diff --git a/samples/richtext/richtext.cpp b/samples/richtext/richtext.cpp
index 2f0fb87c69..894045e0ae 100644
--- a/samples/richtext/richtext.cpp
+++ b/samples/richtext/richtext.cpp
@@ -754,9 +754,12 @@ MyFrame::MyFrame(const wxString& title, wxWindowID id, const wxPoint& pos,
     r.WriteText(wxT("colour, like this red bit."));
     r.EndTextColour();
 
-    r.BeginTextColour(wxColour(0, 0, 255));
-    r.WriteText(wxT(" And this blue bit."));
-    r.EndTextColour();
+    wxRichTextAttr backgroundColourAttr;
+    backgroundColourAttr.SetBackgroundColour(*wxGREEN);
+    backgroundColourAttr.SetTextColour(wxColour(0, 0, 255));
+    r.BeginStyle(backgroundColourAttr);
+    r.WriteText(wxT(" And this blue on green bit."));
+    r.EndStyle();
 
     r.WriteText(wxT(" Naturally you can make things "));
     r.BeginBold();
diff --git a/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp b/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
index 4b412af4fa..ec6f0c6f47 100644
--- a/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/richtext/richtextbuffer.cpp
@@ -4329,14 +4329,20 @@ bool wxRichTextPlainText::DrawTabbedString(wxDC& dc, const wxTextAttrEx& attr, c
         dc.SetBrush(*wxBLACK_BRUSH);
         dc.SetPen(*wxBLACK_PEN);
         dc.SetTextForeground(*wxWHITE);
-        dc.SetBackgroundMode(wxTRANSPARENT);
     }
     else
     {
         dc.SetTextForeground(attr.GetTextColour());
-        dc.SetBackgroundMode(wxTRANSPARENT);
     }
 
+    if (attr.HasFlag(wxTEXT_ATTR_BACKGROUND_COLOUR) && attr.GetBackgroundColour().IsOk())
+    {
+        dc.SetBackgroundMode(wxSOLID);
+        dc.SetTextBackground(attr.GetBackgroundColour());
+    }
+    else
+        dc.SetBackgroundMode(wxTRANSPARENT);
+
     while (hasTabs)
     {
         // the string has a tab