diff --git a/Nasal/canvas/api.nas b/Nasal/canvas/api.nas
index ae5c241ab..a6f28f5ae 100644
--- a/Nasal/canvas/api.nas
+++ b/Nasal/canvas/api.nas
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ var get = func(name)
 # support (Wrapped in anonymous function do not polute the canvas namespace)
 
 (func {
+var legacy_dir = getprop("/sim/fg-root") ~ "/Nasal/canvas";
 var version_str = getprop("/sim/version/flightgear");
 if( string.scanf(version_str, "%u.%u.%u", var fg_version = []) < 1 )
   debug.warn("Canvas: Error parsing flightgear version (" ~ version_str ~ ")");
@@ -834,6 +835,10 @@ else
       {button: {legend: "Ok", binding: {command: "dialog-close"}}}
     );
   }
+  
+  # Load support for older versions of FlightGear (TODO generalize :) )
+  if( fg_version[0] == 2 and fg_version[1] == 8 )
+    io.load_nasal(legacy_dir ~ "/api.nas.2.8", "canvas");
 }
 
 Canvas.property_root = props.globals.getNode("canvas/by-index", 1);
diff --git a/Nasal/canvas/api.nas.2.8 b/Nasal/canvas/api.nas.2.8
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a96ad82c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Nasal/canvas/api.nas.2.8
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Canvas backward support for using 3.0 API with FlightGear 2.8
+
+(func {
+
+# 2.8 uses multiple properties for representing a color. Also different names
+# are used for the colors and no CSS syntax like #rrggbb are supported.
+var color_components = ["red", "green", "blue", "alpha"];
+var setColorNodes = func(obj, name, color)
+{
+  if( size(color) == 1 )
+    color = color[0];
+
+  if( typeof(color) != "vector" )
+    debug.warn("Wrong type for color");
+  else if( size(color) < 3 or size(color) > 4 )
+    debug.warn("Color needs 3 or 4 values (RGB or RGBA)");
+  else
+  {
+    var node = obj._node.getNode(name, 1);
+    for(var i = 0; i < size(color_components); i += 1)
+      node.getNode(color_components[i], 1)
+          .setDoubleValue( i < size(color) ? color[i]
+                                           : 1 ); # default alpha is 1
+  }
+  
+  return obj;
+};
+
+Element.setColor = func setColorNodes(me, "color", arg);
+Element.setColorFill = func {
+  setColorNodes(me, "color-fill", arg);
+  me.setBool("fill", 1);
+};
+Path.setColor = Element.setColor;
+Path.setColorFill = Element.setColorFill;
+Text.setColor = Element.setColor;
+Text.setColorFill = Element.setColorFill;
+
+# 2.8 uses multiple properties instead of a single string property
+Canvas.setStrokeDashArray = func(pattern)
+{
+  me._node.removeChildren('stroke-dasharray');
+
+  if( typeof(pattern) == 'vector' )
+    me._node.setValues({'stroke-dasharray': pattern});
+  else
+    debug.warn("setStrokeDashArray: vector expected!");
+
+  return me;
+};
+
+print("Canvas API: FlightGear 2.8 backward support loaded.");
+
+})();