diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index 623df41a63..3e19dcc683 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ LexerKeyword lyxrcTags[] = {
 	{ "\\use_pixmap_cache", LyXRC::RC_USE_PIXMAP_CACHE },
 	// compatibility with versions older than 1.4.0 only
 	{ "\\use_pspell", LyXRC::RC_USE_SPELL_LIB },
+	{ "\\use_system_colors", LyXRC::RC_USE_SYSTEM_COLORS },
 	// compatibility with versions older than 1.4.0 only
 	{ "\\use_tempdir", LyXRC::RC_USETEMPDIR },
 	{ "\\use_tooltip", LyXRC::RC_USE_TOOLTIP },
@@ -330,6 +331,7 @@ void LyXRC::setDefaults()
 	preview_hashed_labels  = false;
 	preview_scale_factor = 1.0;
 	use_converter_cache = true;
+	use_system_colors = true;
 	use_tooltip = true;
 	use_pixmap_cache = false;
 	converter_cache_maxage = 6 * 30 * 24 * 3600; // 6 months
@@ -914,6 +916,9 @@ int LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
 		case RC_ACCEPT_COMPOUND:
 			lexrc >> spellchecker_accept_compound;
 			break;
+		case RC_USE_SYSTEM_COLORS:
+			lexrc >> use_system_colors;
+			break;
 		case RC_USE_TOOLTIP:
 			lexrc >> use_tooltip;
 			break;
@@ -2382,6 +2387,15 @@ void LyXRC::write(ostream & os, bool ignore_system_lyxrc, string const & name) c
 		// obsoleted in 2.0
 		if (tag != RC_LAST)
 			break;
+	case RC_USE_SYSTEM_COLORS:
+		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
+		    use_system_colors != system_lyxrc.use_system_colors) {
+			os << "\\use_system_colors "
+			   << convert<string>(use_system_colors)
+			   << '\n';
+		}
+		if (tag != RC_LAST)
+			break;
 	case RC_USE_TOOLTIP:
 		if (ignore_system_lyxrc ||
 		    use_tooltip != system_lyxrc.use_tooltip) {
@@ -2932,6 +2946,7 @@ void actOnUpdatedPrefs(LyXRC const & lyxrc_orig, LyXRC const & lyxrc_new)
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_ESC_CHARS:
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_INP_ENC:
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_PERS_DICT:
+	case LyXRC::RC_USE_SYSTEM_COLORS:
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_TOOLTIP:
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_PIXMAP_CACHE:
 	case LyXRC::RC_USE_SPELL_LIB:
@@ -3382,6 +3397,10 @@ string const LyXRC::getDescription(LyXRCTags tag)
 	case RC_USETEMPDIR:
 		break;
 
+	case RC_USE_TOOLTIP:
+		str = _("Enable use the system colors for some things like main window background and selection.");
+		break;
+
 	case RC_USE_TOOLTIP:
 		str = _("Enable the automatic appearance of tool tips in the work area.");
 		break;
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.h b/src/LyXRC.h
index 8be4aea19f..ffcf3f650c 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.h
+++ b/src/LyXRC.h
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ public:
 		RC_USE_ESC_CHARS,
 		RC_USE_INP_ENC,
 		RC_USE_PERS_DICT,
+		RC_USE_SYSTEM_COLORS,
 		RC_USE_TOOLTIP,
 		RC_USE_PIXMAP_CACHE,
 		RC_USE_SPELL_LIB,
@@ -351,6 +352,8 @@ public:
 	bool paragraph_markers;
 	/// Use tooltips?
 	bool use_tooltip;
+	/// Use the colors from current system theme?
+	bool use_system_colors;
 	/// Use pixmap cache?
 	bool use_pixmap_cache;
 	/// Spellchecker engine: aspell, hunspell, etc
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.cpp
index 5b7a416afc..26ee11b279 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.cpp
@@ -10,15 +10,56 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#include "LyXRC.h"
+
 #include "ColorCache.h"
 #include "ColorSet.h"
 
 namespace lyx {
 
+void ColorCache::setColor(int col, QPalette::ColorRole cr)
+{
+	lcolors_[col] = pal_.brush(QPalette::Active, cr).color();
+}
+
+
 void ColorCache::init()
 {
-	for (int col = 0; col <= Color_ignore; ++col)
-		lcolors_[col] = QColor(lcolor.getX11Name(ColorCode(col)).c_str());
+	if (lyxrc.use_system_colors) {
+		for (int col = 0; col <= Color_ignore; ++col) {
+			switch (ColorCode(col)) {
+			case Color_background:
+			case Color_commentbg:
+			case Color_greyedoutbg:
+			case Color_mathbg:
+			case Color_graphicsbg:
+			case Color_mathmacrobg:
+			case Color_mathcorners:
+				setColor(col, QPalette::Base);
+				break;
+				
+			case Color_foreground:
+			case Color_cursor:
+			case Color_preview:
+			case Color_tabularline:
+			case Color_previewframe:
+				setColor(col, QPalette::Text);
+				break;
+				
+			case Color_selection:
+				setColor(col, QPalette::Highlight);
+				break;
+			case Color_selectiontext:
+				setColor(col, QPalette::HighlightedText);
+				break;
+			default:
+				lcolors_[col] = QColor(lcolor.getX11Name(ColorCode(col)).c_str());
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		for (int col = 0; col <= Color_ignore; ++col) 
+			lcolors_[col] = QColor(lcolor.getX11Name(ColorCode(col)).c_str());
+	}
 	initialized_ = true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.h b/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.h
index 88db6bb565..af767c3420 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ColorCache.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "Color.h"
 
 #include <QColor>
+#include <QPalette>
 
 namespace lyx {
 
@@ -26,11 +27,15 @@ struct RGBColor;
 class ColorCache
 {
 public:
+	///
 	ColorCache() : initialized_(false) {}
 
 	/// get the given color
 	QColor get(Color color) const;
 
+	/// change the undelying palette
+	void setPalette(QPalette const pal) { pal_ = pal; initialized_ = false; }
+
 	/// clear all colors
 	void clear() { initialized_ = false; }
 
@@ -38,9 +43,13 @@ private:
 	///
 	void init();
 	///
+	void setColor(int col, QPalette::ColorRole cr);
+	///
 	QColor lcolors_[Color_ignore + 1];
 	///
 	bool initialized_;
+	///
+	QPalette pal_;
 };
 
 ///
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
index 6047e55f57..9f5232f157 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,11 @@ frontend::Application * createApplication(int & argc, char * argv[])
 		}
 	}
 #endif
-	return new frontend::GuiApplication(argc, argv);
+	frontend::GuiApplication * guiApp = new frontend::GuiApplication(argc, argv);
+	// I'd rather do that in the constructor, but I do not think that
+	// the palette is accessible there.
+	guiApp->colorCache().setPalette(guiApp->palette());
+	return guiApp;
 }
 
 namespace frontend {
@@ -759,13 +763,6 @@ GuiApplication::~GuiApplication()
 }
 
 
-namespace {
-void setColor(ColorCode code, QPalette const & pal, QPalette::ColorRole cr)
-{
-	lcolor.setColor(code, fromqstr(pal.brush(QPalette::Active, cr).color().name()));
-}
-}
-
 GuiApplication::GuiApplication(int & argc, char ** argv)
 	: QApplication(argc, argv), current_view_(0),
 	  d(new GuiApplication::Private)
@@ -827,24 +824,6 @@ GuiApplication::GuiApplication(int & argc, char ** argv)
 	if (lyxrc.typewriter_font_name.empty())
 		lyxrc.typewriter_font_name = fromqstr(typewriterFontName());
 
-	// initialize colors
-	setColor(Color_background, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_commentbg, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_greyedoutbg, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_mathbg, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_graphicsbg, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_mathmacrobg, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-	setColor(Color_mathcorners, palette(), QPalette::Base);
-
-	setColor(Color_foreground, palette(), QPalette::Text);
-	setColor(Color_cursor, palette(), QPalette::Text);
-	setColor(Color_preview, palette(), QPalette::Text);
-	setColor(Color_tabularline, palette(), QPalette::Text);
-	setColor(Color_previewframe, palette(), QPalette::Text);
-
-	setColor(Color_selection, palette(), QPalette::Highlight);
-	setColor(Color_selectiontext, palette(), QPalette::HighlightedText);
-
 	d->general_timer_.setInterval(500);
 	connect(&d->general_timer_, SIGNAL(timeout()),
 		this, SLOT(handleRegularEvents()));
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
index 932d0c1ad6..6bd55e86e5 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiPrefs.cpp
@@ -1088,18 +1088,26 @@ PrefColors::PrefColors(GuiPreferences * form)
 		this, SLOT(changeLyxObjectsSelection()));
 	connect(lyxObjectsLW, SIGNAL(itemActivated(QListWidgetItem*)),
 		this, SLOT(changeColor()));
+	connect(syscolorsCB, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)),
+		this, SIGNAL(changed()));
 }
 
 
-void PrefColors::apply(LyXRC & /*rc*/) const
+void PrefColors::apply(LyXRC & rc) const
 {
+	LyXRC oldrc = rc;
+
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < lcolors_.size(); ++i)
 		if (curcolors_[i] != newcolors_[i])
 			form_->setColor(lcolors_[i], newcolors_[i]);
+	rc.use_system_colors = syscolorsCB->isChecked();
+
+	if (oldrc.use_system_colors != rc.use_system_colors)
+		guiApp->colorCache().clear();
 }
 
 
-void PrefColors::update(LyXRC const & /*rc*/)
+void PrefColors::update(LyXRC const & rc)
 {
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < lcolors_.size(); ++i) {
 		QColor color = QColor(guiApp->colorCache().get(lcolors_[i]));
@@ -1108,6 +1116,7 @@ void PrefColors::update(LyXRC const & /*rc*/)
 		lyxObjectsLW->item(i)->setIcon(QIcon(coloritem));
 		newcolors_[i] = curcolors_[i] = color.name();
 	}
+	syscolorsCB->setChecked(rc.use_system_colors);
 	changeLyxObjectsSelection();
 }
 
@@ -3081,6 +3090,7 @@ void GuiPreferences::applyView()
 	apply(rc());
 }
 
+
 bool GuiPreferences::initialiseParams(string const &)
 {
 	rc_ = lyxrc;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefColorsUi.ui b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefColorsUi.ui
index 10a6fe0c61..76461ed219 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefColorsUi.ui
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefColorsUi.ui
@@ -5,26 +5,18 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>199</width>
-    <height>226</height>
+    <width>231</width>
+    <height>254</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle" >
    <string/>
   </property>
   <layout class="QGridLayout" >
-   <property name="margin" >
-    <number>9</number>
-   </property>
-   <property name="spacing" >
-    <number>6</number>
-   </property>
    <item rowspan="2" row="0" column="0" >
     <widget class="QListWidget" name="lyxObjectsLW" >
      <property name="sizePolicy" >
-      <sizepolicy>
-       <hsizetype>5</hsizetype>
-       <vsizetype>7</vsizetype>
+      <sizepolicy vsizetype="Expanding" hsizetype="Preferred" >
        <horstretch>0</horstretch>
        <verstretch>0</verstretch>
       </sizepolicy>
@@ -64,6 +56,13 @@
      </property>
     </spacer>
    </item>
+   <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2" >
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="syscolorsCB" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>Use system colors</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <includes>