diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..99bf149a02e90e798c4072813eafe934a4dae07f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/color.c
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/* $Id$ */
+/**************************************************************************
+ *   color.c                                                              *
+ *                                                                        *
+ *   Copyright (C) 1999 Chris Allegretta                                  *
+ *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify *
+ *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by *
+ *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 1, or (at your option)  *
+ *   any later version.                                                   *
+ *                                                                        *
+ *   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,      *
+ *   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of       *
+ *   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the        *
+ *   GNU General Public License for more details.                         *
+ *                                                                        *
+ *   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License    *
+ *   along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software          *
+ *   Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.            *
+ *                                                                        *
+ **************************************************************************/
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_COLOR
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include "proto.h"
+#include "nano.h"
+
+#ifndef NANO_SMALL
+#include <libintl.h>
+#define _(string) gettext(string)
+#else
+#define _(string) (string)
+#endif
+
+void color_on(WINDOW *win, int whatever)
+{
+    /* Temporary fallback, if the color value hasn't been set, 
+	turn on hilighting */
+    if (!colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].set) {
+	wattron(win, A_REVERSE);
+	return;
+    }
+
+    if (colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].bold)
+        wattron(win, A_BOLD);
+
+     /* If the foreground color is black, we've switched fg and bg (see
+	the comment in colorinit_one() about this) so turn on reverse so
+	it looks like it's supposed to */
+    if (colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].fg == COLOR_BLACK)
+	wattron(win, A_REVERSE);
+
+    wattron(win, COLOR_PAIR(whatever));
+
+}
+
+void color_off(WINDOW *win, int whatever)
+{
+    if (!colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].set) {
+	wattroff(win, A_REVERSE);
+	return;
+    }
+
+    wattroff(win, COLOR_PAIR(whatever));
+
+    if (colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].fg == COLOR_BLACK)
+	wattroff(win, A_REVERSE);
+
+    if (colors[whatever - FIRST_COLORNUM].bold)
+        wattroff(win, A_BOLD);
+}
+
+
+void colorinit_one(int colortoset, short fg, short bg, int bold)
+{
+    colors[colortoset - FIRST_COLORNUM].fg = fg;
+    colors[colortoset - FIRST_COLORNUM].bg = bg;
+    colors[colortoset - FIRST_COLORNUM].bold = bold;
+    colors[colortoset - FIRST_COLORNUM].set = 1;
+
+     /* Okay, so if they want a black foreground, do a switch on the fg 
+	and bg, because specifying black as the foreground color gives
+	this ugly grey color. Then in color_on we will turn A_REVERSE
+	which is probably what they want it to look like... */
+    if (fg == COLOR_BLACK)
+	init_pair(colortoset, bg, fg);
+    else
+	init_pair(colortoset, fg, bg);
+}
+
+int do_colorinit(void)
+{
+    if (has_colors()) {
+	start_color();
+	/* Add in colors, if available */
+#ifdef HAVE_USE_DEFAULT_COLORS
+	/* Use if at all possible for transparent terminals =-) */
+	use_default_colors();
+#endif
+	/* Some defaults values to play with */
+
+	/*  Okay I'll be nice and comment these out for the commit =)
+	colorinit_one(COLOR_TITLEBAR, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_BLUE, 1);
+	colorinit_one(COLOR_BOTTOMBARS, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_BLUE, 1);
+	colorinit_one(COLOR_STATUSBAR, COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_CYAN, 0);
+	colorinit_one(COLOR_TEXT, COLOR_WHITE, COLOR_BLACK, 0);
+	colorinit_one(COLOR_MARKER, COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_CYAN, 0);
+	*/
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+#endif /* ENABLE_COLOR */
+