diff --git a/embedding/android/GeckoSurfaceView.java b/embedding/android/GeckoSurfaceView.java
index 214cccd278b..8eea3c07195 100644
--- a/embedding/android/GeckoSurfaceView.java
+++ b/embedding/android/GeckoSurfaceView.java
@@ -125,10 +125,6 @@ class GeckoSurfaceView
         if (mStartupBitmap == null) {
             Log.e(LOG_FILE_NAME, "!!! NO STARTUP BITMAP !!!");
             loadStartupBitmap();
-            if (mStartupBitmap == null) {
-                mShowingLoadScreen = false;
-                return;
-            }
         }
 
         Canvas c = holder.lockCanvas();
@@ -138,9 +134,19 @@ class GeckoSurfaceView
             return;
         }
 
-        Drawable drawable = new BitmapDrawable(mStartupBitmap);
-        drawable.setBounds(0, 0, width, height);
-        drawable.draw(c);
+        if (mStartupBitmap == null) {
+            Resources res = getResources();
+            Drawable drawable = res.getDrawable(R.drawable.start);
+            drawable.setBounds(0, 0, width, height);
+            drawable.draw(c);
+
+            Paint paint = new Paint();
+            c.drawText("Place holder. Missing screenshot.", 10.0f, 20.0f, paint);
+        } else {
+            Drawable drawable = new BitmapDrawable(mStartupBitmap);
+            drawable.setBounds(0, 0, width, height);
+            drawable.draw(c);
+        }
         holder.unlockCanvasAndPost(c);
     }
 
diff --git a/embedding/android/Makefile.in b/embedding/android/Makefile.in
index c48e7c15d87..ece77123627 100644
--- a/embedding/android/Makefile.in
+++ b/embedding/android/Makefile.in
@@ -150,9 +150,10 @@ RES_LAYOUT += res/layout/crash_reporter.xml
 endif
 
 MOZ_ANDROID_DRAWABLES += embedding/android/resources/drawable/desktop_notification.png        \
-	                     embedding/android/resources/drawable/favicon.png                     \
+                         embedding/android/resources/drawable/favicon.png                     \
                          embedding/android/resources/drawable/reload.png                      \
                          embedding/android/resources/drawable/quit.png                        \
+                         embedding/android/resources/drawable/start.png                       \
                          embedding/android/resources/drawable/address_bar_button_left.9.png   \
                          embedding/android/resources/drawable/address_bar_button_right.9.png  \
                          embedding/android/resources/drawable/address_bar_button_middle.9.png \
diff --git a/embedding/android/resources/drawable/start.png b/embedding/android/resources/drawable/start.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00209642b4e
Binary files /dev/null and b/embedding/android/resources/drawable/start.png differ