diff --git a/cmd-display-panes.c b/cmd-display-panes.c
index c9f185d59..f8991dfe1 100644
--- a/cmd-display-panes.c
+++ b/cmd-display-panes.c
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ cmd_display_panes_draw_pane(struct cmd_display_panes_ctx *ctx,
 	struct grid_cell	 fgc, bgc;
 	u_int			 pane, idx, px, py, i, j, xoff, yoff, sx, sy;
 	u_int			 cx, cy;
-	int			 colour, active_colour;
+	const char		*name;
+	struct format_tree	*ft;
 	char			 buf[16], lbuf[16], *ptr;
 	size_t			 len, llen;
 
@@ -191,18 +192,16 @@ cmd_display_panes_draw_pane(struct cmd_display_panes_ctx *ctx,
 
 	if (sx < len)
 		return;
-	colour = options_get_number(oo, "display-panes-colour");
-	active_colour = options_get_number(oo, "display-panes-active-colour");
+	if (w->active == wp)
+		name = "display-panes-active-colour";
+	else
+		name = "display-panes-colour";
+	ft = format_create_defaults(NULL, c, s, NULL, wp);
+	style_apply(&fgc, oo, name, ft);
+	format_free(ft);
 
-	memcpy(&fgc, &grid_default_cell, sizeof fgc);
 	memcpy(&bgc, &grid_default_cell, sizeof bgc);
-	if (w->active == wp) {
-		fgc.fg = active_colour;
-		bgc.bg = active_colour;
-	} else {
-		fgc.fg = colour;
-		bgc.bg = colour;
-	}
+	bgc.bg = fgc.fg;
 
 	if (pane > 9 && pane < 35)
 		llen = xsnprintf(lbuf, sizeof lbuf, "%c", 'a' + (pane - 10));
diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index 0d7b20c53..6050c24a0 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -328,9 +328,10 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "cursor-colour",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_COLOUR,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_WINDOW|OPTIONS_TABLE_PANE,
-	  .default_num = -1,
+	  .flags = OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR,
+	  .default_str = "",
 	  .text = "Colour of the cursor."
 	},
 
@@ -635,16 +636,18 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "display-panes-active-colour",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_COLOUR,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_SESSION,
-	  .default_num = 1,
+	  .flags = OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR,
+	  .default_str = "red",
 	  .text = "Colour of the active pane for 'display-panes'."
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "display-panes-colour",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_COLOUR,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_SESSION,
-	  .default_num = 4,
+	  .flags = OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR,
+	  .default_str = "blue",
 	  .text = "Colour of not active panes for 'display-panes'."
 	},
 
@@ -991,9 +994,10 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "prompt-cursor-colour",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_COLOUR,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_SESSION,
-	  .default_num = -1,
+	  .flags = OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR,
+	  .default_str = "",
 	  .text = "Colour of the cursor when in the command prompt."
 	},
 
@@ -1145,9 +1149,10 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "clock-mode-colour",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_COLOUR,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_WINDOW,
-	  .default_num = 4,
+	  .flags = OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR,
+	  .default_str = "blue",
 	  .text = "Colour of the clock in clock mode."
 	},
 
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index a4081a8d2..b9e319acf 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -989,9 +989,12 @@ struct style *
 options_string_to_style(struct options *oo, const char *name,
     struct format_tree *ft)
 {
-	struct options_entry	*o;
-	const char		*s;
-	char			*expanded;
+	struct options_entry			*o;
+	const struct options_table_entry	*oe;
+	const struct grid_cell			*dgc = &grid_default_cell;
+	const char				*s;
+	char					*expanded;
+	int					 failed;
 
 	o = options_get(oo, name);
 	if (o == NULL || !OPTIONS_IS_STRING(o))
@@ -1000,20 +1003,27 @@ options_string_to_style(struct options *oo, const char *name,
 	if (o->cached)
 		return (&o->style);
 	s = o->value.string;
+	oe = o->tableentry;
 	log_debug("%s: %s is '%s'", __func__, name, s);
 
-	style_set(&o->style, &grid_default_cell);
+	style_set(&o->style, dgc);
 	o->cached = (strstr(s, "#{") == NULL);
 
 	if (ft != NULL && !o->cached) {
 		expanded = format_expand(ft, s);
-		if (style_parse(&o->style, &grid_default_cell, expanded) != 0) {
-			free(expanded);
-			return (NULL);
-		}
+		if (oe != NULL && (oe->flags & OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR))
+			failed = style_parse_colour(&o->style, dgc, expanded);
+		else
+			failed = style_parse(&o->style, dgc, expanded);
 		free(expanded);
+		if (failed != 0)
+			return (NULL);
 	} else {
-		if (style_parse(&o->style, &grid_default_cell, s) != 0)
+		if (oe != NULL && (oe->flags & OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR))
+			failed = style_parse_colour(&o->style, dgc, s);
+		else
+			failed = style_parse(&o->style, dgc, s);
+		if (failed != 0)
 			return (NULL);
 	}
 	return (&o->style);
@@ -1041,6 +1051,12 @@ options_from_string_check(const struct options_table_entry *oe,
 		xasprintf(cause, "invalid style: %s", value);
 		return (-1);
 	}
+	if ((oe->flags & OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR) &&
+	    strstr(value, "#{") == NULL &&
+	    style_parse_colour(&sy, &grid_default_cell, value) != 0) {
+		xasprintf(cause, "invalid colour: %s", value);
+		return (-1);
+	}
 	return (0);
 }
 
diff --git a/prompt.c b/prompt.c
index 54cbeb13b..57e267374 100644
--- a/prompt.c
+++ b/prompt.c
@@ -106,8 +106,9 @@ prompt_flags_to_string(int flags)
 void
 prompt_set_options(struct prompt_create_data *pd, struct session *s)
 {
-	struct options	*oo;
-	u_int		 n;
+	struct options		*oo;
+	struct grid_cell	 gc;
+	u_int			 n;
 
 	if (s != NULL)
 		oo = s->options;
@@ -120,7 +121,8 @@ prompt_set_options(struct prompt_create_data *pd, struct session *s)
 	screen_set_cursor_style(n, &pd->cstyle, &pd->cmode);
 	n = options_get_number(oo, "prompt-command-cursor-style");
 	screen_set_cursor_style(n, &pd->command_cstyle, &pd->command_cmode);
-	pd->ccolour = options_get_number(oo, "prompt-cursor-colour");
+	style_apply(&gc, oo, "prompt-cursor-colour", NULL);
+	pd->ccolour = gc.fg;
 	pd->message_format = options_get_string(oo, "message-format");
 	pd->keys = options_get_number(oo, "status-keys");
 	pd->word_separators = options_get_string(oo, "word-separators");
diff --git a/screen.c b/screen.c
index 7afaefec0..cea934fad 100644
--- a/screen.c
+++ b/screen.c
@@ -177,10 +177,11 @@ screen_reset_tabs(struct screen *s)
 void
 screen_set_default_cursor(struct screen *s, struct options *oo)
 {
-	int	c;
+	struct grid_cell	gc;
+	int			c;
 
-	c = options_get_number(oo, "cursor-colour");
-	s->default_ccolour = c;
+	style_apply(&gc, oo, "cursor-colour", NULL);
+	s->default_ccolour = gc.fg;
 
 	c = options_get_number(oo, "cursor-style");
 	s->default_mode = 0;
diff --git a/style.c b/style.c
index 796600253..60ac4dd6e 100644
--- a/style.c
+++ b/style.c
@@ -434,6 +434,29 @@ style_apply(struct grid_cell *gc, struct options *oo, const char *name,
 	style_add(gc, oo, name, ft);
 }
 
+/* Parse a single colour into a style */
+int
+style_parse_colour(struct style *sy, const struct grid_cell *base,
+    const char *s)
+{
+	int	c;
+
+	style_set(sy, base);
+
+	if (*s == '\0') {
+		sy->gc.fg = -1;
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	if ((c = colour_fromstring(s)) == -1)
+		return (-1);
+	if (c == 8)
+		sy->gc.fg = base->fg;
+	else
+		sy->gc.fg = c;
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /* Initialize style from cell. */
 void
 style_set(struct style *sy, const struct grid_cell *gc)
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 07d0922dc..bbf25b9c8 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2307,6 +2307,7 @@ enum options_table_type {
 #define OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_ARRAY 0x1
 #define OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_HOOK 0x2
 #define OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_STYLE 0x4
+#define OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR 0x8
 
 struct options_table_entry {
 	const char		 *name;
@@ -3896,6 +3897,8 @@ int		 popup_modify(struct client *, const char *, const char *,
 /* style.c */
 int		 style_parse(struct style *,const struct grid_cell *,
 		     const char *);
+int		 style_parse_colour(struct style *,
+		     const struct grid_cell *, const char *);
 const char	*style_tostring(struct style *);
 struct style	*style_add(struct grid_cell *, struct options *,
 		     const char *, struct format_tree *);
diff --git a/window-clock.c b/window-clock.c
index 6a89df4b3..cf7040009 100644
--- a/window-clock.c
+++ b/window-clock.c
@@ -222,19 +222,24 @@ static void
 window_clock_draw_screen(struct window_mode_entry *wme)
 {
 	struct window_pane		*wp = wme->wp;
+	struct window			*w = wp->window;
 	struct window_clock_mode_data	*data = wme->data;
 	struct screen_write_ctx		 ctx;
 	int				 colour, style;
 	struct screen			*s = &data->screen;
 	struct grid_cell		 gc;
+	struct format_tree		*ft;
 	char				 tim[64], *ptr;
 	const char			 *timeformat;
 	time_t				 t;
 	struct tm			*tm;
 	u_int				 i, j, x, y, idx;
 
-	colour = options_get_number(wp->window->options, "clock-mode-colour");
-	style = options_get_number(wp->window->options, "clock-mode-style");
+	ft = format_create_defaults(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, wp);
+	style_apply(&gc, w->options, "clock-mode-colour", ft);
+	format_free(ft);
+	colour = gc.fg;
+	style = options_get_number(w->options, "clock-mode-style");
 
 	screen_write_start(&ctx, s);
 
diff --git a/window-customize.c b/window-customize.c
index 559593873..9796cbf0b 100644
--- a/window-customize.c
+++ b/window-customize.c
@@ -769,6 +769,15 @@ window_customize_draw_option(struct window_customize_modedata *data,
 		    "EXAMPLE"))
 			goto out;
 	}
+	if (oe != NULL && (oe->flags & OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_COLOUR)) {
+		if (!screen_write_text(ctx, cx, sx, sy - (s->cy - cy), 1,
+		    &grid_default_cell, "This is a colour option: "))
+			goto out;
+		style_apply(&gc, item->oo, name, ft);
+		if (!screen_write_text(ctx, cx, sx, sy - (s->cy - cy), 0, &gc,
+		    "EXAMPLE"))
+			goto out;
+	}
 	if (oe != NULL && (oe->flags & OPTIONS_TABLE_IS_STYLE)) {
 		if (!screen_write_text(ctx, cx, sx, sy - (s->cy - cy), 1,
 		    &grid_default_cell, "This is a style option: "))