diff --git a/static/js/ace2_inner.js b/static/js/ace2_inner.js
index 977c5cdff..31d4dac94 100644
--- a/static/js/ace2_inner.js
+++ b/static/js/ace2_inner.js
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ function OUTER(gscope)
           }
           
           // Text color
-          var txtcolor = (colorutils.luminosity(colorutils.css2triple(bgcolor)) < 0.45) ? '#ffffff' : '#000000';
+          var txtcolor = (colorutils.luminosity(colorutils.css2triple(bgcolor)) < 0.5) ? '#ffffff' : '#000000';
           
           var authorStyle = dynamicCSS.selectorStyle(getAuthorColorClassSelector(
           getAuthorClassName(author)));
diff --git a/static/js/broadcast.js b/static/js/broadcast.js
index 2aa0b5d06..020f47e7c 100644
--- a/static/js/broadcast.js
+++ b/static/js/broadcast.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var domline = require('/domline_client').domline;
 var Changeset = require('/easysync2_client').Changeset;
 var AttribPool = require('/easysync2_client').AttribPool;
 var linestylefilter = require('/linestylefilter_client').linestylefilter;
+var colorutils = require('/colorutils').colorutils;
 
 // These parameters were global, now they are injected. A reference to the
 // Timeslider controller would probably be more appropriate.
@@ -757,7 +758,9 @@ function loadBroadcastJS(socket, sendSocketMsg, fireWhenAllScriptsAreLoaded, Bro
       var bgcolor = typeof data.colorId == "number" ? clientVars.colorPalette[data.colorId] : data.colorId;
       if (bgcolor && dynamicCSS)
       {
-        dynamicCSS.selectorStyle('.' + linestylefilter.getAuthorClassName(author)).backgroundColor = bgcolor;
+        var selector = dynamicCSS.selectorStyle('.' + linestylefilter.getAuthorClassName(author));
+        selector.backgroundColor = bgcolor
+        selector.color = (colorutils.luminosity(colorutils.css2triple(bgcolor)) < 0.5) ? '#ffffff' : '#000000'; //see ace2_inner.js for the other part
       }
       authorData[author] = data;
     }
diff --git a/static/js/chat.js b/static/js/chat.js
index e094f93df..9f0903cf5 100644
--- a/static/js/chat.js
+++ b/static/js/chat.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ var chat = (function()
 
       var authorName = msg.userName == null ? "unnamed" : padutils.escapeHtml(msg.userName); 
       
-      var html = "<p class='" + authorClass + "'><b>" + authorName + ":</b><span class='time'>" + timeStr + "</span> " + text + "</p>";
+      var html = "<p class='" + authorClass + "'><b>" + authorName + ":</b><span class='time " + authorClass + "'>" + timeStr + "</span> " + text + "</p>";
       $("#chattext").append(html);
       
       //should we increment the counter??