diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a8cb8f6e6..3703337d8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+2010-08-12  BVK Chaitanya  <bvk.groups@gmail.com>
+
+	Fix for misspelled color names defaulting to black/black (bug
+	reported by Doug Nazar)
+
+	* include/grub/normal.h (grub_parse_color_name_pair): Add return
+	status to prototype.
+	* normal/color.c (grub_parse_color_name_pair): Return failure
+	status.
+	(grub_env_write_color_normal): Ignore bad color names.
+	(grub_env_write_color_highlight): Likewise.
+	* normal/main.c (GRUB_MOD_INIT): Set default color names.
+
 2010-08-12  BVK Chaitanya  <bvk.groups@gmail.com>
 
 	"shift" command support to GRUB script.
diff --git a/include/grub/normal.h b/include/grub/normal.h
index a33e42e61..2a0298bc6 100644
--- a/include/grub/normal.h
+++ b/include/grub/normal.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ grub_err_t grub_normal_print_device_info (const char *name);
 /* Defined in `color.c'.  */
 char *grub_env_write_color_normal (struct grub_env_var *var, const char *val);
 char *grub_env_write_color_highlight (struct grub_env_var *var, const char *val);
-void grub_parse_color_name_pair (grub_uint8_t *ret, const char *name);
+int grub_parse_color_name_pair (grub_uint8_t *ret, const char *name);
 
 /* Defined in `menu_text.c'.  */
 void grub_wait_after_message (void);
diff --git a/normal/color.c b/normal/color.c
index bae082911..a16d1c2f9 100644
--- a/normal/color.c
+++ b/normal/color.c
@@ -56,22 +56,23 @@ parse_color_name (grub_uint8_t *ret, char *name)
   return -1;
 }
 
-void
-grub_parse_color_name_pair (grub_uint8_t *ret, const char *name)
+int
+grub_parse_color_name_pair (grub_uint8_t *color, const char *name)
 {
+  int result = 1;
   grub_uint8_t fg, bg;
   char *fg_name, *bg_name;
 
   /* nothing specified by user */
   if (name == NULL)
-    return;
+    return result;
 
   fg_name = grub_strdup (name);
   if (fg_name == NULL)
     {
       /* "out of memory" message was printed by grub_strdup() */
       grub_wait_after_message ();
-      return;
+      return result;
     }
 
   bg_name = grub_strchr (fg_name, '/');
@@ -97,10 +98,12 @@ grub_parse_color_name_pair (grub_uint8_t *ret, const char *name)
       goto free_and_return;
     }
 
-  *ret = (bg << 4) | fg;
+  *color = (bg << 4) | fg;
+  result = 0;
 
 free_and_return:
   grub_free (fg_name);
+  return result;
 }
 
 static grub_uint8_t color_normal, color_highlight;
@@ -122,10 +125,10 @@ set_colors (void)
 
 /* Replace default `normal' colors with the ones specified by user (if any).  */
 char *
-grub_env_write_color_normal (struct grub_env_var *var __attribute__ ((unused)),
-			     const char *val)
+grub_env_write_color_normal (struct grub_env_var *var, const char *val)
 {
-  grub_parse_color_name_pair (&color_normal, val);
+  if (grub_parse_color_name_pair (&color_normal, val))
+    return 0;
 
   set_colors ();
 
@@ -134,10 +137,10 @@ grub_env_write_color_normal (struct grub_env_var *var __attribute__ ((unused)),
 
 /* Replace default `highlight' colors with the ones specified by user (if any).  */
 char *
-grub_env_write_color_highlight (struct grub_env_var *var __attribute__ ((unused)),
-				const char *val)
+grub_env_write_color_highlight (struct grub_env_var *var, const char *val)
 {
-  grub_parse_color_name_pair (&color_highlight, val);
+  if (grub_parse_color_name_pair (&color_highlight, val))
+    return 0;
 
   set_colors ();
 
diff --git a/normal/main.c b/normal/main.c
index 5df889466..49658fd24 100644
--- a/normal/main.c
+++ b/normal/main.c
@@ -705,6 +705,10 @@ GRUB_MOD_INIT(normal)
   /* Preserve hooks after context changes.  */
   grub_env_export ("color_normal");
   grub_env_export ("color_highlight");
+
+  /* Set default color names.  */
+  grub_env_set ("color_normal", "white/black");
+  grub_env_set ("color_highlight", "black/white");
 }
 
 GRUB_MOD_FINI(normal)