diff --git a/Tools/ColorMap.hs b/Tools/ColorMap.hs
--- a/Tools/ColorMap.hs
+++ b/Tools/ColorMap.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   
 prepareColorMap :: [(S.ByteString, [S.ByteString])] -> ColorMap
 prepareColorMap ms = ColorMap $ M.fromList $ (S.pack "", defaultColorMap):
-  [(scheme, ColorMap1 M.empty $ cycle $ map (fromJust . readColor) colorNames) | (scheme, colorNames) <- ms]
+  [(scheme, ColorMap1 M.empty $ cycle $ map (toSRGB . fromJust . readColor . S.unpack) colorNames) | (scheme, colorNames) <- ms]
 
 -- | Starts with empty names-colors map and mid-range grey
 defaultColorMap = ColorMap1 M.empty defaultColorWheel
@@ -47,22 +47,12 @@
 --
 --  * Otherwise, the @color@ name is looked up in the @map@ and if it is not found, a new color is generated
 --    using a simple cycling function.
-computeColor map color = case readColor color of 
+computeColor map color = case readColor (S.unpack color) of 
   Nothing -> cycleColor map color
-  Just c  -> (c, map)
-    
-readColor = readColor' . S.unpack
-
-readColor' ('#':r1:r2:g1:g2:b1:b2:[]) = Just (RGB r g b)
-  where
-    r = fromIntegral $ unhex r2 + 16*unhex r1
-    g = fromIntegral $ unhex g2 + 16*unhex g1
-    b = fromIntegral $ unhex b2 + 16*unhex b1
-    unhex c | c >= '0' && c <= '9' = fromEnum c - fromEnum '0'
-            | c >= 'a' && c <= 'z' = 10 + fromEnum c - fromEnum 'a'
-            | c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z' = 10 + fromEnum c - fromEnum 'A'
-readColor' cs = toSRGB `fmap` readColourName cs
+  Just c  -> (toSRGB c, map)
     
+readColor cs@('#':_) = Just (sRGB24read cs)
+readColor cs         = readColourName cs
     
 cycleColor :: ColorMap
               -> S.ByteString 
diff --git a/splot.cabal b/splot.cabal
--- a/splot.cabal
+++ b/splot.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name: splot
-Version: 0.3.7
+Version: 0.3.8
 License: BSD3
 License-file: LICENSE
 Copyright: Eugene Kirpichov, 2010