diff --git a/src/AnsiUtils.ps1 b/src/AnsiUtils.ps1
index ce1877a05..2c87f036e 100644
--- a/src/AnsiUtils.ps1
+++ b/src/AnsiUtils.ps1
@@ -20,7 +20,30 @@ $ConsoleColorToAnsi = @(
 $AnsiDefaultColor = 39
 $AnsiEscape = [char]27 + "["
 
+[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('System.Drawing') > $null
+$ColorTranslatorType = 'System.Drawing.ColorTranslator' -as [Type]
+$ColorType = 'System.Drawing.Color' -as [Type]
+
 function Get-VirtualTerminalSequence ($color, [int]$offset = 0) {
+    if ($color -is [byte]) {
+        return "${AnsiEscape}$(38 + $offset);5;${color}m"
+    }
+    if ($color -is [String]) {
+        try {
+            if ($ColorTranslatorType) {
+                $color = $ColorTranslatorType::FromHtml($color)
+            }
+            else {
+                $color = [ConsoleColor]$color
+            }
+        }
+        catch {
+            Write-Debug $_
+        }
+    }
+    if ($ColorType -and ($color -is $ColorType)) {
+        return "${AnsiEscape}$(38 + $offset);2;$($color.R);$($color.G);$($color.B)m"
+    }
     if (($color -is [ConsoleColor]) -and ($color -ge 0) -and ($color -le 15)) {
         return "${AnsiEscape}$($ConsoleColorToAnsi[$color] + $offset)m"
     }
diff --git a/src/GitPrompt.ps1 b/src/GitPrompt.ps1
index f820be79b..658dd2509 100644
--- a/src/GitPrompt.ps1
+++ b/src/GitPrompt.ps1
@@ -2,19 +2,19 @@
 # http://www.markembling.info/view/my-ideal-powershell-prompt-with-git-integration
 
 $global:GitPromptSettings = [pscustomobject]@{
-    DefaultForegroundColor                      = $Host.UI.RawUI.ForegroundColor
+    DefaultForegroundColor                      = $null
 
     BeforeText                                  = ' ['
     BeforeForegroundColor                       = [ConsoleColor]::Yellow
-    BeforeBackgroundColor                       = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BeforeBackgroundColor                       = $null
 
     DelimText                                   = ' |'
     DelimForegroundColor                        = [ConsoleColor]::Yellow
-    DelimBackgroundColor                        = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    DelimBackgroundColor                        = $null
 
     AfterText                                   = ']'
     AfterForegroundColor                        = [ConsoleColor]::Yellow
-    AfterBackgroundColor                        = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    AfterBackgroundColor                        = $null
 
     FileAddedText                               = '+'
     FileModifiedText                            = '~'
@@ -24,62 +24,62 @@ $global:GitPromptSettings = [pscustomobject]@{
     LocalDefaultStatusSymbol                    = $null
     LocalDefaultStatusForegroundColor           = [ConsoleColor]::DarkGreen
     LocalDefaultStatusForegroundBrightColor     = [ConsoleColor]::Green
-    LocalDefaultStatusBackgroundColor           = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    LocalDefaultStatusBackgroundColor           = $null
 
     LocalWorkingStatusSymbol                    = '!'
     LocalWorkingStatusForegroundColor           = [ConsoleColor]::DarkRed
     LocalWorkingStatusForegroundBrightColor     = [ConsoleColor]::Red
-    LocalWorkingStatusBackgroundColor           = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    LocalWorkingStatusBackgroundColor           = $null
 
     LocalStagedStatusSymbol                     = '~'
     LocalStagedStatusForegroundColor            = [ConsoleColor]::Cyan
-    LocalStagedStatusBackgroundColor            = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    LocalStagedStatusBackgroundColor            = $null
 
     BranchUntrackedSymbol                       = $null
     BranchForegroundColor                       = [ConsoleColor]::Cyan
-    BranchBackgroundColor                       = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchBackgroundColor                       = $null
 
     BranchGoneStatusSymbol                      = [char]0x00D7 # × Multiplication sign
     BranchGoneStatusForegroundColor             = [ConsoleColor]::DarkCyan
-    BranchGoneStatusBackgroundColor             = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchGoneStatusBackgroundColor             = $null
 
     BranchIdenticalStatusToSymbol               = [char]0x2261 # ≡ Three horizontal lines
     BranchIdenticalStatusToForegroundColor      = [ConsoleColor]::Cyan
-    BranchIdenticalStatusToBackgroundColor      = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchIdenticalStatusToBackgroundColor      = $null
 
     BranchAheadStatusSymbol                     = [char]0x2191 # ↑ Up arrow
     BranchAheadStatusForegroundColor            = [ConsoleColor]::Green
-    BranchAheadStatusBackgroundColor            = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchAheadStatusBackgroundColor            = $null
 
     BranchBehindStatusSymbol                    = [char]0x2193 # ↓ Down arrow
     BranchBehindStatusForegroundColor           = [ConsoleColor]::Red
-    BranchBehindStatusBackgroundColor           = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchBehindStatusBackgroundColor           = $null
 
     BranchBehindAndAheadStatusSymbol            = [char]0x2195 # ↕ Up & Down arrow
     BranchBehindAndAheadStatusForegroundColor   = [ConsoleColor]::Yellow
-    BranchBehindAndAheadStatusBackgroundColor   = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BranchBehindAndAheadStatusBackgroundColor   = $null
 
     BeforeIndexText                             = ""
     BeforeIndexForegroundColor                  = [ConsoleColor]::DarkGreen
     BeforeIndexForegroundBrightColor            = [ConsoleColor]::Green
-    BeforeIndexBackgroundColor                  = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BeforeIndexBackgroundColor                  = $null
 
     IndexForegroundColor                        = [ConsoleColor]::DarkGreen
     IndexForegroundBrightColor                  = [ConsoleColor]::Green
-    IndexBackgroundColor                        = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    IndexBackgroundColor                        = $null
 
     WorkingForegroundColor                      = [ConsoleColor]::DarkRed
     WorkingForegroundBrightColor                = [ConsoleColor]::Red
-    WorkingBackgroundColor                      = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    WorkingBackgroundColor                      = $null
 
     EnableStashStatus                           = $false
     BeforeStashText                             = ' ('
-    BeforeStashBackgroundColor                  = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    BeforeStashBackgroundColor                  = $null
     BeforeStashForegroundColor                  = [ConsoleColor]::Red
     AfterStashText                              = ')'
-    AfterStashBackgroundColor                   = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    AfterStashBackgroundColor                   = $null
     AfterStashForegroundColor                   = [ConsoleColor]::Red
-    StashBackgroundColor                        = $Host.UI.RawUI.BackgroundColor
+    StashBackgroundColor                        = $null
     StashForegroundColor                        = [ConsoleColor]::Red
 
     ShowStatusWhenZero                          = $true
@@ -133,13 +133,18 @@ function Write-Prompt {
     param(
         [parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
         $Object,
-        [parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
-        $ForegroundColor,
+        [parameter()]
+        $ForegroundColor = $null,
         [parameter()]
         $BackgroundColor = $null,
         [parameter(ValueFromPipeline = $true)]
         [Text.StringBuilder]
         $Builder)
+    $s = $global:GitPromptSettings
+    if ($s -and !$ForegroundColor) {
+        $ForegroundColor = $s.DefaultForegroundColor
+    }
+
     if ($GitPromptSettings.AnsiConsole) {
         $e = [char]27 + "["
         $f = Get-ForegroundVirtualTerminalSequence $ForegroundColor
@@ -149,11 +154,17 @@ function Write-Prompt {
         }
         return "${f}${b}${Object}${e}0m"
     }
-    if ($BackgroundColor -lt 0) {
-        Write-Host $Object -NoNewLine -ForegroundColor $ForegroundColor
-    } else {
-        Write-Host $Object -NoNewLine -ForegroundColor $ForegroundColor -BackgroundColor $BackgroundColor
+    $writeHostParams = @{
+        Object = $Object;
+        NoNewLine = $true;
+    }
+    if (($BackgroundColor -ge 0) -and ($BackgroundColor -le 15)) {
+        $writeHostParams.BackgroundColor = $BackgroundColor
+    }
+    if (($ForegroundColor -ge 0) -and ($ForegroundColor -le 15)) {
+        $writeHostParams.ForegroundColor = $ForegroundColor
     }
+    Write-Host @writeHostParams
     if ($Builder) {
         return $Builder
     }
diff --git a/src/posh-git.psm1 b/src/posh-git.psm1
index d0f23b130..5d0b91926 100644
--- a/src/posh-git.psm1
+++ b/src/posh-git.psm1
@@ -78,11 +78,11 @@ if ($ForcePoshGitPrompt -or !$currentPromptDef -or ($currentPromptDef -eq $defau
         $defaultPromptPrefix = [string]$GitPromptSettings.DefaultPromptPrefix
         if ($defaultPromptPrefix) {
             $expandedDefaultPromptPrefix = $ExecutionContext.SessionState.InvokeCommand.ExpandString($defaultPromptPrefix)
-            $res += Write-Prompt $expandedDefaultPromptPrefix -ForegroundColor $GitPromptSettings.DefaultForegroundColor
+            $res += Write-Prompt $expandedDefaultPromptPrefix
         }
 
         # Write the abbreviated current path
-        $res += Write-Prompt $currentPath -ForegroundColor $GitPromptSettings.DefaultForegroundColor
+        $res += Write-Prompt $currentPath
 
         # Write the Git status summary information
         $res += Write-VcsStatus
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ if ($ForcePoshGitPrompt -or !$currentPromptDef -or ($currentPromptDef -eq $defau
         if ($GitPromptSettings.DefaultPromptEnableTiming) {
             $sw.Stop()
             $elapsed = $sw.ElapsedMilliseconds
-            $res += Write-Prompt " ${elapsed}ms" -ForegroundColor $GitPromptSettings.DefaultForegroundColor
+            $res += Write-Prompt " ${elapsed}ms"
         }
 
         $global:LASTEXITCODE = $origLastExitCode