diff --git a/ui-terminal-curses.c b/ui-terminal-curses.c
index 45e8f9e1b..dbe8e0667 100644
--- a/ui-terminal-curses.c
+++ b/ui-terminal-curses.c
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@
 
 #define MAX_COLOR_CLOBBER 240
 
-static short color_clobber_idx = 0;
-static uint32_t clobbering_colors[MAX_COLOR_CLOBBER];
 static int change_colors = -1;
 
 /* Calculate r,g,b components of one of the standard upper 240 colors */
@@ -82,10 +80,13 @@ static void undo_palette(void)
 /* Work out the nearest color from the 256 color set, or perhaps exactly. */
 static CellColor color_rgb(UiTerm *ui, uint8_t r, uint8_t g, uint8_t b)
 {
+	static short color_clobber_idx = 0;
+	static uint32_t clobbering_colors[MAX_COLOR_CLOBBER];
+
 	if (change_colors == -1)
 		change_colors = ui->vis->change_colors && can_change_color() && COLORS >= 256;
 	if (change_colors) {
-		uint32_t hexrep = ((r << 16) | (g << 8) | b) + 1;
+		uint32_t hexrep = (r << 16) | (g << 8) | b;
 		for (short i = 0; i < MAX_COLOR_CLOBBER; ++i) {
 			if (clobbering_colors[i] == hexrep)
 				return i + 16;
@@ -295,5 +296,7 @@ static void ui_curses_free(UiTerm *term) {
 }
 
 bool is_default_color(CellColor c) {
+	if (change_colors == 1)
+		return c == 16;
 	return c == CELL_COLOR_DEFAULT;
 }
diff --git a/vis.c b/vis.c
index 028fea3de..9692ae6d0 100644
--- a/vis.c
+++ b/vis.c
@@ -292,6 +292,18 @@ static void window_free(Win *win) {
 	free(win);
 }
 
+static void cell_apply_style(Cell *cell, CellStyle *style, bool cursel) {
+	CellStyle set = { .fg = style->fg, .bg = style->bg, .attr = style->attr };
+	if (cursel) {
+		if (is_default_color(style->fg))
+			set.fg = cell->style.fg;
+		if (is_default_color(style->bg))
+			set.bg = cell->style.bg;
+		set.attr |= cell->style.attr;
+	}
+	memcpy(&cell->style, &set, sizeof(CellStyle));
+}
+
 static void window_draw_colorcolumn(Win *win) {
 	View *view = win->view;
 	int cc = view_colorcolumn_get(view);
@@ -315,10 +327,7 @@ static void window_draw_colorcolumn(Win *win) {
 
 		/* This screen line contains the cell we want to highlight */
 		if (cc <= line_cols + width) {
-			CellStyle *orig = &l->cells[cc - 1 - line_cols].style;
-			orig->attr = style.attr;
-			orig->fg = is_default_color(style.fg) ? orig->fg : style.fg;
-			orig->bg = is_default_color(style.bg) ? orig->bg : style.bg;
+			cell_apply_style(&l->cells[cc - 1 - line_cols], &style, true);
 			line_cc_set = true;
 		} else {
 			line_cols += width;
@@ -343,10 +352,8 @@ static void window_draw_cursorline(Win *win) {
 	size_t lineno = view_cursors_line_get(sel)->lineno;
 	for (Line *l = view_lines_first(view); l; l = l->next) {
 		if (l->lineno == lineno) {
-			for (int x = 0; x < width; x++) {
-				l->cells[x].style.attr |= style.attr;
-				l->cells[x].style.bg = style.bg;
-			}
+			for (int x = 0; x < width; x++)
+				cell_apply_style(&l->cells[x], &style, true);
 		} else if (l->lineno > lineno) {
 			break;
 		}
@@ -376,21 +383,8 @@ static void window_draw_selection(View *view, Selection *cur, CellStyle *style)
 	for (Line *l = start_line; l != end_line->next; l = l->next) {
 		int col = (l == start_line) ? start_col : 0;
 		int end = (l == end_line) ? end_col : l->width;
-		while (col < end) {
-			if (cell_color_equal(l->cells[col].style.fg, style->bg)) {
-				CellStyle old = l->cells[col].style;
-				if (!cell_color_equal(old.fg, old.bg)) {
-					l->cells[col].style.fg = old.bg;
-					l->cells[col].style.bg = old.fg;
-				} else {
-					l->cells[col].style.attr = style->attr;
-				}
-			} else {
-				l->cells[col].style.bg = style->bg;
-				l->cells[col].style.fg = style->fg;
-			}
-			col++;
-		}
+		while (col < end)
+			cell_apply_style(&l->cells[col++], style, true);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -405,14 +399,7 @@ static void window_draw_cursor_matching(Win *win, Selection *cur, CellStyle *sty
 		return;
 	if (!view_coord_get(win->view, pos_match, &line_match, NULL, &col_match))
 		return;
-	if (cell_color_equal(line_match->cells[col_match].style.fg, style->fg)) {
-		CellStyle old = line_match->cells[col_match].style;
-		line_match->cells[col_match].style.fg = old.bg;
-		line_match->cells[col_match].style.bg = old.fg;
-	} else {
-		line_match->cells[col_match].style.bg = style->bg;
-		line_match->cells[col_match].style.fg = style->fg;
-	}
+	cell_apply_style(&line_match->cells[col_match], style, true);
 }
 
 static void window_draw_cursor(Win *win, Selection *cur, CellStyle *style, CellStyle *sel_style) {
@@ -422,7 +409,7 @@ static void window_draw_cursor(Win *win, Selection *cur, CellStyle *style, CellS
 	int col = view_cursors_cell_get(cur);
 	if (!line || col == -1)
 		return;
-	line->cells[col].style = *style;
+	cell_apply_style(&line->cells[col], style, true);
 }
 
 static void window_draw_selections(Win *win) {