diff --git a/src/register/splitreg.c b/src/register/splitreg.c
index 6113c1e202..8982b4a367 100644
--- a/src/register/splitreg.c
+++ b/src/register/splitreg.c
@@ -476,6 +476,20 @@ configCursors (SplitRegister *reg)
    /* set the color of the cells in the cursors */
    /* hack alert -- the actual color should depend on the 
     * type of register. */
+/* they used top be the following:
+  "*regbank.oddRowBackground:      #aaccff",
+  "*regcash.oddRowBackground:      #ccffcc",
+  "*regasset.oddRowBackground:     #aaffcc",
+  "*regcredit.oddRowBackground:    #ffffaa",
+  "*regliability.oddRowBackground: #ffcccc",
+  "*ledportfolio.oddRowBackground: #ccffff",
+  "*regmutual.oddRowBackground:    #ccffff",
+  "*regincome.oddRowBackground:    #aaccff",
+  "*regexpense.oddRowBackground:   #ffcccc",
+  "*regequity.oddRowBackground:    #ffffaa",
+  "*ledgportfolio.evenRowBackground:grey",
+  "*regmutual.evenRowBackground:   grey",
+*/
    reg->single_cursor->active_bg_color = 0xffdddd; /* pale red */
    reg->single_cursor->passive_bg_color = 0xccccff; /* pale blue */
 
diff --git a/src/register/table-allgui.c b/src/register/table-allgui.c
index b9d5cc1850..9f4a061e84 100644
--- a/src/register/table-allgui.c
+++ b/src/register/table-allgui.c
@@ -359,7 +359,16 @@ makePassive (Table *table)
       for (j=0; j<curs->numCols; j++) {
          BasicCell *cell;
       
+/* yooooo hack alert -- the color capabilities for the cursor should
+ * be per-cell, not per cursor; so we do a quickie hack ughhh.
+ * first line is whatever was speced, the second line is white.
+ */
+if (0==i) {
          table->bg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = curs->passive_bg_color;
+} else {
+table->bg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = 0xffffff;
+}
+
          cell = curs->cells[i][j];
          if (cell) {
             if (cell->use_bg_color) {