diff --git a/win/curses/cursinit.c b/win/curses/cursinit.c
index 1135d0eb8..523ae92d3 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursinit.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursinit.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "hack.h"
 #include "wincurs.h"
 #include "cursinit.h"
+#include "cursmisc.h"
 
 /* Initialization and startup functions for curses interface */
 
@@ -334,18 +335,18 @@ curses_init_nhcolors(void)
     /* COLOR_foo + 8 means COLOR | A_BOLD when COLORS < 16 */
     /* otherwise assume the terminal has least 16 different colors */
     /* these map to the NetHack CLR_ defines */
-    static const int fg_clr[16] = {
+    static const int basic_fg_clr[16] = {
         COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_RED, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_YELLOW,
         COLOR_BLUE,  COLOR_MAGENTA, COLOR_CYAN, COLOR_WHITE,
         -1, COLOR_RED + 8, COLOR_GREEN + 8, COLOR_YELLOW + 8,
         COLOR_BLUE + 8, COLOR_MAGENTA + 8, COLOR_CYAN + 8, COLOR_WHITE + 8
     };
-    static const int bg_clr[8] = {
+    static const int bg_clr[CURSES_NUM_BACKGROUND_COLORS] = {
         -1, COLOR_RED, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_YELLOW,
         COLOR_BLUE, COLOR_MAGENTA, COLOR_CYAN, COLOR_WHITE
     };
     int bg, nhclr;
-    int maxc = (COLORS >= 16) ? 16 : 8;
+    int maxc = curses_has_256color() ? 256 : (COLORS >= 16) ? 16 : 8;
 
     if (!has_colors())
         return;
@@ -353,8 +354,9 @@ curses_init_nhcolors(void)
     use_default_colors();
 
     for (nhclr = CLR_BLACK; nhclr < maxc; nhclr++) {
-        for (bg = 0; bg < 8; bg++) {
-            init_pair((maxc * bg) + nhclr + 1, fg_clr[nhclr], bg_clr[bg]);
+        for (bg = 0; bg < CURSES_NUM_BACKGROUND_COLORS; bg++) {
+            int fg_color = (nhclr < 16) ? basic_fg_clr[nhclr] : nhclr;
+            init_pair((maxc * bg) + nhclr + 1, fg_color, bg_clr[bg]);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/win/curses/cursmisc.c b/win/curses/cursmisc.c
index efa5da83a..30e782411 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursmisc.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursmisc.c
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ curses_read_char(void)
     return ch;
 }
 
+boolean
+curses_has_256color(void)
+{
+    return (COLORS >= 256) && (COLOR_PAIRS >= 256 * CURSES_NUM_BACKGROUND_COLORS);
+}
+
 /* Turn on or off the specified color and / or attribute */
 
 void
@@ -147,7 +153,7 @@ curses_toggle_color_attr(WINDOW *win, int color, int attr, int onoff)
             if (use_bold) {
                 wattron(win, A_BOLD);
             }
-            wattron(win, COLOR_PAIR(curses_color));
+            wcolor_set(win, curses_color, &curses_color);
         }
 
         if (attr != NONE) {
diff --git a/win/curses/cursmisc.h b/win/curses/cursmisc.h
index dc79ebfbe..81c34135d 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursmisc.h
+++ b/win/curses/cursmisc.h
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@
 
 /* Global declarations */
 
+#define CURSES_NUM_BACKGROUND_COLORS 8
+
 int curses_getch(void);
 int curses_read_char(void);
+boolean curses_has_256color(void);
 void curses_toggle_color_attr(WINDOW *win, int color, int attr, int onoff);
 void curses_menu_color_attr(WINDOW *win, int color, int attr, int onoff);
 void curses_bail(const char *mesg);
diff --git a/win/curses/curswins.c b/win/curses/curswins.c
index 6ce123c34..a09b3f3f0 100644
--- a/win/curses/curswins.c
+++ b/win/curses/curswins.c
@@ -769,7 +769,11 @@ static int
 get_framecolor(int nhcolor, int framecolor)
 {
     /* curses_toggle_color_attr() adds the +1 and takes care of COLORS < 16 */
-    return (16 * (framecolor % 8)) + (nhcolor % 16);
+    if (curses_has_256color()) {
+        return (256 * (framecolor % 8)) + (nhcolor % 256);
+    } else
+        return (16 * (framecolor % 8)) + (nhcolor % 16);
+
 }
 
 static void