diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c b/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
index d0763115..9558f7bf 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-printtext.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ static void line_add_colors(GUI_WINDOW_REC *gui, int fg, int bg, int flags)
 
 	/* color should never have last bit on or it would be treated as a
 	   command! */
-	color = (fg & 0x0f) | ((bg & 0x0f) << 4);
+	color = (fg & 0x0f) | ((bg & 0x07) << 4);
 	pos = 0;
 
 	if (((fg & ATTR_COLOR8) == 0 && (fg|(bg << 4)) != gui->last_color) ||
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ static void line_add_colors(GUI_WINDOW_REC *gui, int fg, int bg, int flags)
 		buffer[pos++] = 0;
 		buffer[pos++] = LINE_CMD_COLOR8;
 	}
+	if (bg & 0x08) {
+		buffer[pos++] = 0;
+		buffer[pos++] = LINE_CMD_BLINK;
+	}
 	if (flags & PRINTFLAG_INDENT) {
 		buffer[pos++] = 0;
 		buffer[pos++] = LINE_CMD_INDENT;
diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-textwidget.c b/src/fe-text/gui-textwidget.c
index ce2b58a5..f3604260 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-textwidget.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-textwidget.c
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ static gchar *gui_window_line2text(LINE_REC *line)
 		color &= 0xfff0;
 		color |= 8|ATTR_COLOR8;
 		break;
+	    case LINE_CMD_BLINK:
+		color |= 0x80;
+		g_string_sprintfa(str, "\003%c%c", (color & 0x0f)+1, ((color & 0xf0) >> 4)+1);
+		break;
 	    case LINE_CMD_INDENT:
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-windows.c b/src/fe-text/gui-windows.c
index fdec6438..b905684c 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-windows.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-windows.c
@@ -298,6 +298,9 @@ static LINE_CACHE_REC *gui_window_line_cache(GUI_WINDOW_REC *gui, LINE_REC *line
 				color &= 0xfff0;
 				color |= 8|ATTR_COLOR8;
 				break;
+			case LINE_CMD_BLINK:
+				color |= 0x80;
+				break;
 			case LINE_CMD_INDENT:
 				/* set indentation position here - don't do
 				   it if we're too close to right border */
@@ -429,6 +432,9 @@ static void single_line_draw(GUI_WINDOW_REC *gui, int ypos, LINE_CACHE_SUB_REC *
 				color &= 0xfff0;
 				color |= 8|ATTR_COLOR8;
 				break;
+			case LINE_CMD_BLINK:
+				color |= 0x80;
+                                break;
 			}
 			set_color(cwin, color);
 			text++;
diff --git a/src/fe-text/gui-windows.h b/src/fe-text/gui-windows.h
index bcde75c5..ecadd775 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/gui-windows.h
+++ b/src/fe-text/gui-windows.h
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ enum {
 	LINE_CMD_COLOR0,	/* change to black, would be same as \0\0 but it breaks things.. */
 	LINE_CMD_COLOR8,	/* change to dark grey, normally 8 = bold black */
 	LINE_CMD_UNDERLINE,	/* enable/disable underlining */
-	LINE_CMD_INDENT		/* if line is split, indent it at this position */
+	LINE_CMD_INDENT,       	/* if line is split, indent it at this position */
+	LINE_CMD_BLINK		/* blinking background */
 };
 
 typedef struct {