diff --git a/src/DialWindow.cpp b/src/DialWindow.cpp
index 7ec6326aa..e99264197 100644
--- a/src/DialWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/DialWindow.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ DialWindow::DialWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow) :
 
     // data series selection
     QLabel *seriesLabel = new QLabel(tr("Data Series"), this);
+    seriesLabel->setAutoFillBackground(true);
     seriesSelector = new QComboBox(this);
     foreach (RealtimeData::DataSeries x, RealtimeData::listDataSeries()) {
         seriesSelector->addItem(RealtimeData::seriesName(x), static_cast<int>(x));
@@ -52,6 +53,11 @@ DialWindow::DialWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow) :
 
     // get updates..
     connect(mainWindow, SIGNAL(telemetryUpdate(RealtimeData)), this, SLOT(telemetryUpdate(RealtimeData)));
+    connect(seriesSelector, SIGNAL(currentIndexChanged(int)), this, SLOT(seriesChanged()));
+    connect(mainWindow, SIGNAL(configChanged()), this, SLOT(seriesChanged()));
+
+    // setup colors
+    seriesChanged();
 
     // setup fontsize etc
     resizeEvent(NULL);
@@ -123,3 +129,50 @@ void DialWindow::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent * )
    font.setWeight(QFont::Bold);
    valueLabel->setFont(font);
 }
+
+void DialWindow::seriesChanged()
+{
+    // we got some!
+    RealtimeData::DataSeries series = static_cast<RealtimeData::DataSeries>
+                  (seriesSelector->itemData(seriesSelector->currentIndex()).toInt());
+
+    // the series selector changed so update the colors
+    switch(series) {
+
+    case RealtimeData::Time:
+    case RealtimeData::LapTime:
+    case RealtimeData::Distance:
+    case RealtimeData::Lap:
+    case RealtimeData::Load:
+    case RealtimeData::None:
+            foreground = GColor(CPLOTMARKER);
+            break;
+
+    case RealtimeData::XPower:
+    case RealtimeData::Joules:
+    case RealtimeData::BikeScore:
+    case RealtimeData::Watts:
+            foreground = GColor(CPOWER);
+            break;
+
+    case RealtimeData::Speed:
+            foreground = GColor(CSPEED);
+            break;
+
+    case RealtimeData::Cadence:
+            foreground = GColor(CCADENCE);
+            break;
+
+    case RealtimeData::HeartRate:
+            foreground = GColor(CHEARTRATE);
+            break;
+    }
+
+    // ugh. we use style sheets becuase palettes don't work on labels
+    background = GColor(CRIDEPLOTBACKGROUND);
+    setProperty("color", background);
+    QString sh = QString("QLabel { background: %1; color: %2; }")
+                 .arg(background.name())
+                 .arg(foreground.name());
+    valueLabel->setStyleSheet(sh);
+}
diff --git a/src/DialWindow.h b/src/DialWindow.h
index e3f04f747..615a15f32 100644
--- a/src/DialWindow.h
+++ b/src/DialWindow.h
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 #include "RideFile.h" // for data series types
 #include "RealtimeData.h" // for realtimedata structure
 
+#include "Settings.h" // for realtimedata structure
+#include "Colors.h" // for realtimedata structure
+
 class DialWindow : public GcWindow
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ class DialWindow : public GcWindow
    public slots:
 
         // trap signals
+        void seriesChanged();
         void telemetryUpdate(const RealtimeData &rtData); // got new data
         void lap(int lapnumber);
         void start();
@@ -102,6 +106,8 @@ class DialWindow : public GcWindow
 
         // display
         QLabel *valueLabel;
+
+        QColor foreground, background;
 };
 
 #endif // _GC_DialWindow_h
diff --git a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
index f3d2cb4dd..35649c7a9 100644
--- a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
+++ b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
@@ -137,18 +137,21 @@ GcWindow::GcWindow()
     qRegisterMetaType<QWidget*>("controls");
     qRegisterMetaType<RideItem*>("ride");
     qRegisterMetaType<GcWinID>("type");
+    qRegisterMetaType<QColor>("color");
     setControls(NULL);
     setRideItem(NULL);
     setTitle("");
     setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
     setResizable(false);
     setMouseTracking(true);
+    setProperty("color", Qt::white);
 }
 
 GcWindow::GcWindow(QWidget *parent) : QFrame(parent), dragState(None) {
     qRegisterMetaType<QWidget*>("controls");
     qRegisterMetaType<RideItem*>("ride");
     qRegisterMetaType<GcWinID>("type");
+    qRegisterMetaType<QColor>("color");
     setParent(parent);
     setControls(NULL);
     setRideItem(NULL);
@@ -156,6 +159,7 @@ GcWindow::GcWindow(QWidget *parent) : QFrame(parent), dragState(None) {
     setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
     setResizable(false);
     setMouseTracking(true);
+    setProperty("color", Qt::white);
 }
 
 GcWindow::~GcWindow()
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ GcWindow::paintEvent(QPaintEvent * /*event*/)
     QPainter painter(this);
     // background light gray for now?
     QRect all(0,0,width(),height());
-    painter.fillRect(all, Qt::white);
+    painter.fillRect(all, property("color").value<QColor>());
 
     if (contentsMargins().top() > 0) {
 
diff --git a/src/RealtimePlot.cpp b/src/RealtimePlot.cpp
index 22ecbdd70..5b6550157 100644
--- a/src/RealtimePlot.cpp
+++ b/src/RealtimePlot.cpp
@@ -94,13 +94,34 @@ RealtimePlot::RealtimePlot() : pwrCurve(NULL)
     setAxisTitle(yRight2, "Speed");
     setAxisTitle(xBottom, "Seconds Ago");
 
+    QPalette pal;
     setAxisScale(yLeft, 0, 500); // watts
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::WindowText, GColor(CPOWER));
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::Text, GColor(CPOWER));
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yLeft)->setPalette(pal);
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yLeft)->scaleDraw()->setTickLength(QwtScaleDiv::MajorTick, 3);
+
     setAxisScale(yRight, 0, 230); // cadence / hr
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::WindowText, GColor(CHEARTRATE));
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::Text, GColor(CHEARTRATE));
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yRight)->setPalette(pal);
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yRight)->scaleDraw()->setTickLength(QwtScaleDiv::MajorTick, 3);
+
     setAxisScale(xBottom, 50, 0, 15); // time ago
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::WindowText, GColor(CPLOTMARKER));
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::Text, GColor(CPLOTMARKER));
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::xBottom)->setPalette(pal);
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::xBottom)->scaleDraw()->setTickLength(QwtScaleDiv::MajorTick, 3);
+
     setAxisScale(yRight2, 0, 60); // speed km/h - 60kmh on a turbo is good going!
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::WindowText, GColor(CSPEED));
+    pal.setColor(QPalette::Text, GColor(CSPEED));
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yRight2)->setPalette(pal);
+    axisWidget(QwtPlot::yRight2)->scaleDraw()->setTickLength(QwtScaleDiv::MajorTick, 3);
 
 	setAxisLabelRotation(yRight2,90);
 	setAxisLabelAlignment(yRight2,Qt::AlignVCenter);
+
     enableAxis(xBottom, false); // very little value and some cpu overhead
     enableAxis(yLeft, true);
     enableAxis(yRight, true);
@@ -173,7 +194,7 @@ RealtimePlot::setAxisTitle(int axis, QString label)
 void
 RealtimePlot::configChanged()
 {
-    setCanvasBackground(GColor(CPLOTBACKGROUND));
+    setCanvasBackground(GColor(CRIDEPLOTBACKGROUND));
     QPen pwr30pen = QPen(GColor(CPOWER), 2.0, Qt::DashLine);
     pwr30Curve->setPen(pwr30pen);
     pwr30Curve->setData(pwr30Data);
diff --git a/src/RealtimePlot.h b/src/RealtimePlot.h
index d10caa2bc..cc4e986be 100644
--- a/src/RealtimePlot.h
+++ b/src/RealtimePlot.h
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #include <qwt_plot_curve.h>
 #include <qwt_plot_grid.h>
 #include <qwt_scale_draw.h>
+#include <qwt_scale_div.h>
+#include <qwt_scale_widget.h>
 #include <qwt_data.h>
 #include "Settings.h"
 
diff --git a/src/RealtimePlotWindow.cpp b/src/RealtimePlotWindow.cpp
index 7853cba2b..0576b50aa 100644
--- a/src/RealtimePlotWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/RealtimePlotWindow.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ RealtimePlotWindow::RealtimePlotWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow) :
     setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
     setInstanceName("RT Plot");
     setControls(NULL);
+    setProperty("color", GColor(CRIDEPLOTBACKGROUND));
 
     QVBoxLayout *layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
     rtPlot = new RealtimePlot();
diff --git a/src/RealtimePlotWindow.h b/src/RealtimePlotWindow.h
index 430e0dd76..e02d7f9f6 100644
--- a/src/RealtimePlotWindow.h
+++ b/src/RealtimePlotWindow.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #include "RealtimePlot.h"
 #include "RealtimeData.h" // for realtimedata structure
 
+#include "Settings.h"
+#include "Colors.h"
+
 class RealtimePlotWindow : public GcWindow
 {
     Q_OBJECT
diff --git a/src/VideoWindow.cpp b/src/VideoWindow.cpp
index a65a91efe..e32470ce6 100644
--- a/src/VideoWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/VideoWindow.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ GcWindow(parent), home(home), main(parent)
 {
     setControls(NULL);
     setInstanceName("Video Window");
+    setProperty("color", Qt::black);
 
     QHBoxLayout *layout = new QHBoxLayout();
     setLayout(layout);