diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1785ce31ee9e2ff10d2e9a69dd53106b65ccac80..3d4dbc2d87150571d9dd9ad49b5cc35344da99de 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ CVS code -
 	  lines would not be updated properly if the current line was
 	  not the first or last line of the edit window. (DLR, found by
 	  Mike Frysinger)
+- nano.h:
+	- If we don't have nanorc support, disable color support, as it
+	  depends on the use of the nanorc. (DLR)
 - winio.c:
   display_string()
 	- Properly handle buf[start_index]'s being a null terminator.
diff --git a/src/nano.h b/src/nano.h
index 21c0887493bea91aa7527480818a7bf50859646f..d6fc8a56e6ba89a9fade134a2b8620ccba94a209 100644
--- a/src/nano.h
+++ b/src/nano.h
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@
 #define getline ngetline
 #endif
 
-/* If we don't have regex support, turn the color support off, as it
- * depends on the use of regexes. */
-#ifndef HAVE_REGEX_H
-#undef ENABLE_COLOR 
+/* If we don't have regex or nanorc support, turn the color support off,
+ * as it depends on the use of both. */
+#if !defined(HAVE_REGEX_H) || !defined(ENABLE_NANORC)
+#undef ENABLE_COLOR
 #endif
 
 /* If we aren't using ncurses, turn the mouse support off, as it's