diff --git a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
index 5695d5946..fe279631c 100644
--- a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
+++ b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
@@ -2043,6 +2043,7 @@ curses: if user's terminal was set to 'application keypad mode' (DEC VTxxx
 	entry told the terminal to send 8-bit escape sequences (via 3 char
 	"ESC SPC G"), nethack wasn't recognizing number pad keys
 curses: change petattr attributes, dropping support for curses-only ones
+curses: swap the grey and no-color color initialization
 macOS: Xcode project was failing to build if the path to the NetHack source
 	tree contained a space; the issue was within some shell script code
 	contained within the project
diff --git a/win/curses/cursinit.c b/win/curses/cursinit.c
index 40bf3f8cb..09b2d5b62 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursinit.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursinit.c
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ curses_init_nhcolors(void)
         init_pair(5, COLOR_BLUE, -1);
         init_pair(6, COLOR_MAGENTA, -1);
         init_pair(7, COLOR_CYAN, -1);
-        init_pair(8, -1, -1);
+        init_pair(8, COLOR_WHITE, -1);
 
         {
             int i;
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ curses_init_nhcolors(void)
                 init_pair(1, COLOR_BLACK + 8, -1);
             }
 # endif
-            init_pair(9, COLOR_WHITE, -1);
+            init_pair(9, -1, -1);
             init_pair(10, COLOR_RED + 8, -1);
             init_pair(11, COLOR_GREEN + 8, -1);
             init_pair(12, COLOR_YELLOW + 8, -1);