diff --git a/lib/awful/prompt.lua b/lib/awful/prompt.lua
index cf133193..a542be43 100644
--- a/lib/awful/prompt.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/prompt.lua
@@ -189,7 +189,12 @@ local function prompt_text_with_cursor(args)
         text_end = util.escape(text:sub(args.cursor_pos + 1))
     end
 
-    ret = _prompt .. text_start .. "<span background=\"" .. util.color_strip_alpha(args.cursor_color) .. "\" foreground=\"" .. util.color_strip_alpha(args.text_color) .. "\" underline=\"" .. underline .. "\">" .. char .. "</span>" .. text_end .. spacer
+    local cursor_color = util.ensure_pango_color(args.cursor_color)
+    local text_color = util.ensure_pango_color(args.text_color)
+
+    ret = _prompt .. text_start .. "<span background=\"" .. cursor_color ..
+        "\" foreground=\"" .. text_color .. "\" underline=\"" .. underline ..
+        "\">" .. char .. "</span>" .. text_end .. spacer
     return ret
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/awful/util.lua b/lib/awful/util.lua
index 706e153e..ab157171 100644
--- a/lib/awful/util.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/util.lua
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ local type = type
 local rtable = table
 local pairs = pairs
 local string = string
+local lgi = require("lgi")
+local Pango = lgi.Pango
 local capi =
 {
     awesome = awesome,
@@ -51,14 +53,13 @@ function util.deprecate(see)
     io.stderr:write(".\n" .. tb .. "\n")
 end
 
---- Strip alpha part of color.
+--- Get a valid color for Pango markup
 -- @param color The color.
--- @return The color without alpha channel.
-function util.color_strip_alpha(color)
-    if color:len() == 9 then
-        color = color:sub(1, 7)
-    end
-    return color
+-- @tparam string fallback The color to return if the first is invalid. (default: black)
+-- @treturn string color if it is valid, else fallback.
+function util.ensure_pango_color(color, fallback)
+    color = tostring(color)
+    return Pango.Color.parse(Pango.Color(), color) and color or fallback or "black"
 end
 
 --- Make i cycle.
diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua b/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
index 4aed1caa..d2133e64 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ function taglist.taglist_label(t, args)
     if not tag.getproperty(t, "icon_only") then
         text = "<span font_desc='"..font.."'>"
         if fg_color then
-            text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_color).."'>" ..
-                (util.escape(t.name) or "") .. "</span>"
+            text = text .. "<span color='" .. util.ensure_pango_color(fg_color) ..
+                "'>" .. (util.escape(t.name) or "") .. "</span>"
         else
             text = text .. (util.escape(t.name) or "")
         end
diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/tasklist.lua b/lib/awful/widget/tasklist.lua
index cbc4cb96..8a8c7656 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/tasklist.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/tasklist.lua
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ tasklist.filter = {}
 local function tasklist_label(c, args)
     if not args then args = {} end
     local theme = beautiful.get()
-    local fg_normal = args.fg_normal or theme.tasklist_fg_normal or theme.fg_normal or "#ffffff"
+    local fg_normal = util.ensure_pango_color(args.fg_normal or theme.tasklist_fg_normal or theme.fg_normal, "white")
     local bg_normal = args.bg_normal or theme.tasklist_bg_normal or theme.bg_normal or "#000000"
-    local fg_focus = args.fg_focus or theme.tasklist_fg_focus or theme.fg_focus
-    local bg_focus = args.bg_focus or theme.tasklist_bg_focus or theme.bg_focus
-    local fg_urgent = args.fg_urgent or theme.tasklist_fg_urgent or theme.fg_urgent
-    local bg_urgent = args.bg_urgent or theme.tasklist_bg_urgent or theme.bg_urgent
-    local fg_minimize = args.fg_minimize or theme.tasklist_fg_minimize or theme.fg_minimize
-    local bg_minimize = args.bg_minimize or theme.tasklist_bg_minimize or theme.bg_minimize
+    local fg_focus = util.ensure_pango_color(args.fg_focus or theme.tasklist_fg_focus or theme.fg_focus, fg_normal)
+    local bg_focus = args.bg_focus or theme.tasklist_bg_focus or theme.bg_focus or bg_normal
+    local fg_urgent = util.ensure_pango_color(args.fg_urgent or theme.tasklist_fg_urgent or theme.fg_urgent, fg_normal)
+    local bg_urgent = args.bg_urgent or theme.tasklist_bg_urgent or theme.bg_urgent or bg_normal
+    local fg_minimize = util.ensure_pango_color(args.fg_minimize or theme.tasklist_fg_minimize or theme.fg_minimize, fg_normal)
+    local bg_minimize = args.bg_minimize or theme.tasklist_bg_minimize or theme.bg_minimize or bg_normal
     local bg_image_normal = args.bg_image_normal or theme.bg_image_normal
     local bg_image_focus = args.bg_image_focus or theme.bg_image_focus
     local bg_image_urgent = args.bg_image_urgent or theme.bg_image_urgent
@@ -81,23 +81,19 @@ local function tasklist_label(c, args)
     end
     if capi.client.focus == c then
         bg = bg_focus
+        text = text .. "<span color='"..fg_focus.."'>"..name.."</span>"
         bg_image = bg_image_focus
-        if fg_focus then
-            text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_focus).."'>"..name.."</span>"
-        else
-            text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_normal).."'>"..name.."</span>"
-        end
-    elseif c.urgent and fg_urgent then
+    elseif c.urgent then
         bg = bg_urgent
-        text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_urgent).."'>"..name.."</span>"
+        text = text .. "<span color='"..fg_urgent.."'>"..name.."</span>"
         bg_image = bg_image_urgent
-    elseif c.minimized and fg_minimize and bg_minimize then
+    elseif c.minimized then
         bg = bg_minimize
-        text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_minimize).."'>"..name.."</span>"
+        text = text .. "<span color='"..fg_minimize.."'>"..name.."</span>"
         bg_image = bg_image_minimize
     else
         bg = bg_normal
-        text = text .. "<span color='"..util.color_strip_alpha(fg_normal).."'>"..name.."</span>"
+        text = text .. "<span color='"..fg_normal.."'>"..name.."</span>"
         bg_image = bg_image_normal
     end
     text = text .. "</span>"
diff --git a/lib/menubar/init.lua b/lib/menubar/init.lua
index 4e13e597..968bf05e 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/init.lua
+++ b/lib/menubar/init.lua
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ local common_args = { w = wibox.layout.fixed.horizontal(),
 -- @param c The desired text color.
 -- @return the text wrapped in a span tag.
 local function colortext(s, c)
-    return "<span color='" .. c .. "'>" .. s .. "</span>"
+    return "<span color='" .. awful.util.ensure_pango_color(c) .. "'>" .. s .. "</span>"
 end
 
 --- Get how the menu item should be displayed.
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ end
 -- @return item name, item background color, background image, item icon.
 local function label(o)
     if o.focused then
-        local color = awful.util.color_strip_alpha(theme.fg_focus)
-        return colortext(o.name, color), theme.bg_focus, nil, o.icon
+        return colortext(o.name, theme.fg_focus), theme.bg_focus, nil, o.icon
     else
         return o.name, theme.bg_normal, nil, o.icon
     end