diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 4692c11fc..dfb228432 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 2001-05-29  Pavel Roskin  <proski@gnu.org>
 
+	* color.h: Define DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX and DEFAULT_COLOR in the
+	same way regardless of HAVE_SLANG.
+	* color.c (init_colors) [USE_NCURSES]: Initialize the default
+	color pair.
+
 	* subshell.c (pty_open_master) [!HAVE_SCO && HAVE_GRANTPT]:
 	Don't try to close a file that wasn't opened.
 
diff --git a/src/color.c b/src/color.c
index e01485b7d..4b4fdc036 100644
--- a/src/color.c
+++ b/src/color.c
@@ -293,15 +293,21 @@ void init_colors (void)
 	}
 #endif
 
+	if (use_colors) {
 #if defined HAVE_SLANG && !defined(HAS_DIRECT_COLOR_ACCESS)
-	if (use_colors) { /* We are relying on undocumented feature of
-			     S-Lang to make COLOR_PAIR(DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX)
-			     the default fg/bg of the terminal.
-			     Hopefully, future versions of S-Lang will
-			     document this feature. */
+	    /*
+	     * We are relying on undocumented feature of
+	     * S-Lang to make COLOR_PAIR(DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX)
+	     * the default fg/bg of the terminal.
+	     * Hopefully, future versions of S-Lang will
+	     * document this feature.
+	     */
 	    SLtt_set_color (DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+#elif USE_NCURSES
+	    /* Always white on black */
+	    init_pair(DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX, COLOR_WHITE, COLOR_BLACK);
+#endif
 	}
-#endif	
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ELEMENTS (color_map); i++){
             if (!color_map [i].name)
diff --git a/src/color.h b/src/color.h
index 43c63144d..c4997bd06 100644
--- a/src/color.h
+++ b/src/color.h
@@ -77,13 +77,9 @@ extern int dialog_colors   [4];
 #define CORE_COLOR         (PORT_COLOR (MY_COLOR_PAIR (29),0))
 
 
-#ifdef HAVE_SLANG
 /* For the default color any unused index may be chosen. */
-#    define DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX   30
-#    define DEFAULT_COLOR  (PORT_COLOR (MY_COLOR_PAIR(DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX),0))
-#   else
-#     define DEFAULT_COLOR A_NORMAL
-#endif
+#define DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX   30
+#define DEFAULT_COLOR  (PORT_COLOR (MY_COLOR_PAIR(DEFAULT_COLOR_INDEX),0))
 
 /*
  * editor colors - only 3 for normal, search->found, and select, respectively