diff --git a/js/angular/service/backdrop.js b/js/angular/service/backdrop.js
index e20f31d7cb7..6a971a0fb58 100644
--- a/js/angular/service/backdrop.js
+++ b/js/angular/service/backdrop.js
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ function($document) {
 
   var el = jqLite('<div class="backdrop">');
   var backdropHolds = 0;
+  var backdropExtraClasses = null;
 
   $document[0].body.appendChild(el[0]);
 
@@ -60,13 +61,19 @@ function($document) {
     _element: el
   };
 
-  function retain() {
+  function retain(extraClasses) {
+    backdropExtraClasses = extraClasses;
+
     if ( (++backdropHolds) === 1 ) {
       el.addClass('visible');
       ionic.requestAnimationFrame(function() {
         backdropHolds && el.addClass('active');
       });
     }
+    if(extraClasses) {
+      console.log('Adding', extraClasses);
+      el.addClass(extraClasses);
+    }
   }
   function release() {
     if ( (--backdropHolds) === 0 ) {
@@ -75,5 +82,7 @@ function($document) {
         !backdropHolds && el.removeClass('visible');
       }, 100);
     }
+    el.removeClass(backdropExtraClasses);
+    backdropExtraClasses = null;
   }
 }]);
diff --git a/js/angular/service/loading.js b/js/angular/service/loading.js
index 40f4b012940..fd58c3155ed 100644
--- a/js/angular/service/loading.js
+++ b/js/angular/service/loading.js
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ function($document, $ionicTemplateLoader, $ionicBackdrop, $timeout, $q, $log, $c
             //options.showBackdrop: deprecated
             this.hasBackdrop = !options.noBackdrop && options.showBackdrop !== false;
             if (this.hasBackdrop) {
-              $ionicBackdrop.retain();
+              $ionicBackdrop.retain('backdrop-loading');
             }
           }
 
diff --git a/scss/_variables.scss b/scss/_variables.scss
index 47878145f96..b35043defcc 100644
--- a/scss/_variables.scss
+++ b/scss/_variables.scss
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ $badge-default-text:              #AAAAAA !default;
 
 $z-index-action-sheet:            11 !default;
 $z-index-badge:                   1 !default;
-$z-index-backdrop:                10 !default;
+$z-index-backdrop:                11 !default;
 $z-index-bar:                     10 !default;
 $z-index-bar-title:               0 !default;
 $z-index-bar-button:              1 !default;
@@ -663,11 +663,11 @@ $z-index-item-options:            1 !default;
 $z-index-item-radio:              3 !default;
 $z-index-item-reordering:         9 !default;
 $z-index-item-toggle:             3 !default;
-$z-index-loading:                 11 !default;
+$z-index-loading:                 13 !default;
 $z-index-menu:                    0 !default;
 $z-index-modal:                   10 !default;
 $z-index-pane:                    1 !default;
-$z-index-popup:                   11 !default;
+$z-index-popup:                   12 !default;
 $z-index-scroll-bar:              9999 !default;
 $z-index-slider-pager:            1 !default;
 $z-index-tabs:                    5 !default;
diff --git a/test/unit/angular/service/loading.unit.js b/test/unit/angular/service/loading.unit.js
index 2664a45ec42..ea5561d6be5 100644
--- a/test/unit/angular/service/loading.unit.js
+++ b/test/unit/angular/service/loading.unit.js
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ describe('$ionicLoading service', function() {
       expect(loader.element.text()).toBe('1 content');
     }));
 
+    it('should add and remove backdrop-loading to backdrop', inject(function($ionicLoading, $ionicBackdrop) {
+      var loader = TestUtil.unwrapPromise($ionicLoading._getLoader());
+      loader.show({ templateUrl: 'template.html' });
+      expect($ionicBackdrop._element.hasClass('backdrop-loading')).toBe(true);
+      loader.hide();
+      expect($ionicBackdrop._element.hasClass('backdrop-loading')).toBe(false);
+    }));
+
   });
 
   describe('.hide()', function() {