diff --git a/src/Config.cpp b/src/Config.cpp
index 2391df4b8..6b40af7bd 100644
--- a/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ std::string Config::_defaults =
 #ifdef LINUX
   "color.header=color3                            # Color of header messages\n"
   "color.footnote=color3                          # Color of footnote messages\n"
-  "color.error=color3                             # Color of error messages\n"
+  "color.warning=color3                           # Color of warning messages\n"
+  "color.error=color1                             # Color of error messages\n"
   "color.debug=color3                             # Color of diagnostic output\n"
   "color.alternate=on color233                    # Alternate color for line coloring\n"
   "\n"
@@ -215,7 +216,8 @@ std::string Config::_defaults =
 #else
   "color.header=yellow                            # Color of header messages\n"
   "color.footnote=yellow                          # Color of footnote messages\n"
-  "color.error=yellow                             # Color of error messages\n"
+  "color.warning=yellow                           # Color of warning messages\n"
+  "color.error=red                                # Color of error messages\n"
   "color.debug=yellow                             # Color of diagnostic output\n"
   "color.alternate=                               # Alternate color for line coloring\n"
   "\n"
diff --git a/src/commands/CmdShow.cpp b/src/commands/CmdShow.cpp
index cd3f65e25..7b4d86e52 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdShow.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdShow.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ int CmdShow::execute (std::string& output)
     " color.deleted"
     " color.due"
     " color.due.today"
+    " color.warning"
     " color.error"
     " color.footnote"
     " color.header"
@@ -257,8 +258,8 @@ int CmdShow::execute (std::string& output)
   view.add (Column::factory ("string", STRING_CMD_SHOW_CONF_VAR));
   view.add (Column::factory ("string", STRING_CMD_SHOW_CONF_VALUE));
 
-  Color error ("bold white on red");
-  Color warning ("black on yellow");
+  Color error (context.config.get ("color.error"));
+  Color warning (context.config.get ("color.warning"));
 
   bool issue_error = false;
   bool issue_warning = false;