diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e63a92b3..335752b8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ history.o: history.h prof_history.h
 contact_list.o: contact_list.h contact.h prof_autocomplete.h
 prof_history.o: prof_history.h
 contact.o: contact.h
-preferences.o: preferences.h
+preferences.o: preferences.h log.h
 prof_autocomplete.o: prof_autocomplete.h common.h
 main.o: profanity.h
 
diff --git a/input_win.c b/input_win.c
index 1a1049ff..1c9fdd02 100644
--- a/input_win.c
+++ b/input_win.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ void create_input_window(void)
     getmaxyx(stdscr, rows, cols);
 
     inp_win = newwin(1, cols, rows-1, 0);
+    wbkgd(inp_win, COLOR_PAIR(1));
     keypad(inp_win, TRUE);
     wattrset(inp_win, A_BOLD);
     wmove(inp_win, 0, 1);
diff --git a/preferences.c b/preferences.c
index 65cc3dc1..2eabb028 100644
--- a/preferences.c
+++ b/preferences.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #include <glib.h>
 
+#include "log.h"
 #include "preferences.h"
 #include "prof_autocomplete.h"
 
@@ -39,9 +40,10 @@ struct colour_string_t {
     char *str;
     NCURSES_COLOR_T colour;
 };
-/*
+
+static int num_colours = 7;
 static struct colour_string_t colours[] = {
-    { "bkgnd", -1 },
+    { "default", -1 },
     { "white", COLOR_WHITE },
     { "green", COLOR_GREEN },
     { "red", COLOR_RED },
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ static struct colour_string_t colours[] = {
     { "blue", COLOR_BLUE },
     { "cyan", COLOR_CYAN },
 };
-*/
+
 // colour preferences
 static struct colours_t {
         NCURSES_COLOR_T bkgnd;
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ static struct colours_t {
         NCURSES_COLOR_T bar_text;
 } colour_prefs;
 
+static NCURSES_COLOR_T _lookup_colour(const char * const colour);
 static void _load_colours(void);
 static void _save_prefs(void);
 
@@ -86,10 +89,61 @@ void prefs_load(void)
     _load_colours();
 }
 
+static NCURSES_COLOR_T _lookup_colour(const char * const colour)
+{
+    int i;
+    for (i = 0; i < num_colours; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(colours[i].str, colour) == 0) {
+            return colours[i].colour;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return -99;
+}
+/*
+static void _set_colour(gchar *val, NCURSES_COLOR_T *pref, 
+    NCURSES_COLOR_T def)
+{
+    if(!val) {
+        *pref = def;
+    } else {
+        NCURSES_COLOR_T col = _lookup_colour(val);
+        if (col == -99) {
+            *pref = def;
+        } else {
+            *pref = col;   
+        }
+    }
+}
+*/
 static void _load_colours(void)
 {
-    colour_prefs.bkgnd = -1;
-    colour_prefs.text = COLOR_WHITE;
+    gchar *bkgnd_val = g_key_file_get_string(prefs, "colours", "bkgnd", NULL);
+    
+    if(!bkgnd_val) {
+        colour_prefs.bkgnd = -1;
+    } else {
+        NCURSES_COLOR_T col = _lookup_colour(bkgnd_val);
+        if (col == -99) {
+            colour_prefs.bkgnd = -1;
+        } else {
+            colour_prefs.bkgnd = col;   
+        }
+    }
+
+    gchar *text_val = g_key_file_get_string(prefs, "colours", "text", NULL);
+    
+    if(!text_val) {
+        colour_prefs.text = COLOR_WHITE;
+    } else {
+        NCURSES_COLOR_T col = _lookup_colour(text_val);
+        if (col == -99) {
+            colour_prefs.text = COLOR_WHITE;
+        } else {
+            colour_prefs.text = col;   
+        }
+    }
+
     colour_prefs.online = COLOR_GREEN;
     colour_prefs.err = COLOR_RED;
     colour_prefs.inc = COLOR_YELLOW;
diff --git a/profanity.c b/profanity.c
index bd93467c..7df6ba3a 100644
--- a/profanity.c
+++ b/profanity.c
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ void profanity_run(void)
 
 void profanity_init(const int disable_tls)
 {
-    prefs_load();
     log_init();
+    prefs_load();
     gui_init();
     jabber_init(disable_tls);
     command_init();
diff --git a/windows.c b/windows.c
index bf82766b..08de9c93 100644
--- a/windows.c
+++ b/windows.c
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ static void _create_windows(void)
     struct prof_win cons;
     strcpy(cons.from, CONS_WIN_TITLE);
     cons.win = newpad(PAD_SIZE, cols);
+    wbkgd(cons.win, COLOR_PAIR(1));
     cons.y_pos = 0;
     cons.paged = 0;
     scrollok(cons.win, TRUE);
@@ -411,6 +412,7 @@ static void _create_windows(void)
         struct prof_win chat;
         strcpy(chat.from, "");
         chat.win = newpad(PAD_SIZE, cols);
+        wbkgd(chat.win, COLOR_PAIR(1));
         chat.y_pos = 0;
         chat.paged = 0;
         wattrset(chat.win, A_BOLD);