diff --git a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
index 01c9f6869e2571007fbb76cf00241021bb194a8c..9e946528201569fa64e176d4b726008dfc121da9 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ QColor StyleHelper::panelTextColor(bool lightColored)
 }
 
 QColor StyleHelper::m_baseColor(0x666666);
+QColor StyleHelper::m_requestedBaseColor(0x666666);
 
 QColor StyleHelper::baseColor(bool lightColored)
 {
@@ -136,8 +137,18 @@ QColor StyleHelper::borderColor(bool lightColored)
     return result;
 }
 
-void StyleHelper::setBaseColor(const QColor &color)
+// We try to ensure that the actual color used are within
+// reasonalbe bounds while generating the actual baseColor
+// from the users request.
+void StyleHelper::setBaseColor(const QColor &newcolor)
 {
+    m_requestedBaseColor = newcolor;
+
+    QColor color;
+    color.setHsv(newcolor.hue(),
+                 newcolor.saturation() * 0.7,
+                 64 + newcolor.value() / 3);
+
     if (color.isValid() && color != m_baseColor) {
         m_baseColor = color;
         foreach (QWidget *w, QApplication::topLevelWidgets())
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
index ee7a61b2a39146468ed78c866d21f673a1116ef9..9ff2d7b9c8b3a5d2d770f231419b6db7ac8df4db 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ public:
     static QPalette sidebarFontPalette(const QPalette &original);
 
     // This is our color table, all colors derive from baseColor
+    static QColor requestedBaseColor() { return m_requestedBaseColor; }
     static QColor baseColor(bool lightColored = false);
     static QColor panelTextColor(bool lightColored = false);
     static QColor highlightColor(bool lightColored = false);
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     static QColor m_baseColor;
+    static QColor m_requestedBaseColor;
 };
 
 } // namespace Utils
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
index 5679b91e9fe9f5aa2c125de97655348f6456004f..3e1d68158cbcbf41fee8445dea5d64264d98156b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public:
     void mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent *ev)
     {
         if (ev->modifiers() & Qt::ShiftModifier)
-            Utils::StyleHelper::setBaseColor(QColorDialog::getColor(Utils::StyleHelper::baseColor(), m_parent));
+            Utils::StyleHelper::setBaseColor(QColorDialog::getColor(Utils::StyleHelper::requestedBaseColor(), m_parent));
     }
 private:
     QWidget *m_parent;
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/generalsettings.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/generalsettings.cpp
index 7afec519d82acf66edbbd409bba810fc13c1a630..1e738b5d97d5db4918f2ae4a05f95fcdc8db355a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/generalsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/generalsettings.cpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ QWidget *GeneralSettings::createPage(QWidget *parent)
     QSettings* settings = Core::ICore::instance()->settings();
     Q_UNUSED(settings)
     fillLanguageBox();
-    m_page->colorButton->setColor(StyleHelper::baseColor());
+    m_page->colorButton->setColor(StyleHelper::requestedBaseColor());
     m_page->externalEditorEdit->setText(EditorManager::instance()->externalEditor());
     m_page->reloadBehavior->setCurrentIndex(EditorManager::instance()->reloadBehavior());
 #ifdef Q_OS_UNIX
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
index 8516d1588258b17a3b6c87e1d87478fc4ad8c232..7ea753bf713b661889c9a893d03ef8f185ad0c6c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1131,7 +1131,7 @@ void MainWindow::writeSettings()
     m_settings->beginGroup(QLatin1String(settingsGroup));
 
     if (!(m_overrideColor.isValid() && Utils::StyleHelper::baseColor() == m_overrideColor))
-        m_settings->setValue(QLatin1String(colorKey), Utils::StyleHelper::baseColor());
+        m_settings->setValue(QLatin1String(colorKey), Utils::StyleHelper::requestedBaseColor());
 
     if (windowState() & (Qt::WindowMaximized | Qt::WindowFullScreen)) {
         m_settings->setValue(QLatin1String(maxKey), (bool) (windowState() & Qt::WindowMaximized));