diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
index 1f172c5515..e42ec384c7 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.cc
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #include <gtkmm/stock.h>
-#include <gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h>
 #include <gtkmm/settings.h>
 
+#include "gtkmm2ext/gtk_ui.h"
+#include "gtkmm2ext/cell_renderer_color_selector.h"
+
 #include "pbd/file_utils.h"
 
 #include "ardour/configuration.h"
@@ -44,7 +46,6 @@ using namespace Gtk;
 using namespace PBD;
 using namespace ARDOUR;
 
-
 sigc::signal<void> ColorsChanged;
 sigc::signal<void,uint32_t> ColorChanged;
 
@@ -59,17 +60,21 @@ ThemeManager::ThemeManager()
 	color_list = TreeStore::create (columns);
 	color_display.set_model (color_list);
 	color_display.append_column (_("Object"), columns.name);
-	color_display.append_column (_("Color"), columns.color);
+
+	Gtkmm2ext::CellRendererColorSelector* color_renderer = manage (new Gtkmm2ext::CellRendererColorSelector);
+	TreeViewColumn* color_column = manage (new TreeViewColumn (_("Color"), *color_renderer));
+	color_column->add_attribute (color_renderer->property_color(), columns.gdkcolor);
+
+	color_display.append_column (*color_column);
+
 	color_display.get_column (0)->set_data (X_("colnum"), GUINT_TO_POINTER(0));
+	color_display.get_column (0)->set_expand (true);
 	color_display.get_column (1)->set_data (X_("colnum"), GUINT_TO_POINTER(1));
+	color_display.get_column (1)->set_expand (false);
 	color_display.set_reorderable (false);
 	color_display.get_selection()->set_mode (SELECTION_NONE);
 	color_display.set_headers_visible (true);
 
-	CellRenderer* color_cell = color_display.get_column_cell_renderer (1);
-	TreeViewColumn* color_column = color_display.get_column (1);
-	color_column->add_attribute (color_cell->property_cell_background_gdk(), columns.gdkcolor);
-
 	scroller.add (color_display);
 	scroller.set_policy (POLICY_NEVER, POLICY_AUTOMATIC);
 
@@ -311,7 +316,6 @@ ThemeManager::setup_theme ()
 		//cerr << (*i)->name() << " == " << hex << rgba << ": " << hex << r << " " << hex << g << " " << hex << b << endl;
 		col.set_rgb_p (r / 255.0, g / 255.0, b / 255.0);
 
-		row[columns.color] = "";
 		row[columns.pVar] = var;
 		row[columns.rgba] = rgba;
 		row[columns.gdkcolor] = col;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
index 96789f1232..7ba57df2ba 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/theme_manager.h
@@ -47,17 +47,15 @@ class ThemeManager : public ArdourWindow
 	struct ColorDisplayModelColumns : public Gtk::TreeModel::ColumnRecord {
 	    ColorDisplayModelColumns() {
 		    add (name);
-		    add (color);
 		    add (gdkcolor);
-			add (pVar);
+		    add (pVar);
 		    add (rgba);
 	    }
 
 	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string>  name;
-	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<std::string>  color;
-	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<Gdk::Color>     gdkcolor;
+	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<Gdk::Color>   gdkcolor;
 	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<UIConfigVariable<uint32_t> *> pVar;
-	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<uint32_t>       rgba;
+	    Gtk::TreeModelColumn<uint32_t>     rgba;
 	};
 
 	ColorDisplayModelColumns columns;