diff --git a/src/gtkgui.glade b/src/gtkgui.glade
index f8153cc41..821d74ee5 100644
--- a/src/gtkgui.glade
+++ b/src/gtkgui.glade
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   <signal name="delete_event" handler="on_roster_window_delete_event" last_modification_time="Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:34:59 GMT"/>
   <signal name="focus_in_event" handler="on_roster_window_focus_in_event" last_modification_time="Sun, 04 Sep 2005 16:33:35 GMT"/>
   <signal name="key_press_event" handler="on_roster_window_key_press_event" last_modification_time="Tue, 20 Sep 2005 19:26:27 GMT"/>
+  <signal name="focus_out_event" handler="on_roster_window_focus_out_event" last_modification_time="Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:01:01 GMT"/>
 
   <child>
     <widget class="GtkVBox" id="roster_vbox">
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@
 	      <signal name="motion_notify_event" handler="on_roster_treeview_motion_notify_event" last_modification_time="Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:38:58 GMT"/>
 	      <signal name="leave_notify_event" handler="on_roster_treeview_leave_notify_event" last_modification_time="Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:39:06 GMT"/>
 	      <signal name="scroll_event" handler="on_roster_treeview_scroll_event" last_modification_time="Fri, 08 Jul 2005 22:09:03 GMT"/>
+	      <signal name="style_set" handler="on_roster_treeview_style_set" last_modification_time="Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:03:30 GMT"/>
 	    </widget>
 	  </child>
 	</widget>
diff --git a/src/gtkgui_helpers.py b/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
index 11c8e5ded..e3e04549d 100644
--- a/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
+++ b/src/gtkgui_helpers.py
@@ -384,20 +384,25 @@ def file_is_locked(path_to_file):
 		hfile.Close()
 		return False
 
-def _get_fade_color(treeview, selected):
-	'''get a gdk color that is halfway between foreground and background
-	colors of the cell for the given treeview'''
+def _get_fade_color(treeview, selected, focused):
+	'''get a gdk color that is between foreground and background in 0.3
+	0.7 respectively colors of the cell for the given treeview'''
 	style = treeview.style
 	if selected:
-		state = gtk.STATE_SELECTED
+		if focused: # is the window focused?
+			state = gtk.STATE_SELECTED
+		else: # is it not? NOTE: many gtk themes change bg on this
+			state = gtk.STATE_ACTIVE
 	else:
 		state = gtk.STATE_NORMAL
 	bg = style.base[state]
 	fg = style.text[state]
 
-	return gtk.gdk.Color((bg.red + fg.red)/2,
-				(bg.green + fg.green)/2,
-				(bg.blue + fg.blue)/2)
+	p = 0.3 # background
+	q = 0.7 # foreground # p + q should do 1.0
+	return gtk.gdk.Color(int(bg.red*p + fg.red*q),
+			      int(bg.green*p + fg.green*q),
+			      int(bg.blue*p + fg.blue*q))
 
 def get_scaled_pixbuf(pixbuf, type):
 	'''returns scaled pixbuf, keeping ratio etc
diff --git a/src/roster_window.py b/src/roster_window.py
index 79c9228af..aa2fc712c 100644
--- a/src/roster_window.py
+++ b/src/roster_window.py
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class RosterWindow:
 			return self.transports_state_images[transport]
 		return self.jabber_state_images
 
-	def draw_contact(self, jid, account, selected=False):
+	def draw_contact(self, jid, account, selected=False, focus=False):
 		'''draw the correct state image and name'''
 		model = self.tree.get_model()
 		iters = self.get_contact_iter(jid, account)
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ class RosterWindow:
 			status = contact.status.strip()
 			if status != '':
 				# escape markup entities and make them small italic and fg color
-				color = gtkgui_helpers._get_fade_color(self.tree, selected)
+				color = gtkgui_helpers._get_fade_color(self.tree, selected, focus)
 				colorstring = "#%04x%04x%04x" % (color.red, color.green, color.blue)
 				name += '\n<span size="small" style="italic" foreground="%s">%s</span>'\
 					% (colorstring, gtkgui_helpers.escape_for_pango_markup(status))
@@ -1751,12 +1751,29 @@ _('If "%s" accepts this request you will know his status.') %jid)
 		return True # do NOT destory the window
 
 	def on_roster_window_focus_in_event(self, widget, event):
-		'''roster received focus, so if we had urgency REMOVE IT
-		NOTE: we do not have to read the message to remove urgency
-		so this functions does that'''
+		# roster received focus, so if we had urgency REMOVE IT
+		# NOTE: we do not have to read the message to remove urgency
+		# so this functions does that
 		if gtk.gtk_version >= (2, 8, 0) and gtk.pygtk_version >= (2, 8, 0):
 			if widget.props.urgency_hint:
 				widget.props.urgency_hint = False
+		
+		# if a contact row is selected, update colors (eg. for status msg)
+		# because gtk engines may differ in bg when window is selected
+		# or not
+		if self._last_selected_contact is not None:
+			jid, account = self._last_selected_contact
+			self.draw_contact(jid, account, selected = True,
+					   focus = True)
+
+	def on_roster_window_focus_out_event(self, widget, event):
+		# if a contact row is selected, update colors (eg. for status msg)
+		# because gtk engines may differ in bg when window is selected
+		# or not
+		if self._last_selected_contact is not None:
+			jid, account = self._last_selected_contact
+			self.draw_contact(jid, account, selected = True,
+					   focus = False)
 
 	def on_roster_window_key_press_event(self, widget, event):
 		if event.keyval == gtk.keysyms.Escape:
@@ -2378,7 +2395,7 @@ _('If "%s" accepts this request you will know his status.') %jid)
 				group_iter = model.iter_next(group_iter)
 			account_iter = model.iter_next(account_iter)
 
-	def _on_treeview_style_set(self, treeview, style):
+	def on_roster_treeview_style_set(self, treeview, style):
 		'''When style (theme) changes, redraw all contacts'''
 		for contact in self.iter_contact_rows():
 			self.draw_contact(contact[C_JID], contact[C_ACCOUNT])
@@ -2404,7 +2421,7 @@ _('If "%s" accepts this request you will know his status.') %jid)
 		self.tree = self.xml.get_widget('roster_treeview')
 		self.tree.get_selection().connect('changed',
 			self._on_treeview_selection_changed)
-		self.tree.connect('style-set', self._on_treeview_style_set)
+		
 		self._last_selected_contact = None # None or holds jid, account tupple
 		self.nb_unread = 0
 		self.last_save_dir = None