      var width = Math.round(tileRange.getWidth() * tilePixelSize[0] / oversampling);
+      var height = Math.round(tileRange.getHeight() * tilePixelSize[1] / oversampling);
+      var canvas = context.canvas;
+      if (canvas.width != width || canvas.height != height) {
+        this.oversampling_ = oversampling;
+        canvas.width = width;
+        canvas.height = height;
+      } else {
+        context.clearRect(0, 0, width, height);
+        oversampling = this.oversampling_;
+      }
     }
 
     this.renderedTiles.length = 0;
@@ -213,9 +214,6 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame = function(frameState, layer
         y = (imageExtent[3] - tileExtent[3]) / tileResolution * tilePixelRatio / oversampling;
         w = currentTilePixelSize[0] * currentScale / oversampling;
         h = currentTilePixelSize[1] * currentScale / oversampling;
-        if (!opaque) {
-          context.clearRect(x, y, w, h);
-        }
         this.drawTileImage(tile, frameState, layerState, x, y, w, h, tileGutter);
         this.renderedTiles.push(tile);
       }
@@ -261,6 +259,9 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame = function(frameState, layer
  * @param {number} gutter Tile gutter.
  */
 ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.drawTileImage = function(tile, frameState, layerState, x, y, w, h, gutter) {
+  if (!this.getLayer().getSource().getOpaque(frameState.viewState.projection)) {
+    this.context.clearRect(x, y, w, h);
+  }
   var image = tile.getImage();
   if (image) {
     this.context.drawImage(image, gutter, gutter,
@@ -273,7 +274,8 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.drawTileImage = function(tile, frameState
  * @inheritDoc
  */
 ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.getImage = function() {
-  return this.context.canvas;
+  var context = this.context;
+  return context ? context.canvas : null;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.js
index c36e1e1b01..a7f4b38279 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/vectortilelayer.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 goog.provide('ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer');
 
 goog.require('ol');
+goog.require('ol.dom');
 goog.require('ol.extent');
 goog.require('ol.proj');
 goog.require('ol.proj.Units');
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ goog.require('ol.transform');
  */
 ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer = function(layer) {
 
+  this.context = null;
+
   ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.call(this, layer);
 
   /**
@@ -74,9 +77,17 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer.VECTOR_REPLAYS = {
  * @inheritDoc
  */
 ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame = function(frameState, layerState) {
-  var layerRevision = this.getLayer().getRevision();
+  var layer = this.getLayer();
+  var layerRevision = layer.getRevision();
   if (this.renderedLayerRevision_ != layerRevision) {
     this.renderedTiles.length = 0;
+    var renderMode = layer.getRenderMode();
+    if (!this.context && renderMode != ol.layer.VectorTileRenderType.VECTOR) {
+      this.context = ol.dom.createCanvasContext2D();
+    }
+    if (this.context && renderMode == ol.layer.VectorTileRenderType.VECTOR) {
+      this.context = null;
+    }
   }
   this.renderedLayerRevision_ = layerRevision;
   return ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.prepareFrame.apply(this, arguments);
@@ -184,11 +195,10 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.VectorTileLayer.prototype.drawTileImage = function(
     tile, frameState, layerState, x, y, w, h, gutter) {
   var vectorTile = /** @type {ol.VectorTile} */ (tile);
   this.createReplayGroup_(vectorTile, frameState);
-  var layer = this.getLayer();
-  if (layer.getRenderMode() != ol.layer.VectorTileRenderType.VECTOR) {
+  if (this.context) {
     this.renderTileImage_(vectorTile, frameState, layerState);
+    ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.drawTileImage.apply(this, arguments);
   }
-  ol.renderer.canvas.TileLayer.prototype.drawTileImage.apply(this, arguments);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/vectortile.js b/src/ol/vectortile.js
index 78598ff023..ade49cf9e2 100644
--- a/src/ol/vectortile.js
+++ b/src/ol/vectortile.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ ol.VectorTile = function(tileCoord, state, src, format, tileLoadFunction) {
    * @private
    * @type {CanvasRenderingContext2D}
    */
-  this.context_ = ol.dom.createCanvasContext2D();
+  this.context_ = null;
 
   /**
    * @private
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ ol.inherits(ol.VectorTile, ol.Tile);
  * @return {CanvasRenderingContext2D} The rendering context.
  */
 ol.VectorTile.prototype.getContext = function() {
+  if (!this.context_) {
+    this.context_ = ol.dom.createCanvasContext2D();
+  }
   return this.context_;
 };