diff --git a/assets/default-placeholder.png b/assets/default-placeholder.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..de4079ef
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/default-placeholder.png differ
diff --git a/assets/default-placeholder@2x.png b/assets/default-placeholder@2x.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a52d3513
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/default-placeholder@2x.png differ
diff --git a/config/environments/development.js.example b/config/environments/development.js.example
index e28c51e6..2c391dd1 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.js.example
+++ b/config/environments/development.js.example
@@ -94,7 +94,13 @@ var config = {
           proxy: undefined, // the url for a proxy server
           whitelist: [ // the whitelist of urlTemplates that can be used
               'http://{s}.example.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png'
-          ]
+          ],
+          // image to use as placeholder when urlTemplate is not in the whitelist
+          // if provided the http renderer will use it instead of throw an error
+          fallbackImage: {
+              type: 'fs', // 'fs' and 'url' supported
+              src: __dirname + '/../../assets/default-placeholder.png'
+          }
       }
     }
     ,millstone: {
diff --git a/config/environments/production.js.example b/config/environments/production.js.example
index 6c4ea756..0d4e999a 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.js.example
+++ b/config/environments/production.js.example
@@ -88,7 +88,13 @@ var config = {
           proxy: undefined, // the url for a proxy server
           whitelist: [ // the whitelist of urlTemplates that can be used
               'http://{s}.example.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png'
-          ]
+          ],
+          // image to use as placeholder when urlTemplate is not in the whitelist
+          // if provided the http renderer will use it instead of throw an error
+          fallbackImage: {
+              type: 'fs', // 'fs' and 'url' supported
+              src: __dirname + '/../../assets/default-placeholder.png'
+          }
       }
     }
     ,millstone: {
diff --git a/config/environments/staging.js.example b/config/environments/staging.js.example
index f8da00db..0c88a9c7 100644
--- a/config/environments/staging.js.example
+++ b/config/environments/staging.js.example
@@ -88,7 +88,13 @@ var config = {
           proxy: undefined, // the url for a proxy server
           whitelist: [ // the whitelist of urlTemplates that can be used
               'http://{s}.example.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png'
-          ]
+          ],
+          // image to use as placeholder when urlTemplate is not in the whitelist
+          // if provided the http renderer will use it instead of throw an error
+          fallbackImage: {
+              type: 'fs', // 'fs' and 'url' supported
+              src: __dirname + '/../../assets/default-placeholder.png'
+          }
       }
     }
     ,millstone: {
diff --git a/config/environments/test.js.example b/config/environments/test.js.example
index 39bf1d15..14b78f61 100644
--- a/config/environments/test.js.example
+++ b/config/environments/test.js.example
@@ -90,7 +90,13 @@ var config = {
               'http://{s}.example.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png',
               // for testing purposes
               'http://{s}.basemaps.cartocdn.com/dark_nolabels/{z}/{x}/{y}.png'
-          ]
+          ],
+          // image to use as placeholder when urlTemplate is not in the whitelist
+          // if provided the http renderer will use it instead of throw an error
+          fallbackImage: {
+              type: 'fs', // 'fs' and 'url' supported
+              src: __dirname + '/../../assets/default-placeholder.png'
+          }
       }
     }
     ,millstone: {