diff --git a/js/id/renderer/background.js b/js/id/renderer/background.js
index c1a92f4ec..479931ca3 100644
--- a/js/id/renderer/background.js
+++ b/js/id/renderer/background.js
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ iD.Background = function(context) {
             }
         }
 
-        layer = iD.TileLayer('overlay')
+        layer = iD.TileLayer()
             .source(d)
             .projection(context.projection)
             .dimensions(baseLayer.dimensions());
diff --git a/js/id/renderer/tile_layer.js b/js/id/renderer/tile_layer.js
index e25a75afe..7f7ee6c0b 100644
--- a/js/id/renderer/tile_layer.js
+++ b/js/id/renderer/tile_layer.js
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-iD.TileLayer = function(backgroundType) {
-
-    backgroundType = backgroundType || 'background';
-
+iD.TileLayer = function() {
     var tileSize = 256,
         tile = d3.geo.tile(),
         projection,