diff --git a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
index 4c91cc00a6..32527a7d76 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ThemeManager.cpp
@@ -476,15 +476,23 @@ bool ThemeManager::GetMetricB( CString sClassName, CString sValueName )
 
 RageColor ThemeManager::GetMetricC( CString sClassName, CString sValueName )
 {
-	float r=1,b=1,g=1,a=1;	// initialize in case sscanf fails
+	float r=1,b=1,g=1,a=1;
 	CString sValue = GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName);
 	int result = sscanf( GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName), "%f,%f,%f,%f", &r, &g, &b, &a );
-	if( result != 4 )
-	{
-		LOG->Warn( "The color value '%s' for NoteSkin metric '%s : %s' is invalid.", GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName).c_str(), sClassName.c_str(), sValueName.c_str() );
-	}
+	if( result == 4 )
+		return RageColor(r,g,b,a);
 
-	return RageColor(r,g,b,a);
+	int ir=255,ib=255,ig=255,ia=255;
+	result = sscanf( GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName), "#%2x%2x%2x%2x", &ir, &ig, &ib, &ia );
+	if( result == 4 )
+		return RageColor(ir / 255.0f, ig / 255.0f, ib / 255.0f, ia / 255.0f);
+
+	result = sscanf( GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName), "#%2x%2x%2x", &ir, &ig, &ib );
+	if( result == 3 )
+		return RageColor(ir / 255.0f, ig / 255.0f, ib / 255.0f, 1);
+
+	LOG->Warn( "The color value '%s' for NoteSkin metric '%s : %s' is invalid.", GetMetricRaw(sClassName,sValueName).c_str(), sClassName.c_str(), sValueName.c_str() );
+	return RageColor(1,1,1,1);
 }
 
 void ThemeManager::NextTheme()