diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Grid.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Grid.js
index edc9bc3ba5..8d5fa2b756 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Grid.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Grid.js
@@ -336,6 +336,21 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Grid = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest, {
         OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest.prototype.destroy.apply(this, arguments); 
     },
 
+    /**
+     * APIMethod: mergeNewParams
+     * Refetches tiles with new params merged, keeping a backbuffer. Each
+     * loading new tile will have a css class of '.olTileReplacing'. If a
+     * stylesheet applies a 'display: none' style to that class, any fade-in
+     * transition will not apply, and backbuffers for each tile will be removed
+     * as soon as the tile is loaded.
+     * 
+     * Parameters:
+     * newParams - {Object}
+     *
+     * Returns:
+     * redrawn: {Boolean} whether the layer was actually redrawn.
+     */
+
     /**
      * Method: clearGrid
      * Go through and remove all tiles from the grid, calling
@@ -489,7 +504,8 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Grid = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest, {
                     });
 
                 if(forceReTile) {
-                    if(zoomChanged && this.transitionEffect === 'resize') {
+                    if(zoomChanged && (this.transitionEffect === 'resize' ||
+                                          this.gridResolution === resolution)) {
                         this.applyBackBuffer(resolution);
                     }
                     this.initGriddedTiles(bounds);
@@ -692,6 +708,7 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Grid = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest, {
                         markup._j = j;
                         markup._w = tile.size.w;
                         markup._h = tile.size.h;
+                        markup.id = tile.id + '_bb';
                         backBuffer.appendChild(markup);
                     }
                 }
@@ -1053,6 +1070,8 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Grid = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest, {
      */
     addTileMonitoringHooks: function(tile) {
         
+        var replacingCls = 'olTileReplacing';
+
         tile.onLoadStart = function() {
             //if that was first tile then trigger a 'loadstart' on the layer
             if (this.loading === false) {
@@ -1061,14 +1080,27 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Grid = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest, {
             }
             this.events.triggerEvent("tileloadstart", {tile: tile});
             this.numLoadingTiles++;
+            if (this.backBuffer && this.gridResolution === this.backBufferResolution) {
+                OpenLayers.Element.addClass(tile.imgDiv, replacingCls);
+            }
         };
       
         tile.onLoadEnd = function(evt) {
             this.numLoadingTiles--;
+            var aborted = evt.type === 'unload';
             this.events.triggerEvent("tileloaded", {
                 tile: tile,
-                aborted: evt.type === "unload"
+                aborted: aborted
             });
+            if (!aborted && this.backBuffer && this.gridResolution === this.backBufferResolution) {
+                if (OpenLayers.Element.getStyle(tile.imgDiv, 'display') === 'none') {
+                    var bufferTile = document.getElementById(tile.id + '_bb');
+                    if (bufferTile) {
+                        bufferTile.parentNode.removeChild(bufferTile);
+                    }
+                }
+                OpenLayers.Element.removeClass(tile.imgDiv, replacingCls);
+            }
             //if that was the last tile, then trigger a 'loadend' on the layer
             if (this.numLoadingTiles === 0) {
                 this.loading = false;
diff --git a/tests/Layer/Grid.html b/tests/Layer/Grid.html
index d05769ed12..ce36c72673 100644
--- a/tests/Layer/Grid.html
+++ b/tests/Layer/Grid.html
@@ -526,7 +526,8 @@
                         }
                     }
                 }
-            }
+            },
+            imgDiv: {className: ''}
         }
 
         g_registered = {};
@@ -1118,6 +1119,31 @@
 
         map.destroy();
     }
+    
+    function test_backbuffer_replace(t) {
+        t.plan(6);
+        var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.WMS('', '../../img/blank.gif');
+        map.addLayer(layer);
+        map.zoomToMaxExtent();
+        
+        t.delay_call(1, function() {
+            layer.mergeNewParams({foo: 'bar'});
+            var tile = layer.grid[1][1];
+            t.ok(OpenLayers.Element.hasClass(tile.imgDiv, 'olTileReplacing'), 'tile is marked for being replaced');
+            t.ok(document.getElementById(tile.id + '_bb'), 'backbuffer created for tile');
+            tile.onImageLoad();
+            t.ok(!OpenLayers.Element.hasClass(tile.imgDiv, 'olTileReplacing'), 'tile replaced, no longer marked');
+            t.ok(!document.getElementById(tile.id + '_bb'), 'backbuffer removed for tile');
+            
+            layer.mergeNewParams({foo: 'baz'});
+            tile = layer.grid[1][1];
+            tile.imgDiv.style.display = 'block';
+            tile.onImageLoad();
+            t.ok(!OpenLayers.Element.hasClass(tile.imgDiv, 'olTileReplacing'), 'tile replaced, no longer marked');
+            t.ok(document.getElementById(tile.id + '_bb'), 'backbuffer not removed for visible tile');
+        });
+    }
 
     function test_singleTile_move_and_zoom(t) {
 
diff --git a/theme/default/style.css b/theme/default/style.css
index ed8cef75ce..a3b75ba519 100644
--- a/theme/default/style.css
+++ b/theme/default/style.css
@@ -487,6 +487,11 @@ a.olControlZoomOut {
     transition: opacity 0.2s linear;
 }
 
+/* when replacing tiles, do not show tile and backbuffer at the same time */
+.olTileImage.olTileReplacing {
+    display: none;
+}
+
 /* override any max-width image settings (e.g. bootstrap.css) */
 img.olTileImage {
     max-width: none;