diff --git a/src/common/main.c b/src/common/main.c
index fd8da52..abeb242 100644
--- a/src/common/main.c
+++ b/src/common/main.c
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ static void do_attribute(Sheet *cursheet, Key action)
     line_msg(_("Cell attribute:"),_("Cell is locked"));
     return;
   }
+  ColorAspect ca = FOREGROUND;
   switch ((int)action)
   {
     case ADJUST_CENTER: ++adj; /* drop through */
@@ -373,12 +374,7 @@ static void do_attribute(Sheet *cursheet, Key action)
     /* 5       -- set precision */ /*{{{*/
     case ADJUST_PRECISION:
     {
-      size_t ex,offx;
-      int n;
-
-      offx=0;
-      ex=0;
-      n = getprecision(fcell);
+      int n = getprecision(fcell);
       const char* prompt = _("Precision for block:");
       if (onecell) prompt = _("Precision for cell:");
       int c = line_numedit(&n, prompt);
@@ -388,6 +384,22 @@ static void do_attribute(Sheet *cursheet, Key action)
       break;
     }
     /*}}}*/
+    /* Set a color */ /*{{{*/
+    case ADJUST_BACKGROUND:
+      ca = BACKGROUND;
+      /* FALL THROUGH */
+    case ADJUST_FOREGROUND: {
+      int n = getcolor(fcell, ca);
+      const char* prompt = _("%s for block:");
+      if (onecell) prompt = _("%s for cell:");
+      char pbuf[256];
+      sprintf(pbuf, prompt, ColorAspect_Name[ca]);
+      int c = line_numedit(&n, pbuf);
+      if (c < 0) return;
+      for (ALL_LOCS_IN_REGION(cursheet,w))
+	changed = setcolor(cursheet, w, ca, (ColorNum)n) || changed;
+      break;
+    }
     /* 6       -- shadow */ /*{{{*/
     case ADJUST_SHADOW:
     {
@@ -1443,6 +1455,8 @@ int do_sheetcmd(Sheet *cursheet, Key c, int moveonly)
     case ADJUST_SHADOW:
     case ADJUST_BOLD:
     case ADJUST_UNDERLINE:
+    case ADJUST_FOREGROUND:
+    case ADJUST_BACKGROUND:
     case ADJUST_TRANSPARENT:
     case ADJUST_LABEL:
     case ADJUST_LOCK:
diff --git a/src/common/main.h b/src/common/main.h
index 7915cd3..84d9cb5 100644
--- a/src/common/main.h
+++ b/src/common/main.h
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ typedef enum {
   FILL_BLOCK = -58,
   ADJUST_DECIMAL = -59,
   ADJUST_COMPACT = -60,
-  ADJUST_HEXACT = -61
+  ADJUST_HEXACT = -61,
+  ADJUST_FOREGROUND = -62,
+  ADJUST_BACKGROUND = -63
 } Key;
 
 extern int do_sheetcmd(Sheet *cursheet, Key c, int moveonly);
diff --git a/src/common/sheet.c b/src/common/sheet.c
index 84ac653..bc8520d 100644
--- a/src/common/sheet.c
+++ b/src/common/sheet.c
@@ -731,6 +731,21 @@ DEFSETTER(igncell, bool, ignored);
 DEFSETTER(setfltformat, FloatFormat, fform);
 DEFSETTER(setprecision, int, precision);
 
+/* sadly color has an extra argument */
+bool setcolor(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, ColorAspect asp, ColorNum col)
+{
+  assert(sheet != (Sheet*)0);
+  bool isnew = false;
+  Cell* thecell = initcellofsheet(sheet, at, &isnew);
+  if (isnew) sheet->changed = true;
+  if (thecell->aspect[asp] != col) {
+    thecell->aspect[asp] = col;
+    sheet->changed = true;
+    return true;
+  }
+  return isnew;
+}
+
 /* clk           -- clock cell */ /*{{{*/
 void clk(Sheet *sheet, const Location at)
 {
diff --git a/src/common/sheet.h b/src/common/sheet.h
index 3c622a4..6c63018 100644
--- a/src/common/sheet.h
+++ b/src/common/sheet.h
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ bool setadjust(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, Adjust adjust);
 bool shadow(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
 bool bold(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
 bool underline(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
+bool setcolor(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, ColorAspect asp, ColorNum col);
 bool lockcell(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
 bool maketrans(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
 bool igncell(Sheet *sheet, const Location at, bool yep);
diff --git a/src/display.c b/src/display.c
index aa701e3..deb28ec 100644
--- a/src/display.c
+++ b/src/display.c
@@ -117,12 +117,15 @@ static int do_attribute(Sheet *cursheet)
 	        case 2:
 		{
 		  const char *typemenu[] =
-		    { _("bB)old"), _("uU)nderline"), NULL };
+		    { _("bB)old"), _("uU)nderline"),
+		      _("fF)oreground"), _("kBack)ground"), NULL };
 		  switch (c = line_menu(prompt, typemenu, 0))
 		  {
 			case -2: case -1: c = K_INVALID; break;
 			case 0: c = ADJUST_BOLD; break;
 			case 1: c = ADJUST_UNDERLINE; break;
+		        case 2: c = ADJUST_FOREGROUND; break;
+		        case 3: c = ADJUST_BACKGROUND; break;
 		        default: assert(0);
 		  }
 		  break;
@@ -530,6 +533,17 @@ void redraw_sheet(Sheet *sheet)
 	  }
 	  else realsize=size;
 	  ms = getmarkstate(sheet);
+	  int usecp = 0;
+	  ColorNum fg = getcolor(cell, FOREGROUND);
+	  ColorNum bg = getcolor(cell, BACKGROUND);
+	  while (usecp < curcp) {
+	    unsigned short pfg, pbg;
+	    pair_content(usecp, &pfg, &pbg);
+	    if (fg == pfg && bg == pbg) break;
+	    ++usecp;
+	  }
+	  if (usecp == curcp) init_pair(curcp++, fg, bg);
+	  wcolor_set(stdscr, usecp, NULL);
 	  invert =
 	    (ms != UNMARKED) && loc_in_box(tmp, sheet->mark1, sheet->mark2);
 	  if (x == sheet->cur[X] && (y-header+sheet->offy) == sheet->cur[Y])
@@ -540,6 +554,7 @@ void redraw_sheet(Sheet *sheet)
 	  (void)mvwaddstr(stdscr,sheet->oriy+y,sheet->orix+width,buf+cutoff);
 	  for (fill=mbslen(buf+cutoff); fill<realsize; ++fill)
 	    (void)waddch(stdscr,(chtype)(unsigned char)' ');
+	  wcolor_set(stdscr, 0, NULL);
 	  wstandend(stdscr);
 	}
   }
diff --git a/src/fteapot.fl b/src/fteapot.fl
index bfca0bd..5c0ff6a 100644
--- a/src/fteapot.fl
+++ b/src/fteapot.fl
@@ -554,7 +554,17 @@ class MainWindow {open}
 		MenuItem {} {
 		    label {&Precision...}
 		    user_data ADJUST_PRECISION
-		    xywh {0 0 36 21} shortcut 0x80070 divider
+		    xywh {0 0 36 21} shortcut 0x80070
+		}
+		MenuItem {} {
+		    label {&Foreground...}
+		    user_data ADJUST_FOREGROUND
+		    xywh {0 0 36 21}
+		}
+		MenuItem {} {
+		    label {&Background...}
+		    user_data ADJUST_BACKGROUND
+		    xywh {0 0 36 21} divider
 		}
 		menuitem dec {
 		    label {&Decimal}