diff --git a/unix/gtkwin.c b/unix/gtkwin.c
index 9838250f..a5713852 100644
--- a/unix/gtkwin.c
+++ b/unix/gtkwin.c
@@ -1885,6 +1885,7 @@ void do_text_internal(Context ctx, int x, int y, wchar_t *text, int len,
     GdkGC *gc = dctx->gc;
     int ncombining, combining;
     int nfg, nbg, t, fontid, shadow, rlen, widefactor;
+    int monochrome = gtk_widget_get_visual(dctx->inst->area)->depth == 1;
 
     if (attr & TATTR_COMBINING) {
 	ncombining = len;
@@ -1892,8 +1893,8 @@ void do_text_internal(Context ctx, int x, int y, wchar_t *text, int len,
     } else
 	ncombining = 1;
 
-    nfg = ((attr & ATTR_FGMASK) >> ATTR_FGSHIFT);
-    nbg = ((attr & ATTR_BGMASK) >> ATTR_BGSHIFT);
+    nfg = ((monochrome ? ATTR_DEFFG : (attr & ATTR_FGMASK)) >> ATTR_FGSHIFT);
+    nbg = ((monochrome ? ATTR_DEFBG : (attr & ATTR_BGMASK)) >> ATTR_BGSHIFT);
     if (attr & ATTR_REVERSE) {
 	t = nfg;
 	nfg = nbg;