diff --git a/pyqtgraph/console/Console.py b/pyqtgraph/console/Console.py
index 72164f33..c5c2e7b1 100644
--- a/pyqtgraph/console/Console.py
+++ b/pyqtgraph/console/Console.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(QtGui.QWidget):
                 self.write("<br><b>%s</b>\n"%encCmd, html=True)
                 self.execMulti(cmd)
             else:
-                self.write("<br><div style='background-color: #CCF'><b>%s</b>\n"%encCmd, html=True)
+                self.write("<br><div style='background-color: #CCF; color: black'><b>%s</b>\n"%encCmd, html=True)
                 self.inCmd = True
                 self.execSingle(cmd)
             
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(QtGui.QWidget):
         else:
             if self.inCmd:
                 self.inCmd = False
-                self.output.textCursor().insertHtml("</div><br><div style='font-weight: normal; background-color: #FFF;'>")
+                self.output.textCursor().insertHtml("</div><br><div style='font-weight: normal; background-color: #FFF; color: black'>")
                 #self.stdout.write("</div><br><div style='font-weight: normal; background-color: #FFF;'>")
             self.output.insertPlainText(strn)
         #self.stdout.write(strn)
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.ui.exceptionStackList.addItem('-- exception caught here: --')
         item = self.ui.exceptionStackList.item(self.ui.exceptionStackList.count()-1)
         item.setBackground(QtGui.QBrush(QtGui.QColor(200, 200, 200)))
+        item.setForeground(QtGui.QBrush(QtGui.QColor(50, 50, 50)))
         self.frames.append(None)
 
         # And finish the rest of the stack up to the exception
diff --git a/pyqtgraph/parametertree/parameterTypes.py b/pyqtgraph/parametertree/parameterTypes.py
index d137410d..ec14faa1 100644
--- a/pyqtgraph/parametertree/parameterTypes.py
+++ b/pyqtgraph/parametertree/parameterTypes.py
@@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ class GroupParameterItem(ParameterItem):
         else:
             for c in [0,1]:
                 self.setBackground(c, QtGui.QBrush(QtGui.QColor(220,220,220)))
+                self.setForeground(c, QtGui.QBrush(QtGui.QColor(100,100,100)))
                 font = self.font(c)
                 font.setBold(True)
                 #font.setPointSize(font.pointSize()+1)