diff --git a/ideintf/graphpropedits.pas b/ideintf/graphpropedits.pas
index b8eda65eda..6f7e890287 100644
--- a/ideintf/graphpropedits.pas
+++ b/ideintf/graphpropedits.pas
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ begin
     Rectangle(ARect.Left, ARect.Top, vRight, vBottom);
 
     // set things up and do the work
-    Brush.Color := StringToColor(CurValue);
+    Brush.Color := StringToColorDef(CurValue,clNone);
     Pen.Color := ColorToBorderColor(ColorToRGB(Brush.Color));
     Rectangle(ARect.Left + 1, ARect.Top + 1, vRight - 1, vBottom - 1);
     
diff --git a/lcl/graphics.pp b/lcl/graphics.pp
index d660c3ea52..7191b86296 100644
--- a/lcl/graphics.pp
+++ b/lcl/graphics.pp
@@ -1915,6 +1915,7 @@ function SysColorToSysColorIndex(Color: TColor): integer;
 function ColorToRGB(Color: TColor): Longint;
 function ColorToString(Color: TColor): AnsiString;
 function StringToColor(const S: shortstring): TColor;
+function StringToColorDef(const S: shortstring; const DefaultValue: TColor): TColor;
 procedure GetColorValues(Proc: TGetColorStringProc);
 function InvertColor(AColor: TColor): TColor;
 function DecColor(AColor: TColor; AQuantity: Byte): TColor;
@@ -2573,6 +2574,13 @@ begin
     Result := TColor(StrToInt(S));
 end;
 
+function StringToColorDef(const S: shortstring; const DefaultValue: TColor): TColor;
+begin
+  Result := DefaultValue;
+  if not IdentToColor(S, Longint(Result)) then
+    Result := TColor(StrToIntDef(S,DefaultValue));
+end;
+
 procedure GetColorValues(Proc: TGetColorStringProc);
 var
   I: Integer;