diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/GuiWorkArea.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/GuiWorkArea.cpp
index cc1fdb51c0..ae693328b7 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/GuiWorkArea.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/GuiWorkArea.cpp
@@ -2115,7 +2115,8 @@ GuiWorkAreaContainer::GuiWorkAreaContainer(GuiWorkArea * wa, QWidget * parent)
 	        this, SLOT(updateDisplay()));
 	connect(reloadPB, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(reload()));
 	connect(ignorePB, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(ignore()));
-	setMessageColour({notificationFrame}, {reloadPB, ignorePB});
+	setMessageColour({notificationFrame, externalModificationLabel},
+	                 {reloadPB, ignorePB});
 	updateDisplay();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/qt_helpers.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/qt_helpers.cpp
index 97f316ab6d..6cd8e0185c 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/qt_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/qt_helpers.cpp
@@ -264,6 +264,8 @@ void setMessageColour(list<QWidget *> highlighted, list<QWidget *> plain)
 	QPalette pal = QApplication::palette();
 	QPalette newpal(pal.color(QPalette::Active, QPalette::HighlightedText),
 	                pal.color(QPalette::Active, QPalette::Highlight));
+	newpal.setColor(QPalette::WindowText,
+	                pal.color(QPalette::Active, QPalette::HighlightedText));
 	for (QWidget * w : highlighted)
 		w->setPalette(newpal);
 	for (QWidget * w : plain)