--- a/browser/components/extensions/ext-browserAction.js
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/ext-browserAction.js
@@ -25,16 +25,20 @@ var {
 
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/ExtensionParent.jsm");
 
 var {
   IconDetails,
   StartupCache,
 } = ExtensionParent;
 
+var {
+  ExtensionError,
+} = ExtensionUtils;
+
 Cu.importGlobalProperties(["InspectorUtils"]);
 
 const POPUP_PRELOAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 200;
 const POPUP_OPEN_MS_HISTOGRAM = "WEBEXT_BROWSERACTION_POPUP_OPEN_MS";
 const POPUP_RESULT_HISTOGRAM = "WEBEXT_BROWSERACTION_POPUP_PRELOAD_RESULT_COUNT";
 
 var XUL_NS = "http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul";
 
@@ -670,18 +674,21 @@ this.browserAction = class extends Exten
 
           let popup = browserAction.getProperty(tab, "popup");
           return Promise.resolve(popup);
         },
 
         setBadgeBackgroundColor: function(details) {
           let tab = getTab(details.tabId);
           let color = details.color;
-          if (!Array.isArray(color)) {
+          if (typeof color == "string") {
             let col = InspectorUtils.colorToRGBA(color);
+            if (!col) {
+              throw new ExtensionError(`Invalid badge background color: "${color}"`);
+            }
             color = col && [col.r, col.g, col.b, Math.round(col.a * 255)];
           }
           browserAction.setProperty(tab, "badgeBackgroundColor", color);
         },
 
         getBadgeBackgroundColor: function(details, callback) {
           let tab = getTab(details.tabId);
 

--- a/browser/components/extensions/test/browser/browser_ext_browserAction_context.js
+++ b/browser/components/extensions/test/browser/browser_ext_browserAction_context.js
@@ -489,21 +489,16 @@ add_task(async function testPropertyRemo
          "popup": browser.runtime.getURL("p2.html"),
          "title": "t2",
          "badge": "b2",
          "badgeBackgroundColor": [0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0xFF]},
         {"icon": contextUri,
          "popup": "",
          "title": "",
          "badge": "",
-         "badgeBackgroundColor": [0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0xFF]},
-        {"icon": contextUri,
-         "popup": "",
-         "title": "",
-         "badge": "",
          "badgeBackgroundColor": [0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0xFF]},
         {"icon": browser.runtime.getURL("i3.png"),
          "popup": browser.runtime.getURL("p3.html"),
          "title": "t3",
          "badge": "b3",
          "badgeBackgroundColor": [0x33, 0x33, 0x33, 0xFF]},
       ];
 
@@ -536,28 +531,25 @@ add_task(async function testPropertyRemo
         },
         async expect => {
           browser.test.log("Set empty tab values, expect empty values except for bgcolor.");
           let tabId = tabs[0];
           browser.browserAction.setIcon({tabId, path: ""});
           browser.browserAction.setPopup({tabId, popup: ""});
           browser.browserAction.setTitle({tabId, title: ""});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeText({tabId, text: ""});
-          browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({tabId, color: ""});
+          await browser.test.assertRejects(
+            browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({tabId, color: ""}),
+            /^Invalid badge background color: ""$/,
+            "Expected invalid badge background color error"
+          );
           await expectGlobals(details[1]);
           expect(details[3]);
         },
         async expect => {
-          browser.test.log("The invalid color removed tab bgcolor, restore previous tab bgcolor.");
-          let tabId = tabs[0];
-          browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({tabId, color: "#222"});
-          await expectGlobals(details[1]);
-          expect(details[4]);
-        },
-        async expect => {
           browser.test.log("Remove tab values, expect global values.");
           let tabId = tabs[0];
           browser.browserAction.setIcon({tabId, path: null});
           browser.browserAction.setPopup({tabId, popup: null});
           browser.browserAction.setTitle({tabId, title: null});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeText({tabId, text: null});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({tabId, color: null});
           await expectGlobals(details[1]);
@@ -565,18 +557,18 @@ add_task(async function testPropertyRemo
         },
         async expect => {
           browser.test.log("Change global values, expect the new values.");
           browser.browserAction.setIcon({path: "i3.png"});
           browser.browserAction.setPopup({popup: "p3.html"});
           browser.browserAction.setTitle({title: "t3"});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeText({text: "b3"});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({color: "#333"});
-          await expectGlobals(details[5]);
-          expect(details[5]);
+          await expectGlobals(details[4]);
+          expect(details[4]);
         },
         async expect => {
           browser.test.log("Remove global values, expect defaults.");
           browser.browserAction.setIcon({path: null});
           browser.browserAction.setPopup({popup: null});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeText({text: null});
           browser.browserAction.setTitle({title: null});
           browser.browserAction.setBadgeBackgroundColor({color: null});