diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactBaseTextShadowNode.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactBaseTextShadowNode.java
index 3649a944908..7bfc0ae496c 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactBaseTextShadowNode.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/text/ReactBaseTextShadowNode.java
@@ -459,8 +459,8 @@ public abstract class ReactBaseTextShadowNode extends LayoutShadowNode {
     markUpdated();
   }
 
-  @ReactProp(name = ViewProps.BACKGROUND_COLOR)
-  public void setBackgroundColor(Integer color) {
+  @ReactProp(name = ViewProps.BACKGROUND_COLOR, customType = "Color")
+  public void setBackgroundColor(@Nullable Integer color) {
     // Background color needs to be handled here for virtual nodes so it can be incorporated into
     // the span. However, it doesn't need to be applied to non-virtual nodes because non-virtual
     // nodes get mapped to native views and native views get their background colors get set via