diff --git a/include/wintty.h b/include/wintty.h
index 4fc07fe2d..b4c983eee 100644
--- a/include/wintty.h
+++ b/include/wintty.h
@@ -189,9 +189,8 @@ extern void term_end_raw_bold(void);
 extern void term_end_color(void);
 extern void term_start_color(int color);
 extern void term_start_bgcolor(int color);
-extern void term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor);
+extern void term_start_extracolor(uint32, uint16);
 extern void term_end_extracolor(void); /* termcap.c, consoletty.c */
-extern void term_start_256color(int idx);
 
 /* ### topl.c ### */
 
diff --git a/sys/msdos/video.c b/sys/msdos/video.c
index 62a5f990c..e172513ee 100644
--- a/sys/msdos/video.c
+++ b/sys/msdos/video.c
@@ -378,12 +378,7 @@ term_start_bgcolor(int bgcolor)
 }
 
 void
-term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor UNUSED)
-{
-}
-
-void
-term_start_256color(int idx UNUSED)
+term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor UNUSED, uint16 color256idx UNUSED)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/windows/consoletty.c b/sys/windows/consoletty.c
index 51a3079f7..5ea736fce 100644
--- a/sys/windows/consoletty.c
+++ b/sys/windows/consoletty.c
@@ -1452,12 +1452,13 @@ g_pututf8(uint8 *sequence)
 }
 
 void
-term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor)
+term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor, uint16 color256idx)
 {
 #ifdef VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_SEQUENCES
     if ((nhcolor & NH_BASIC_COLOR) == 0) {
         console.color24 = COLORVAL(nhcolor); /* color 0 has bit 0x1000000 set */
         console.current_colorflags = 0;
+        console.color256idx = color256idx;
     } else {
 #endif
         /* NH_BASIC_COLOR */
@@ -1471,7 +1472,6 @@ term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor)
 
 void term_start_256color(int idx)
 {
-    console.color256idx = idx;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/win/tty/termcap.c b/win/tty/termcap.c
index b5d905312..17eab38d4 100644
--- a/win/tty/termcap.c
+++ b/win/tty/termcap.c
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ static char *e_atr2str(int);
 
 void cmov(int, int);
 void nocmov(int, int);
-void term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor);
+void term_start_extracolor(uint32, uint16);
 void term_end_extracolor(void);
-void term_start_256color(int);
 
 #if defined(TERMLIB)
 #if (!defined(UNIX) || !defined(TERMINFO)) && !defined(TOS)
@@ -1470,60 +1469,55 @@ term_start_bgcolor(int color)
 }
 
 #ifndef SEP2
+#define tcfmtstr "\033[38;2;%ld;%ld;%ldm"
 #ifdef UNIX
-#define tcfmtstr "\033[38;2;%d;%d;%dm"
-#define tcfmtstr24bit "\033[38;2;%d;%d;%dm"
+#define tcfmtstr24bit "\033[38;2;%u;%u;%um"
 #define tcfmtstr256 "\033[38;5;%dm"
 #else
-#define tcfmtstr "\033[38;2;%ld;%ld;%ldm"
-#define tcfmtstr24bit "\033[38;2;%ld;%ld;%ldm"
-#define tcfmtstr256 "\033[38:5:%ldm"
+#define tcfmtstr24bit "\033[38;2;%lu;%lu;%lum"
+#define tcfmtstr256 "\033[38:5:%lum"
 #endif
 #endif
 
-static void emit24bit(uint32 color24bit);
+static void emit24bit(long mcolor);
 static void emit256(int u256coloridx);
 
-static void emit24bit(uint32 color24bit)
+static void emit24bit(long mcolor)
 {
     static char tcolorbuf[QBUFSZ];
 
     Snprintf(tcolorbuf, sizeof tcolorbuf, tcfmtstr,
-             ((color24bit >> 16) & 0xFF),   /* red */
-             ((color24bit >>  8) & 0xFF),   /* green */
-             ((color24bit >>  0) & 0xFF));  /* blue */
+             ((mcolor >> 16) & 0xFF),   /* red */
+             ((mcolor >>  8) & 0xFF),   /* green */
+             ((mcolor >>  0) & 0xFF));  /* blue */
     xputs(tcolorbuf);
 }
 
-static void emit256(int u256coloridx)
+static void emit256(int color256idx)
 {
     static char tcolorbuf[QBUFSZ];
 
     Snprintf(tcolorbuf, sizeof tcolorbuf, tcfmtstr256,
-             u256coloridx);
+             color256idx);
     xputs(tcolorbuf);
 }
 
 void
-term_start_256color(int idx)
+term_start_extracolor(uint32 customcolor, uint16 color256idx)
 {
-    emit256(idx);
-}
-
-void
-term_start_extracolor(uint32 nhcolor)
-{
-    /* color 0 has bit NH_BASIC_COLOR set */
-    uint32 modcolor = COLORVAL(nhcolor);
-
-    emit24bit(modcolor);
+    /* color 0 has bit 0x1000000 set */
+    long mcolor = (customcolor & 0xFFFFFF);
+    if (iflags.colorcount == 256)
+        emit256(color256idx);
+    else
+        emit24bit(mcolor);
 }
 
 void
 term_end_extracolor(void)
 {
-    xputs("\033[0m");
+        xputs("\033[0m");
 }
-
 #endif /* TTY_GRAPHICS && !NO_TERMS  */
+
 /*termcap.c*/
diff --git a/win/tty/wintty.c b/win/tty/wintty.c
index b2739a468..492e62ddb 100644
--- a/win/tty/wintty.c
+++ b/win/tty/wintty.c
@@ -252,9 +252,7 @@ static void status_sanity_check(void);
 void g_pututf8(uint8 *utf8str);
 #endif
 
-/* this is always present to reduce preproc conditional code */
 static boolean calling_from_update_inventory = FALSE;
-
 #ifdef TTY_PERM_INVENT
 static struct tty_perminvent_cell emptyttycell = {
     0, 0, 0, { 0 }, NO_COLOR + 1
@@ -3067,8 +3065,7 @@ ttyinv_add_menu(
         row = (slot % rows_per_side) + 1; /* +1: top border */
         /* side: left side panel or right side panel, not a window column */
         side = slot / rows_per_side;
-        ttyinv_populate_slot(cw, row, side, text,
-                             (uint32) clr, startcolor_at);
+        ttyinv_populate_slot(cw, row, side, text, clr, startcolor_at);
     }
     return;
 }
@@ -3221,8 +3218,8 @@ ttyinv_end_menu(int window, struct WinDesc *cw)
 static void
 ttyinv_render(winid window, struct WinDesc *cw)
 {
-    int row, col, slot, side, filled_count = 0, slot_limit;
-    uint32 current_row_color = NO_COLOR;
+    int row, col, slot, side, filled_count = 0, slot_limit,
+                              current_row_color = NO_COLOR;
     struct tty_perminvent_cell *cell;
     char invbuf[BUFSZ];
     boolean force_redraw = gp.program_state.in_docrt ? TRUE : FALSE,
@@ -3336,7 +3333,7 @@ ttyinv_populate_slot(
     int row,  /* 'row' within the window, not within screen */
     int side, /* 'side'==0 is left panel or ==1 is right panel */
     const char *text,
-    uint32 color,
+    int32_t color,
     int clroffset)
 {
     struct tty_perminvent_cell *cell;
@@ -3804,12 +3801,8 @@ tty_print_glyph(
     boolean inverse_on = FALSE, colordone = FALSE, glyphdone = FALSE;
     boolean petattr = FALSE;
     int ch;
-    uint32 color, nhcolor = 0;
+    uint32 color;
     unsigned special;
-#if 0
-    int clridx;
-    uint32 closecolor;
-#endif
 
     HUPSKIP();
 #ifdef CLIPPING
@@ -3837,34 +3830,29 @@ tty_print_glyph(
     }
 #endif
     if (iflags.use_color) {
-        if (color != ttyDisplay->color) {
-            if (ttyDisplay->color != NO_COLOR) {
-                term_end_color();
-            }
-        }
         ttyDisplay->colorflags = NH_BASIC_COLOR;
-        if (iflags.colorcount >= 256 && glyphinfo->gm.customcolor != 0
-                && !calling_from_update_inventory
-                && (tty_procs.wincap2 & WC2_EXTRACOLORS) != 0) {
-            if ((glyphinfo->gm.customcolor & NH_BASIC_COLOR) != 0) {
-                /* don't set colordone or nhcolor */
-                color = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
-            }  else if (iflags.colorcount == 256) {
-                ttyDisplay->colorflags = 0; /* not NH_BASIC_COLOR */
-                term_start_256color(glyphinfo->gm.color256idx);
-            } else {
-                nhcolor = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
+        if (color != ttyDisplay->color) {
+            if (ttyDisplay->color != NO_COLOR)
+                term_end_color();
+        }
+        /* we don't link with termcap.o if NO_TERMS is defined */
+        if ((tty_procs.wincap2 & WC2_EXTRACOLORS)
+            && glyphinfo->gm.customcolor != 0
+            && iflags.colorcount >= 256
+            && !calling_from_update_inventory) {
+            if ((glyphinfo->gm.customcolor & NH_BASIC_COLOR) == 0) {
+                term_start_extracolor(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor,
+                                      glyphinfo->gm.color256idx);
                 ttyDisplay->colorflags = 0;
-                term_start_extracolor(nhcolor);
                 colordone = TRUE;
+            } else {
+                color = COLORVAL(glyphinfo->gm.customcolor);
             }
         }
         if (!colordone) {
-            /* NH_BASIC_COLOR processing */
             ttyDisplay->color = color;
-            if (color != NO_COLOR) {
+            if (color != NO_COLOR)
                 term_start_color(color);
-            }
         }
     }   /* iflags.use_color aka iflags.wc_color */