diff --git a/src/dsp/alpha_processing.c b/src/dsp/alpha_processing.c
index 819d1391..3a27990d 100644
--- a/src/dsp/alpha_processing.c
+++ b/src/dsp/alpha_processing.c
@@ -359,6 +359,11 @@ static int HasAlpha32b_C(const uint8_t* src, int length) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+static void AlphaReplace_C(uint32_t* src, int length, uint32_t color) {
+  int x;
+  for (x = 0; x < length; ++x) if ((src[x] >> 24) == 0) src[x] = color;
+}
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Simple channel manipulations.
 
@@ -400,6 +405,7 @@ void (*WebPPackRGB)(const uint8_t* r, const uint8_t* g, const uint8_t* b,
 
 int (*WebPHasAlpha8b)(const uint8_t* src, int length);
 int (*WebPHasAlpha32b)(const uint8_t* src, int length);
+void (*WebPAlphaReplace)(uint32_t* src, int length, uint32_t color);
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Init function
@@ -428,6 +434,7 @@ WEBP_DSP_INIT_FUNC(WebPInitAlphaProcessing) {
 
   WebPHasAlpha8b = HasAlpha8b_C;
   WebPHasAlpha32b = HasAlpha32b_C;
+  WebPAlphaReplace = AlphaReplace_C;
 
   // If defined, use CPUInfo() to overwrite some pointers with faster versions.
   if (VP8GetCPUInfo != NULL) {
@@ -469,4 +476,5 @@ WEBP_DSP_INIT_FUNC(WebPInitAlphaProcessing) {
   assert(WebPPackRGB != NULL);
   assert(WebPHasAlpha8b != NULL);
   assert(WebPHasAlpha32b != NULL);
+  assert(WebPAlphaReplace != NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/dsp/alpha_processing_sse2.c b/src/dsp/alpha_processing_sse2.c
index 2871c56d..f6c6e0fb 100644
--- a/src/dsp/alpha_processing_sse2.c
+++ b/src/dsp/alpha_processing_sse2.c
@@ -265,6 +265,27 @@ static int HasAlpha32b_SSE2(const uint8_t* src, int length) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+static void AlphaReplace_SSE2(uint32_t* src, int length, uint32_t color) {
+  const __m128i m_color = _mm_set1_epi32(color);
+  const __m128i zero = _mm_setzero_si128();
+  int i = 0;
+  for (; i + 8 <= length; i += 8) {
+    const __m128i a0 = _mm_loadu_si128((const __m128i*)(src + i + 0));
+    const __m128i a1 = _mm_loadu_si128((const __m128i*)(src + i + 4));
+    const __m128i b0 = _mm_srai_epi32(a0, 24);
+    const __m128i b1 = _mm_srai_epi32(a1, 24);
+    const __m128i c0 = _mm_cmpeq_epi32(b0, zero);
+    const __m128i c1 = _mm_cmpeq_epi32(b1, zero);
+    const __m128i d0 = _mm_and_si128(c0, m_color);
+    const __m128i d1 = _mm_and_si128(c1, m_color);
+    const __m128i e0 = _mm_andnot_si128(c0, a0);
+    const __m128i e1 = _mm_andnot_si128(c1, a1);
+    _mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*)(src + i + 0), _mm_or_si128(d0, e0));
+    _mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*)(src + i + 4), _mm_or_si128(d1, e1));
+  }
+  for (; i < length; ++i) if ((src[i] >> 24) == 0) src[i] = color;
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Apply alpha value to rows
 
@@ -334,6 +355,7 @@ WEBP_TSAN_IGNORE_FUNCTION void WebPInitAlphaProcessingSSE2(void) {
 
   WebPHasAlpha8b = HasAlpha8b_SSE2;
   WebPHasAlpha32b = HasAlpha32b_SSE2;
+  WebPAlphaReplace = AlphaReplace_SSE2;
 }
 
 #else  // !WEBP_USE_SSE2
diff --git a/src/dsp/dsp.h b/src/dsp/dsp.h
index 78fc20a7..cf50bb13 100644
--- a/src/dsp/dsp.h
+++ b/src/dsp/dsp.h
@@ -638,6 +638,8 @@ extern void (*WebPPackRGB)(const uint8_t* r, const uint8_t* g, const uint8_t* b,
 extern int (*WebPHasAlpha8b)(const uint8_t* src, int length);
 // This function returns true if src[4*i] contains a value different from 0xff.
 extern int (*WebPHasAlpha32b)(const uint8_t* src, int length);
+// replaces transparent values in src[] by 'color'.
+extern void (*WebPAlphaReplace)(uint32_t* src, int length, uint32_t color);
 
 // To be called first before using the above.
 void WebPInitAlphaProcessing(void);
diff --git a/src/enc/picture_tools_enc.c b/src/enc/picture_tools_enc.c
index d0e8a495..5cc25c5f 100644
--- a/src/enc/picture_tools_enc.c
+++ b/src/enc/picture_tools_enc.c
@@ -83,6 +83,19 @@ static int SmoothenBlock(const uint8_t* a_ptr, int a_stride, uint8_t* y_ptr,
   return (count == 0);
 }
 
+void WebPReplaceTransparentPixels(WebPPicture* pic, uint32_t color) {
+  if (pic != NULL && pic->use_argb) {
+    int y = pic->height;
+    uint32_t* argb = pic->argb;
+    color &= 0xffffffu;   // force alpha=0
+    WebPInitAlphaProcessing();
+    while (y-- > 0) {
+      WebPAlphaReplace(argb, pic->width, color);
+      argb += pic->argb_stride;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void WebPCleanupTransparentArea(WebPPicture* pic) {
   int x, y, w, h;
   if (pic == NULL) return;
@@ -165,24 +178,6 @@ void WebPCleanupTransparentArea(WebPPicture* pic) {
 #undef SIZE
 #undef SIZE2
 
-void WebPCleanupTransparentAreaLossless(WebPPicture* const pic) {
-  int x, y, w, h;
-  uint32_t* argb;
-  assert(pic != NULL && pic->use_argb);
-  w = pic->width;
-  h = pic->height;
-  argb = pic->argb;
-
-  for (y = 0; y < h; ++y) {
-    for (x = 0; x < w; ++x) {
-      if ((argb[x] & 0xff000000) == 0) {
-        argb[x] = 0x00000000;
-      }
-    }
-    argb += pic->argb_stride;
-  }
-}
-
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Blend color and remove transparency info
 
diff --git a/src/enc/vp8i_enc.h b/src/enc/vp8i_enc.h
index fedcaeea..fc3b73be 100644
--- a/src/enc/vp8i_enc.h
+++ b/src/enc/vp8i_enc.h
@@ -505,9 +505,9 @@ int WebPPictureAllocARGB(WebPPicture* const picture, int width, int height);
 // Returns false in case of error (invalid param, out-of-memory).
 int WebPPictureAllocYUVA(WebPPicture* const picture, int width, int height);
 
-// Clean-up the RGB samples under fully transparent area, to help lossless
-// compressibility (no guarantee, though). Assumes that pic->use_argb is true.
-void WebPCleanupTransparentAreaLossless(WebPPicture* const pic);
+// Replace samples that are fully transparent by 'color' to help compressibility
+// (no guarantee, though). Assumes pic->use_argb is true.
+void WebPReplaceTransparentPixels(WebPPicture* const pic, uint32_t color);
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/enc/webp_enc.c b/src/enc/webp_enc.c
index 9f4b10c2..ce2db2e9 100644
--- a/src/enc/webp_enc.c
+++ b/src/enc/webp_enc.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ int WebPEncode(const WebPConfig* config, WebPPicture* pic) {
     }
 
     if (!config->exact) {
-      WebPCleanupTransparentAreaLossless(pic);
+      WebPReplaceTransparentPixels(pic, 0x000000);
     }
 
     ok = VP8LEncodeImage(config, pic);  // Sets pic->error in case of problem.