diff --git a/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua b/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
index d2133e64e..789d66070 100644
--- a/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/widget/taglist.lua
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ function taglist.taglist_label(t, args)
     local bg_resize = false
     local is_selected = false
     local cls = t:clients()
+
     if sel then
         if taglist_squares_sel then
-            -- Check that the selected clients is tagged with 't'.
+            -- Check that the selected client is tagged with 't'.
             local seltags = sel:tags()
             for _, v in ipairs(seltags) do
                 if v == t then
@@ -87,14 +88,13 @@ function taglist.taglist_label(t, args)
             if bg_empty then bg_color = bg_empty end
             if fg_empty then fg_color = fg_empty end
         end
-        if tag.getproperty(t, "urgent") then
-            if bg_urgent then bg_color = bg_urgent end
-            if fg_urgent then fg_color = fg_urgent end
-        end
     end
     if t.selected then
         bg_color = bg_focus
         fg_color = fg_focus
+    elseif tag.getproperty(t, "urgent") then
+        if bg_urgent then bg_color = bg_urgent end
+        if fg_urgent then fg_color = fg_urgent end
     end
     if not tag.getproperty(t, "icon_only") then
         text = "<span font_desc='"..font.."'>"