diff --git a/dmenubar/dmenu.h b/dmenubar/dmenu.h
index d4065d2..b58a32b 100644
--- a/dmenubar/dmenu.h
+++ b/dmenubar/dmenu.h
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ extern DC dc;			/* global drawing context */
 /* draw.c */
 extern void drawtext(const char *text,
 			unsigned long col[ColLast]);	/* draws text with the defined color tuple */
-extern unsigned long getcolor(const char *colstr);	/* returns color of colstr */
+extern unsigned long getcolor(
+	const char *colstr, const char *alternate);	/* returns color of colstr */
 extern void setfont(const char *fontstr);		/* sets global font */
 extern unsigned int textw(const char *text);		/* returns width of text in px */
 
diff --git a/dmenubar/draw.c b/dmenubar/draw.c
index 10a011d..dafc107 100644
--- a/dmenubar/draw.c
+++ b/dmenubar/draw.c
@@ -76,11 +76,12 @@ drawtext(const char *text, unsigned long col[ColLast]) {
 }
 
 unsigned long
-getcolor(const char *colstr) {
+getcolor(const char *colstr, const char *alternate) {
 	Colormap cmap = DefaultColormap(dpy, screen);
 	XColor color;
 
-	XAllocNamedColor(dpy, cmap, colstr, &color, &color);
+	if(XAllocNamedColor(dpy, cmap, colstr, &color, &color) != Success)
+		XAllocNamedColor(dpy, cmap, alternate, &color, &color);
 	return color.pixel;
 }
 
diff --git a/dmenubar/main.c b/dmenubar/main.c
index 27b28af..5a9b3b9 100644
--- a/dmenubar/main.c
+++ b/dmenubar/main.c
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	maxname = readstdin();
 
 	/* style */
-	dc.sel[ColBG] = getcolor(selbg);
-	dc.sel[ColFG] = getcolor(selfg);
-	dc.norm[ColBG] = getcolor(normbg);
-	dc.norm[ColFG] = getcolor(normfg);
+	dc.norm[ColBG] = getcolor(normbg, NORMBGCOLOR);
+	dc.norm[ColFG] = getcolor(normfg, NORMFGCOLOR);
+	dc.sel[ColBG] = getcolor(selbg, SELBGCOLOR);
+	dc.sel[ColFG] = getcolor(selfg, SELFGCOLOR);
 	setfont(font);
 
 	wa.override_redirect = 1;