diff --git a/crates/editor/src/element.rs b/crates/editor/src/element.rs
index fd5e544725696c63af2458447c66813f12f4cba3..c21d31aa5c14e3b596a6089630b29a3e55a3084d 100644
--- a/crates/editor/src/element.rs
+++ b/crates/editor/src/element.rs
@@ -3284,6 +3284,10 @@ impl EditorElement {
         if rows.start >= rows.end {
             return Vec::new();
         }
+        if !base_background.is_opaque() {
+            // We don't actually know what color is behind this editor.
+            return Vec::new();
+        }
         let highlight_iter = highlight_ranges.iter().cloned();
         let selection_iter = selections.iter().flat_map(|(player_color, layouts)| {
             let color = player_color.selection;
@@ -11005,7 +11009,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[gpui::test]
     fn test_merge_overlapping_ranges() {
-        let base_bg = Hsla::default();
+        let base_bg = Hsla::white();
         let color1 = Hsla {
             h: 0.0,
             s: 0.5,
@@ -11075,7 +11079,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[gpui::test]
     fn test_bg_segments_per_row() {
-        let base_bg = Hsla::default();
+        let base_bg = Hsla::white();
 
         // Case A: selection spans three display rows: row 1 [5, end), full row 2, row 3 [0, 7)
         {
diff --git a/crates/gpui/src/color.rs b/crates/gpui/src/color.rs
index cb7329c03fbb2064da0ef5873eef92c2c33d4953..93c69744a6f9f3cc74e7696e9edf49001587376b 100644
--- a/crates/gpui/src/color.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui/src/color.rs
@@ -473,6 +473,11 @@ impl Hsla {
         self.a == 0.0
     }
 
+    /// Returns true if the HSLA color is fully opaque, false otherwise.
+    pub fn is_opaque(&self) -> bool {
+        self.a == 1.0
+    }
+
     /// Blends `other` on top of `self` based on `other`'s alpha value. The resulting color is a combination of `self`'s and `other`'s colors.
     ///
     /// If `other`'s alpha value is 1.0 or greater, `other` color is fully opaque, thus `other` is returned as the output color.