diff --git a/csi.c b/csi.c
index 52772e7d..9eb50dae 100644
--- a/csi.c
+++ b/csi.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
         case 36:
         case 37:
             term->vt.attrs.have_fg = 1;
-            term->vt.attrs.fg = term->colors.regular[param - 30];
+            term->vt.attrs.fg = term->colors.colors256[param - 30];
             break;
 
         case 38: {
@@ -113,15 +113,8 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
                 term->vt.params.v[i + 1].value == 5)
             {
                 uint8_t idx = term->vt.params.v[i + 2].value;
-                uint32_t color;
-                if (idx < 8)
-                    color = term->colors.regular[idx];
-                else if (idx < 16)
-                    color = term->colors.bright[idx - 8];
-                else
-                    color = term->colors.colors256[idx];
                 term->vt.attrs.have_fg = 1;
-                term->vt.attrs.fg =  color;
+                term->vt.attrs.fg = term->colors.colors256[idx];
                 i += 2;
 
             }
@@ -175,7 +168,7 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
         case 46:
         case 47:
             term->vt.attrs.have_bg = 1;
-            term->vt.attrs.bg = term->colors.regular[param - 40];
+            term->vt.attrs.bg = term->colors.colors256[param - 40];
             break;
 
         case 48: {
@@ -183,16 +176,8 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
                 term->vt.params.v[i + 1].value == 5)
             {
                 uint8_t idx = term->vt.params.v[i + 2].value;
-                uint32_t color;
-
-                if (idx < 8)
-                    color = term->colors.regular[idx];
-                else if (idx < 16)
-                    color = term->colors.bright[idx - 8];
-                else
-                    color = term->colors.colors256[idx];
                 term->vt.attrs.have_bg = 1;
-                term->vt.attrs.bg = color;
+                term->vt.attrs.bg = term->colors.colors256[idx];
                 i += 2;
             }
 
@@ -245,10 +230,10 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
         case 96:
         case 97:
             term->vt.attrs.have_fg = 1;
-            term->vt.attrs.fg = term->colors.bright[param - 90];
+            term->vt.attrs.fg = term->colors.colors256[param - 90 + 8];
             break;
 
-        /* Regular background colors */
+        /* Bright background colors */
         case 100:
         case 101:
         case 102:
@@ -258,7 +243,7 @@ csi_sgr(struct terminal *term)
         case 106:
         case 107:
             term->vt.attrs.have_bg = 1;
-            term->vt.attrs.bg = term->colors.bright[param - 100];
+            term->vt.attrs.bg = term->colors.colors256[param - 100 + 8];
             break;
 
         default:
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 720729db..2185dbbd 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         .colors = {
             .default_fg = conf.colors.fg,
             .default_bg = conf.colors.bg,
-            .default_regular = {
+            .default_colors256 = {
                 conf.colors.regular[0],
                 conf.colors.regular[1],
                 conf.colors.regular[2],
@@ -454,8 +454,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
                 conf.colors.regular[5],
                 conf.colors.regular[6],
                 conf.colors.regular[7],
-            },
-            .default_bright = {
+
                 conf.colors.bright[0],
                 conf.colors.bright[1],
                 conf.colors.bright[2],
@@ -493,6 +492,14 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         },
     };
 
+    LOG_INFO("using %zu rendering threads", term.render.workers.count);
+
+    struct render_worker_context worker_context[term.render.workers.count];
+
+    /* Initialize 'current' colors from the default colors */
+    term.colors.fg = term.colors.default_fg;
+    term.colors.bg = term.colors.default_bg;
+
     /* Initialize the 256 gray-scale color cube */
     {
 #if 0 /* pick colors from term struct instead, since they can be changed runtime */
@@ -517,18 +524,6 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         memcpy(term.colors.colors256, term.colors.default_colors256, sizeof(term.colors.colors256));
     }
 
-    LOG_INFO("using %zu rendering threads", term.render.workers.count);
-
-    struct render_worker_context worker_context[term.render.workers.count];
-
-    /* Initialize 'current' colors from the default colors */
-    term.colors.fg = term.colors.default_fg;
-    term.colors.bg = term.colors.default_bg;
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
-        term.colors.regular[i] = term.colors.default_regular[i];
-        term.colors.bright[i] = term.colors.default_bright[i];
-    }
-
     if (term.ptmx == -1) {
         LOG_ERR("failed to open pseudo terminal");
         goto out;
diff --git a/osc.c b/osc.c
index 64ea481d..2fd1e08f 100644
--- a/osc.c
+++ b/osc.c
@@ -291,11 +291,7 @@ osc_dispatch(struct terminal *term)
 
         /* Client queried for current value */
         if (strlen(string) == 1 && string[0] == '?') {
-            uint32_t color =
-                (idx >= 0 && idx < 8) ? term->colors.regular[idx] :
-                (idx >= 8 && idx < 16) ? term->colors.bright[idx - 8] :
-                term->colors.colors256[idx];
-
+            uint32_t color = term->colors.colors256[idx];
             uint8_t r = (color >> 16) & 0xff;
             uint8_t g = (color >>  8) & 0xff;
             uint8_t b = (color >>  0) & 0xff;
@@ -311,13 +307,7 @@ osc_dispatch(struct terminal *term)
         if (!parse_rgb(string, &color))
             break;
 
-        if (idx >= 0 && idx < 8)
-            term->colors.regular[idx] = color;
-        else if (idx >= 8 && idx < 16)
-            term->colors.bright[idx - 8] = color;
-        else
-            term->colors.colors256[idx] = color;
-
+        term->colors.colors256[idx] = color;
         render_refresh(term);
         break;
     }
@@ -373,11 +363,7 @@ osc_dispatch(struct terminal *term)
         /* Reset Color Number 'c' (whole table if no parameter) */
 
         if (strlen(string) == 0) {
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
-                term->colors.regular[i] = term->colors.default_regular[i];
-                term->colors.bright[i] = term->colors.default_bright[i];
-            }
-            for (size_t i = 16; i < 256; i++)
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < 256; i++)
                 term->colors.colors256[i] = term->colors.default_colors256[i];
         } else {
             unsigned idx = 0;
@@ -385,12 +371,7 @@ osc_dispatch(struct terminal *term)
             for (; *string != '\0'; string++) {
                 char c = *string;
                 if (c == ';') {
-                    if (idx >= 0 && idx < 8)
-                        term->colors.regular[idx] = term->colors.default_regular[idx];
-                    else if (idx >= 8 && idx < 16)
-                        term->colors.bright[idx - 8] = term->colors.default_bright[idx - 8];
-                    else if (idx < 256)
-                        term->colors.colors256[idx] = term->colors.default_colors256[idx];
+                    term->colors.colors256[idx] = term->colors.default_colors256[idx];
                     idx = 0;
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -399,12 +380,7 @@ osc_dispatch(struct terminal *term)
                 idx += c - '0';
             }
 
-            if (idx >= 0 && idx < 8)
-                term->colors.regular[idx] = term->colors.default_regular[idx];
-            else if (idx >= 8 && idx < 16)
-                term->colors.bright[idx - 8] = term->colors.default_bright[idx - 8];
-            else if (idx < 256)
-                term->colors.colors256[idx] = term->colors.default_colors256[idx];
+            term->colors.colors256[idx] = term->colors.default_colors256[idx];
         }
 
         render_refresh(term);
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index 3101056d..593bf8ff 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@ term_reset(struct terminal *term, bool hard)
     term->blink.state = BLINK_ON;
     term->colors.fg = term->colors.default_fg;
     term->colors.bg = term->colors.default_bg;
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
-        term->colors.regular[i] = term->colors.default_regular[i];
-        term->colors.bright[i] = term->colors.default_bright[i];
-    }
     for (size_t i = 0; i < 256; i++)
         term->colors.colors256[i] = term->colors.default_colors256[i];
     term->print_needs_wrap = false;
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index c866679d..a104b897 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -285,15 +285,11 @@ struct terminal {
     struct {
         uint32_t fg;
         uint32_t bg;
-        uint32_t regular[8];
-        uint32_t bright[8];
         uint32_t colors256[256];
         double alpha;
 
         uint32_t default_fg;
         uint32_t default_bg;
-        uint32_t default_regular[8];
-        uint32_t default_bright[8];
         uint32_t default_colors256[256];
     } colors;