diff --git a/layout/style/nsCSSParser.cpp b/layout/style/nsCSSParser.cpp
index 6be769551d02..377f7cbd0f18 100644
--- a/layout/style/nsCSSParser.cpp
+++ b/layout/style/nsCSSParser.cpp
@@ -531,7 +531,11 @@ CSSParserImpl::CSSParserImpl()
     mSVGMode(PR_FALSE),
 #endif
     mHTMLMediaMode(PR_FALSE),
+#ifdef MOZ_CAIRO_GFX
+    mHandleAlphaColors(PR_TRUE),
+#else
     mHandleAlphaColors(PR_FALSE),
+#endif
     mCaseSensitive(PR_FALSE),
     mParsingCompoundProperty(PR_FALSE)
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -1030,6 +1034,7 @@ CSSParserImpl::ParseColorString(const nsSubstring& aBuffer,
   if (NS_FAILED(rv))
     return rv;
 
+  PRBool origHandleAlphaColors = mHandleAlphaColors;
   mHandleAlphaColors = aHandleAlphaColors;
 
   nsCSSValue value;
@@ -1038,7 +1043,7 @@ CSSParserImpl::ParseColorString(const nsSubstring& aBuffer,
   CLEAR_ERROR();
   ReleaseScanner();
 
-  mHandleAlphaColors = PR_FALSE;
+  mHandleAlphaColors = origHandleAlphaColors;
 
   if (!colorParsed) {
     return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;