diff --git a/src/coloratt.c b/src/coloratt.c
index 10f216ba6..a5d040fda 100644
--- a/src/coloratt.c
+++ b/src/coloratt.c
@@ -886,7 +886,8 @@ static struct {
     int index;
     uint32 value;
 } color_256_definitions[] = {
-    /* color values are from unnethack */
+    /* from unnethack - these are the colors used by xterm
+       when $TERM is set to xterm-256color */
     {  16, 0x000000 }, {  17, 0x00005f }, {  18, 0x000087 },
     {  19, 0x0000af }, {  20, 0x0000d7 }, {  21, 0x0000ff },
     {  22, 0x005f00 }, {  23, 0x005f5f }, {  24, 0x005f87 },
diff --git a/win/curses/cursmain.c b/win/curses/cursmain.c
index 3966771f6..f6b5e3013 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursmain.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursmain.c
@@ -941,14 +941,14 @@ curses_print_glyph(
     int glyph;
     int ch;
     struct glyph_attributes attr;
-    int nhcolor = 0;
     unsigned int special;
 
     attr.attribute_flags = -1;
     glyph = glyphinfo->glyph;
     special = glyphinfo->gm.glyphflags;
     ch = glyphinfo->ttychar;
-    attr.color = glyphinfo->gm.sym.color;
+    attr.basic_color = glyphinfo->gm.sym.color;
+    attr.color256 = 0;
     attr.framecolor = bkglyphinfo->framecolor;
     /*  Extra color handling
      *  FIQ: The curses library does not support truecolor, only the more limited 256
@@ -958,12 +958,10 @@ curses_print_glyph(
     if (glyphinfo->gm.customcolor != 0
         && (curses_procs.wincap2 & WC2_EXTRACOLORS) != 0) {
         if ((glyphinfo->gm.customcolor & NH_BASIC_COLOR) != 0) {
-            attr.color = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
-#if 0
+            attr.basic_color = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
         } else {
             /* 24-bit color, NH_BASIC_COLOR == 0 */
-            nhcolor = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
-#endif
+            attr.color256 = glyphinfo->gm.color256idx;
         }
     }
     if ((special & MG_PET) && iflags.hilite_pet) {
diff --git a/win/curses/curswins.c b/win/curses/curswins.c
index ee28d4508..6ce123c34 100644
--- a/win/curses/curswins.c
+++ b/win/curses/curswins.c
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ typedef struct nhwd {
 
 typedef struct nhchar {
     int ch;                     /* character */
-    int color;                  /* color info for character */
+    int color;                  /* basic color info for character */
+    int color256;               /* extended color for the character, 0 if none */
     int framecolor;                /* background color info for character */
     int attr;                   /* attributes of character */
     struct unicode_representation *unicode_representation;
@@ -554,7 +555,8 @@ curses_putch(winid wid, int x, int y, int ch,
 
     --x; /* map column [0] is not used; draw column [1] in first screen col */
     map[y][x].ch = ch;
-    map[y][x].color = attr->color;
+    map[y][x].color = attr->basic_color;
+    map[y][x].color256 = attr->color256;
     map[y][x].framecolor = attr->framecolor;
     map[y][x].attr = attr->attribute_flags;
 #ifdef ENHANCED_SYMBOLS
diff --git a/win/curses/curswins.h b/win/curses/curswins.h
index 992fea55a..13985ce1b 100644
--- a/win/curses/curswins.h
+++ b/win/curses/curswins.h
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 # define CURSWIN_H
 
 struct glyph_attributes {
-    int color;
+    int basic_color; // basic color
+    int color256;    // extended color (0 if not defined), used when supported
     int framecolor;
     int attribute_flags;
 };