diff --git a/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.cpp b/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.cpp
index 5dcb7ac7c3..6356f3e892 100644
--- a/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.cpp
+++ b/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.cpp
@@ -54,14 +54,45 @@ namespace {
 namespace openspace {
 
     const Tile Tile::TileUnavailable = {nullptr, nullptr, Tile::Status::Unavailable };
+    
 
+    Tile Tile::createPlainTile(const glm::uvec2& size, const glm::uvec4& color) {
+        using namespace ghoul::opengl;
+        
+        // Create pixel data
+        int numBytes = size.x * size.y * 4 * 1;
+        char* pixels = new char[numBytes];
+        size_t numPixels = size.x * size.y;
+        size_t i = 0;
+        for (size_t p = 0; p < numPixels; p++){
+            pixels[i++] = color.r;
+            pixels[i++] = color.g;
+            pixels[i++] = color.b;
+            pixels[i++] = color.a;
+        }
+
+        // Create ghoul texture
+        auto texture = std::make_shared<Texture>(glm::uvec3(size, 1));
+        texture->setDataOwnership(Texture::TakeOwnership::Yes);
+        texture->setPixelData(pixels);
+        texture->uploadTexture();
+        texture->setFilter(ghoul::opengl::Texture::FilterMode::Linear);
+
+        // Create tile
+        Tile tile;
+        tile.status = Tile::Status::OK;
+        tile.preprocessData = nullptr;
+        tile.texture = texture;
+
+        return tile;
+    }
 
 
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     //                            Chunk Index Tile Provider                             //
     //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-    ChunkIndexTileProvider::ChunkIndexTileProvider(const glm::uvec2 textureSize, size_t fontSize)
+    ChunkIndexTileProvider::ChunkIndexTileProvider(const glm::uvec2& textureSize, size_t fontSize)
         : _tileCache(500)
         , _textureSize(textureSize)
         , _fontSize(fontSize)
@@ -72,6 +103,7 @@ namespace openspace {
         _fontRenderer = std::unique_ptr<FontRenderer>(FontRenderer::createDefault());
         _fontRenderer->setFramebufferSize(textureSize);
 
+
         glGenFramebuffers(1, &_fbo);
     }
 
@@ -83,7 +115,7 @@ namespace openspace {
         ChunkHashKey key = chunkIndex.hashKey();
         
         if (!_tileCache.exist(key)) {
-            _tileCache.put(key, createTile(chunkIndex));
+            _tileCache.put(key, createChunkIndexTile(chunkIndex));
         }
 
         return _tileCache.get(key);
@@ -113,20 +145,9 @@ namespace openspace {
         _tileCache.clear();
     }
 
-    Tile ChunkIndexTileProvider::createTile(const ChunkIndex& chunkIndex) {
-        Tile tile = Tile();
-        tile.texture = std::make_shared<Texture>(glm::uvec3(_textureSize, 1));
-
-        int numBytes = _textureSize.x * _textureSize.y * 4 * 1;
-        char* pixels = new char[numBytes];
-        memset(pixels, 0, numBytes); // set to transparent black
-
-        tile.texture->setPixelData(pixels);
-        tile.status = Tile::Status::OK;
-        tile.preprocessData = nullptr;
-
-        tile.texture->uploadTexture();
-        tile.texture->setFilter(ghoul::opengl::Texture::FilterMode::Linear);
+    Tile ChunkIndexTileProvider::createChunkIndexTile(const ChunkIndex& chunkIndex) {
+        glm::uvec4 color = { 0, 0, 0, 0 };
+        Tile tile = Tile::createPlainTile(_textureSize, color);
 
         // Keep track of defaultFBO and viewport to be able to reset state when done
         GLint defaultFBO;
diff --git a/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.h b/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.h
index 05d3454fae..4b24b0a4ae 100644
--- a/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.h
+++ b/modules/globebrowsing/tile/tileprovider.h
@@ -62,7 +62,15 @@ namespace openspace {
 
         enum class Status { Unavailable, OutOfRange, IOError, OK } status;
     
+        
+        /**
+         * Instantiaes a new tile unicolored tile. The texture gets the provided size and
+         * color in rgba. Color values ranges between 0-255.
+         */
+        static Tile createPlainTile(const glm::uvec2& size, const glm::uvec4& color);
+
         static const Tile TileUnavailable;
+
     };
 
 
@@ -86,7 +94,7 @@ namespace openspace {
     
     class ChunkIndexTileProvider : public TileProvider {
     public:
-        ChunkIndexTileProvider(const glm::uvec2 textureSize = {512, 512}, size_t fontSize = 48);
+        ChunkIndexTileProvider(const glm::uvec2& textureSize = {512, 512}, size_t fontSize = 48);
         virtual ~ChunkIndexTileProvider();
 
         virtual Tile getTile(const ChunkIndex& chunkIndex);
@@ -97,7 +105,7 @@ namespace openspace {
         virtual void reset();
         virtual int maxLevel();
     private:
-        Tile createTile(const ChunkIndex& chunkIndex);
+        Tile createChunkIndexTile(const ChunkIndex& chunkIndex);
 
         std::shared_ptr<ghoul::fontrendering::Font> _font;
         std::unique_ptr<ghoul::fontrendering::FontRenderer> _fontRenderer;
@@ -105,7 +113,7 @@ namespace openspace {
         TileCache _tileCache;
         glm::uvec2 _textureSize;
         size_t _fontSize;
-
+        
         GLuint _fbo;
 
     };