diff --git a/js/id/behavior/tail.js b/js/id/behavior/tail.js
index bbc1e569e..642aeb791 100644
--- a/js/id/behavior/tail.js
+++ b/js/id/behavior/tail.js
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ iD.behavior.Tail = function() {
         container,
         xmargin = 25,
         tooltipSize = [0, 0],
-        selectionSize = [0, 0],
-        transformProp = iD.util.prefixCSSProperty('Transform');
+        selectionSize = [0, 0];
 
     function tail(selection) {
         if (!text) return;
@@ -22,9 +21,7 @@ iD.behavior.Tail = function() {
             var xoffset = ((d3.event.clientX + tooltipSize[0] + xmargin) > selectionSize[0]) ?
                 -tooltipSize[0] - xmargin : xmargin;
             container.classed('left', xoffset > 0);
-            container.style(transformProp, 'translate(' +
-                (~~d3.event.clientX + xoffset) + 'px,' +
-                ~~d3.event.clientY + 'px)');
+            iD.util.setTransform(container, d3.event.clientX + xoffset, d3.event.clientY);
         }
 
         function mouseout() {
diff --git a/js/id/renderer/map.js b/js/id/renderer/map.js
index 8c12a2f52..118759d3f 100644
--- a/js/id/renderer/map.js
+++ b/js/id/renderer/map.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ iD.Map = function(context) {
         transformStart,
         transformed = false,
         minzoom = 0,
-        transformProp = iD.util.prefixCSSProperty('Transform'),
         points = iD.svg.Points(roundedProjection, context),
         vertices = iD.svg.Vertices(roundedProjection, context),
         lines = iD.svg.Lines(projection),
@@ -179,13 +178,8 @@ iD.Map = function(context) {
             tX = Math.round((d3.event.translate[0] / scale - transformStart[1][0]) * scale),
             tY = Math.round((d3.event.translate[1] / scale - transformStart[1][1]) * scale);
 
-        var transform =
-            (iD.detect().opera ?
-                'translate(' + tX + 'px,' + tY + 'px)' :
-                'translate3d(' + tX + 'px,' + tY + 'px, 0)') + ' scale(' + scale + ')';
-
         transformed = true;
-        supersurface.style(transformProp, transform);
+        iD.util.setTransform(supersurface, tX, tY, scale);
         queueRedraw();
 
         dispatch.move(map);
@@ -193,7 +187,7 @@ iD.Map = function(context) {
 
     function resetTransform() {
         if (!transformed) return false;
-        supersurface.style(transformProp, iD.detect().opera ? '' : 'translate3d(0,0,0)');
+        iD.util.setTransform(supersurface, 0, 0);
         transformed = false;
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/js/id/ui/background.js b/js/id/ui/background.js
index 26b0d5af9..bd3f5677c 100644
--- a/js/id/ui/background.js
+++ b/js/id/ui/background.js
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ iD.ui.Background = function(context) {
             ['right', [-1, 0]],
             ['bottom', [0, 1]]],
         opacityDefault = (context.storage('background-opacity') !== null) ?
-            (+context.storage('background-opacity')) : 0.5,
-        transformProp = iD.util.prefixCSSProperty('Transform');
+            (+context.storage('background-opacity')) : 0.5;
 
     // Can be 0 from <1.3.0 use or due to issue #1923.
     if (opacityDefault === 0) opacityDefault = 0.5;
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ iD.ui.Background = function(context) {
                 .attr('data-opacity', d);
 
             if (!iD.detect().opera) {
-                bg.style(transformProp, 'translate3d(0,0,0)');
+                iD.util.setTransform(bg, 0, 0);
             }
 
             opacityList.selectAll('li')
diff --git a/js/id/util.js b/js/id/util.js
index f590edb0d..357fec0fd 100644
--- a/js/id/util.js
+++ b/js/id/util.js
@@ -82,6 +82,15 @@ iD.util.prefixCSSProperty = function(property) {
     return false;
 };
 
+
+iD.util.setTransform = function(el, x, y, scale) {
+    var prop = iD.util.transformProperty = iD.util.transformProperty || iD.util.prefixCSSProperty('Transform'),
+        translate = iD.detect().opera ?
+            'translate('   + x + 'px,' + y + 'px)' :
+            'translate3d(' + x + 'px,' + y + 'px,0)';
+    return el.style(prop, translate + (scale ? ' scale(' + scale + ')' : ''));
+};
+
 iD.util.getStyle = function(selector) {
     for (var i = 0; i < document.styleSheets.length; i++) {
         var rules = document.styleSheets[i].rules || document.styleSheets[i].cssRules || [];