diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index e49b1a42..3bcfd283 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 09 October 2008
 
+* Translate 256 colours into 16 if 256 is not available, same as screen does.
 * Better support for OSC command (only to set window title now), and also
   support using APC for the same purpose (some Linux default shell profiles do
   this).
@@ -680,4 +681,4 @@
   (including mutt, emacs). No status bar yet and no key remapping or other
   customisation.
 
-$Id: CHANGES,v 1.163 2008-10-09 21:22:16 nicm Exp $
+$Id: CHANGES,v 1.164 2008-10-09 22:00:33 nicm Exp $
diff --git a/colour.c b/colour.c
index 36a2cf6f..552a220c 100644
--- a/colour.c
+++ b/colour.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: colour.c,v 1.1 2008-09-10 18:59:29 nicm Exp $ */
+/* $Id: colour.c,v 1.2 2008-10-09 22:00:33 nicm Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2008 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -72,3 +72,28 @@ colour_fromstring(const char *s)
 		return (8);
 	return (255);
 }
+
+u_char
+colour_translate256(u_char c)
+{
+	static const u_char table[] = {
+		 0,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
+		 0,  4,  4,  4, 12, 12,  2,  6,  4,  4, 12, 12,  2,  2,  6,  4, 
+		12, 12,  2,  2,  2,  6, 12, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14, 12, 10, 10, 
+		10, 10, 10, 14,  1,  5,  4,  4, 12, 12,  3,  8,  4,  4, 12, 12, 
+		 2,  2,  6,  4, 12, 12,  2,  2,  2,  6, 12, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 
+		14, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14,  1,  1,  5,  4, 12, 12,  1,  1, 
+		 5,  4, 12, 12,  3,  3,  8,  4, 12, 12,  2,  2,  2,  6, 12, 12, 
+		10, 10, 10, 10, 14, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14,  1,  1,  1,  5, 
+		12, 12,  1,  1,  1,  5, 12, 12,  1,  1,  1,  5, 12, 12,  3,  3, 
+		 3,  7, 12, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14, 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14, 
+		 9,  9,  9,  9, 13, 12,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13, 12,  9,  9,  9,  9, 
+		13, 12,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13, 12, 11, 11, 11, 11,  7, 12, 10, 10, 
+		10, 10, 10, 14,  9,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13,  9,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13, 
+		 9,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13,  9,  9,  9,  9,  9, 13,  9,  9,  9,  9, 
+		 9, 13, 11, 11, 11, 11, 11, 15,  0,  0,  0,  0,  0,  0,  8,  8, 
+		 8,  8,  8,  8,  7,  7,  7,  7,  7,  7, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
+	};
+
+	return (table[c]);
+}
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index a1d48698..cd95fb9f 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: tmux.h,v 1.192 2008-10-09 21:22:16 nicm Exp $ */
+/* $Id: tmux.h,v 1.193 2008-10-09 22:00:33 nicm Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2007 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -1136,6 +1136,7 @@ void	 input_key(struct window *, int);
 /* colour.c */
 const char *colour_tostring(u_char);
 u_char	 colour_fromstring(const char *);
+u_char	 colour_translate256(u_char);
 
 /* grid.c */
 extern const struct grid_cell grid_default_cell;
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index 2df880af..6477cbde 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.45 2008-09-26 07:23:21 nicm Exp $ */
+/* $Id: tty.c,v 1.46 2008-10-09 22:00:33 nicm Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2007 Nicholas Marriott <nicm@users.sourceforge.net>
@@ -980,11 +980,14 @@ tty_attributes_fg(struct tty *tty, const struct grid_cell *gc)
 			tty_puts(tty, s);
 			return;
 		}
-
-		if (fg > 15)
-			fg = 8;
-		else if (fg > 7)
-			fg -= 8;
+		fg = colour_translate256(fg);
+		if (fg & 8) {
+			fg &= 7;
+			if (enter_bold_mode != NULL)
+				tty_puts(tty, enter_bold_mode);
+			tty->cell.attr |= GRID_ATTR_BRIGHT;
+		} else if (tty->cell.attr & GRID_ATTR_BRIGHT)
+			tty_reset(tty);
 	}
 
 	if (fg == 8 &&
@@ -1010,11 +1013,16 @@ tty_attributes_bg(struct tty *tty, const struct grid_cell *gc)
 			tty_puts(tty, s);
 			return;
 		}
-
-		if (bg > 15)
-			bg = 8;
-		else if (bg > 7)
-			bg -= 8;
+		bg = colour_translate256(bg);
+		if (bg & 8) {
+			/*
+			 * Bold background; not sure how widely this is 
+			 * supported...
+			 */
+			xsnprintf(s, sizeof s, "\033[%hhum", 92 + bg);
+			tty_puts(tty, s);
+			return;			
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (bg == 8 &&