diff --git a/src/calendar.c b/src/calendar.c
index f2be8806..3f7f5135 100644
--- a/src/calendar.c
+++ b/src/calendar.c
@@ -281,12 +281,17 @@ static void goff(void)
   printf("%s", linestruct->graphics_off);
 }
 
-void Decolorize(void)
+char const *
+Decolorize(int r, int g, int b)
 {
-  printf("%s", "\x1B[0m");
+    if (!strcmp(Colorize(r, g, b), "")) {
+	return "";
+    }
+    return "\x1B[0m";
 }
 
-void Colorize(int r, int g, int b)
+char const *
+Colorize(int r, int g, int b)
 {
   int bright = 0;
   if (r > 128 || g > 128 || b > 128) {
@@ -299,12 +304,20 @@ void Colorize(int r, int g, int b)
   if (b > 64) b = 1;
   else b = 0;
 
-  printf("%s", VT100Colors[bright][r][g][b]);
+  /* Don't do black on a dark terminal or white
+     on a light terminal */
+  if (TerminalBackground == TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_DARK) {
+      if (!r && !g && !b) return "";
+  }
+  if (TerminalBackground == TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_LIGHT) {
+      if (r && g && b) return "";
+  }
+  return VT100Colors[bright][r][g][b];
 }
 
 static void ColorizeEntry(CalEntry const *e)
 {
-    Colorize(e->r, e->g, e->b);
+    printf("%s", Colorize(e->r, e->g, e->b));
 }
 
 static int
@@ -829,7 +842,7 @@ static int WriteOneColLine(int col)
 
 	/* Decolorize reminder if necessary */
 	if (UseVTColors && e->is_color) {
-	    Decolorize();
+	    printf("%s", Decolorize(e->r, e->g, e->b));
 	}
 
 	/* Flesh out the rest of the column */
@@ -901,7 +914,7 @@ static int WriteOneColLine(int col)
 
 	/* Decolorize reminder if necessary */
 	if (UseVTColors && e->is_color) {
-	    Decolorize();
+	    printf("%s", Decolorize(e->r, e->g, e->b));
 	}
 
 	/* Flesh out the rest of the column */
diff --git a/src/dorem.c b/src/dorem.c
index 8cac6b5e..48e3b857 100644
--- a/src/dorem.c
+++ b/src/dorem.c
@@ -763,6 +763,9 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
     char const *s;
     Value v;
 
+    int red = -1, green = -1, blue = -1;
+    int is_color = 0;
+
     DBufInit(&buf);
     DBufInit(&calRow);
     DBufInit(&pre_buf);
@@ -777,6 +780,7 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
     if (t->typ == PASSTHRU_TYPE && (!strcmp(t->passthru, "COLOR") || !strcmp(t->passthru, "COLOUR"))) {
 	/* Strip off three tokens */
 	r = ParseToken(p, &buf);
+	sscanf(DBufValue(&buf), "%d", &red);
 	if (!NextMode) {
 	    DBufPuts(&pre_buf, DBufValue(&buf));
 	    DBufPutc(&pre_buf, ' ');
@@ -784,6 +788,7 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	DBufFree(&buf);
 	if (r) return r;
 	r = ParseToken(p, &buf);
+	sscanf(DBufValue(&buf), "%d", &green);
 	if (!NextMode) {
 	    DBufPuts(&pre_buf, DBufValue(&buf));
 	    DBufPutc(&pre_buf, ' ');
@@ -791,6 +796,7 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	DBufFree(&buf);
 	if (r) return r;
 	r = ParseToken(p, &buf);
+	sscanf(DBufValue(&buf), "%d", &blue);
 	if (!NextMode) {
 	    DBufPuts(&pre_buf, DBufValue(&buf));
 	    DBufPutc(&pre_buf, ' ');
@@ -874,6 +880,16 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	return OK;
     }
 
+    /* Correct colors */
+    if (UseVTColors) {
+	if (red >= 0 && green >= 0 && blue >= 0) {
+	    is_color = 1;
+	    if (red > 255) red = 255;
+	    if (green > 255) green = 255;
+	    if (blue > 255) blue = 255;
+	}
+    }
+
     /* Put the substituted string into the substitution buffer */
 
     /* Don't use msgprefix() on RUN-type reminders */
@@ -884,6 +900,9 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	    r = EvalExpr(&s, &v, NULL);
 	    if (!r) {
 		if (!DoCoerce(STR_TYPE, &v)) {
+		    if (is_color) {
+			DBufPuts(&buf, Colorize(red, green, blue));
+		    }
 		    if (DBufPuts(&buf, v.v.str) != OK) {
 			DBufFree(&buf);
 			DestroyValue(v);
@@ -895,6 +914,9 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	}
     }
 
+    if (is_color) {
+	DBufPuts(&buf, Colorize(red, green, blue));
+    }
     if ( (r=DoSubst(p, &buf, t, tim, jul, NORMAL_MODE)) ) return r;
     if (t->typ != RUN_TYPE) {
 	if (UserFuncExists("msgsuffix") == 1) {
@@ -903,6 +925,9 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	    r = EvalExpr(&s, &v, NULL);
 	    if (!r) {
 		if (!DoCoerce(STR_TYPE, &v)) {
+		    if (is_color) {
+			DBufPuts(&buf, Colorize(red, green, blue));
+		    }
 		    if (DBufPuts(&buf, v.v.str) != OK) {
 			DBufFree(&buf);
 			DestroyValue(v);
@@ -914,6 +939,10 @@ int TriggerReminder(ParsePtr p, Trigger *t, TimeTrig *tim, int jul)
 	}
     }
 
+    if (is_color) {
+	DBufPuts(&buf, Decolorize(red, green, blue));
+    }
+
     if ((!MsgCommand && t->typ == MSG_TYPE) || t->typ == MSF_TYPE) {
 	if (DBufPutc(&buf, '\n') != OK) {
 	    DBufFree(&buf);
diff --git a/src/globals.h b/src/globals.h
index 8c803b80..e268b004 100644
--- a/src/globals.h
+++ b/src/globals.h
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ EXTERN  INIT(   int     CalPad, 1);
 EXTERN  INIT(   int     UseVTChars, 0);
 EXTERN  INIT(   int     UseUTF8Chars, 0);
 EXTERN  INIT(   int     UseVTColors, 0);
+EXTERN  INIT(   int     TerminalBackground, TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_UNKNOWN);
 
 /* Latitude and longitude */
 EXTERN  INIT(	int	  LatDeg, LAT_DEG);
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index 8a6560c5..dbd42fd0 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -207,6 +207,13 @@ void InitRemind(int argc, char const *argv[])
 
 	    case '@':
 		UseVTColors = 1;
+		if (*arg == '0') {
+		    TerminalBackground = TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_DARK;
+		    arg++;
+		} else if (*arg == '1') {
+		    TerminalBackground = TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_LIGHT;
+		    arg++;
+		}
 		break;
 
 	    case 'j':
diff --git a/src/protos.h b/src/protos.h
index 74619f1e..1c068874 100644
--- a/src/protos.h
+++ b/src/protos.h
@@ -149,5 +149,5 @@ void ClearLastTriggers(void);
 void SaveLastTrigger(Trigger const *t);
 void SaveLastTimeTrig(TimeTrig const *t);
 void PerIterationInit(void);
-void Decolorize(void);
-void Colorize(int r, int g, int b);
+char const *Decolorize(int r, int g, int b);
+char const *Colorize(int r, int g, int b);
diff --git a/src/types.h b/src/types.h
index e02830b5..1e92e357 100644
--- a/src/types.h
+++ b/src/types.h
@@ -227,3 +227,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 /* Pure JSON */
 #define PSCAL_LEVEL3  3
+
+#define TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_UNKNOWN 0
+#define TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_DARK    1
+#define TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_LIGHT   2