diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/ChangeLog b/src/frontends/qt2/ChangeLog
index 0ce7139e2f..3dbb4bac2c 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2003-05-24  John Levon  <levon@movementarian.org>
+
+	* Makefile.am:
+	* lcolorcache.h:
+	* lcolorcache.C: add LColor::color -> QColor cache
+
+	* QLPainter.C:
+	* QPrefs.C:
+	* QWorkArea.C:
+	* lyx_gui.C: use it
+
 2003-05-22  Angus Leeming  <leeming@lyx.org>
 
 	compile fixes.
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/Makefile.am b/src/frontends/qt2/Makefile.am
index ad56368790..c8014104c7 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/Makefile.am
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ libqt2_la_SOURCES = \
 	QtLyXView.h \
 	WorkAreaFactory.C \
 	lyx_gui.C \
+	lcolorcache.h lcolorcache.C \
 	panelstack.h panelstack.C \
 	qcoloritem.h qcoloritem.C \
 	qfontexample.h qfontexample.C \
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/QLPainter.C b/src/frontends/qt2/QLPainter.C
index 14b1ec9720..54fa7fb6bc 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/QLPainter.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/QLPainter.C
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "QLPainter.h"
 #include "QLImage.h"
 #include "qt_helpers.h"
+#include "lcolorcache.h"
 
 #include <boost/scoped_array.hpp>
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ QPainter & QLPainter::setPen(LColor::color c,
 {
 	QPen pen = qp_->pen();
 
-	pen.setColor(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(c)));
+	pen.setColor(lcolorcache.get(c));
 
 	switch (ls) {
 		case line_solid: pen.setStyle(QPen::SolidLine); break;
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ Painter & QLPainter::fillRectangle(int x, int y,
 	int w, int h,
 	LColor::color col)
 {
-	qp_->fillRect(x, y, w, h, QColor(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(col))));
+	qp_->fillRect(x, y, w, h, lcolorcache.get(col));
 	return *this;
 }
 
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ Painter & QLPainter::fillPolygon(int const * xp, int const * yp,
 	}
 
 	setPen(col);
-	qp_->setBrush(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(col)));
+	qp_->setBrush(lcolorcache.get(col));
 	qp_->drawPolygon(QPointArray(np, points.get()));
 	qp_->setBrush(Qt::NoBrush);
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C b/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
index a4faff8e5e..6832c844fc 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "frnt_lang.h"
 #include "helper_funcs.h"
 #include "qt_helpers.h"
+#include "lcolorcache.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 
 #include <boost/tuple/tuple.hpp>
@@ -296,7 +297,7 @@ void QPrefs::apply()
 		QColorItem * ci(static_cast<QColorItem*>(ib));
 
 		LColor::color const col(dialog_->colors_[i]);
-		QColor const qcol(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(col)));
+		QColor const & qcol(lcolorcache.get(col));
 
 		// FIXME: dubious, but it's what xforms does
 		if (qcol != ci->color()) {
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/QWorkArea.C b/src/frontends/qt2/QWorkArea.C
index cf6d6b311f..b5971a214a 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/QWorkArea.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/QWorkArea.C
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "QWorkArea.h"
 #include "qt_helpers.h"
+#include "lcolorcache.h"
 
 #include <qapplication.h>
 #include <qevent.h>
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ QWorkArea::QWorkArea(int, int, int, int)
 
 	content_->show();
 
-	content_->setBackgroundColor(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(LColor::background)));
+	content_->setBackgroundColor(lcolorcache.get(LColor::background));
 
 	QHBoxLayout * vl = new QHBoxLayout(this);
 	vl->addWidget(content_, 5);
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.C b/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7e4349e06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.C
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/**
+ * \file lcolorcache.C
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author John Levon
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS
+ */
+
+#include "lcolorcache.h"
+
+LColorCache lcolorcache;
+
+
+LColorCache::LColorCache()
+{
+}
+
+
+QColor const & LColorCache::get(LColor::color col) const
+{
+	lcolor_map::const_iterator cit = colormap.find(col);
+	if (cit != colormap.end())
+		return cit->second;
+
+	QColor const qcol(lcolor.getX11Name(col).c_str());
+	colormap[col] = qcol;
+	return colormap[col];
+}
+
+
+void LColorCache::clear()
+{
+	colormap.clear();
+}
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.h b/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a4d8730267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/lcolorcache.h
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// -*- C++ -*-
+/**
+ * \file lcolorcache.h
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author John Levon
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS
+ */
+
+#ifndef LCOLORCACHE_H
+#define LCOLORCACHE_H
+
+#include <map>
+
+#include "LColor.h"
+
+#include <qcolor.h>
+
+// FIXME: use a fixed-size array not a map ?
+
+/**
+ * Cache from LColor to QColor.
+ */
+class LColorCache {
+public:
+	LColorCache();
+
+	/// get the given color
+	QColor const & get(LColor::color color) const;
+
+	/// clear all colors
+	void clear();
+
+private:
+	typedef std::map<LColor::color, QColor> lcolor_map;
+
+	mutable lcolor_map colormap;
+};
+
+/// singleton instance
+extern LColorCache lcolorcache;
+
+#endif // LCOLORCACHE_H
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/lyx_gui.C b/src/frontends/qt2/lyx_gui.C
index 4a754dea7b..870ae4c66c 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/lyx_gui.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/lyx_gui.C
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "QLImage.h"
 #include "qfont_loader.h"
 #include "io_callback.h"
+#include "lcolorcache.h"
 
 #include <qapplication.h>
 #include <qwidget.h>
@@ -208,14 +209,14 @@ FuncStatus getStatus(FuncRequest const & ev)
 
 string const hexname(LColor::color col)
 {
-	QColor color(toqstr(lcolor.getX11Name(col)));
-	return ltrim(fromqstr(color.name()), "#");
+	return ltrim(fromqstr(lcolorcache.get(col).name()), "#");
 }
 
 
 void update_color(LColor::color)
 {
-	// no need
+	// FIXME: Bleh, can't we just clear them all at once ?
+	lcolorcache.clear();
 }