diff --git a/kitty/cell_vertex.glsl b/kitty/cell_vertex.glsl
index 12236b1b6..ef92a25fa 100644
--- a/kitty/cell_vertex.glsl
+++ b/kitty/cell_vertex.glsl
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ uniform uvec2 dimensions;  // xnum, ynum
 uniform vec4 steps;  // xstart, ystart, dx, dy
 uniform vec2 sprite_layout;  // dx, dy
 uniform ivec2 color_indices;  // which color to use as fg and which as bg
+uniform uvec2 default_colors; // The default foreground and background colors
+uniform uint color_table[256]; // The color table
 in uvec3 sprite_coords;
 in uvec3 colors;
 out vec3 sprite_pos;
@@ -18,11 +20,12 @@ const uvec2 pos_map[] = uvec2[4](
     uvec2(0, 0)   // left, top
 );
 
-const uint BYTE_MASK = uint(255);
+const uint BYTE_MASK = uint(0xFF);
+const uint SHORT_MASK = uint(0xFFFF);
 const uint ZERO = uint(0);
 const uint SMASK = uint(3);
 
-vec3 to_color(uint c) {
+vec3 color_to_vec(uint c) {
     uint r, g, b;
     r = (c >> 16) & BYTE_MASK;
     g = (c >> 8) & BYTE_MASK;
@@ -30,6 +33,22 @@ vec3 to_color(uint c) {
     return vec3(float(r) / 255.0, float(g) / 255.0, float(b) / 255.0);
 }
 
+vec3 to_color(uint c, uint defval) {
+    int t = int(c & BYTE_MASK);
+    uint r;
+    switch(t) {
+        case 1:
+            r = color_table[(c >> 8) & BYTE_MASK];
+            break;
+        case 2:
+            r = c >> 8;
+            break;
+        default:
+            r = defval;
+    }
+    return color_to_vec(r);
+}
+
 vec3 to_sprite_pos(uvec2 pos, uint x, uint y, uint z) {
     vec2 s_xpos = vec2(x, float(x) + 1.0) * sprite_layout.x;
     vec2 s_ypos = vec2(y, float(y) + 1.0) * sprite_layout.y;
@@ -47,13 +66,13 @@ void main() {
     uvec2 pos = pos_map[gl_VertexID];
     gl_Position = vec4(xpos[pos.x], ypos[pos.y], 0, 1);
 
-    sprite_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, sprite_coords.x, sprite_coords.y, sprite_coords.z);
+    sprite_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, sprite_coords.x, sprite_coords.y, sprite_coords.z & SHORT_MASK);
     uint fg = colors[color_indices[0]];
     uint bg = colors[color_indices[1]];
     uint decoration = colors[2];
-    foreground = to_color(fg);
-    background = to_color(bg);
-    decoration_fg = to_color(decoration);
-    underline_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, (decoration >> 24) & SMASK, ZERO, ZERO);
-    strike_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, (decoration >> 26) & SMASK, ZERO, ZERO);
+    foreground = to_color(fg, default_colors[0]);
+    background = to_color(bg, default_colors[1]);
+    decoration_fg = to_color(decoration, default_colors[0]);
+    underline_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, (sprite_coords.z >> 24) & SMASK, ZERO, ZERO);
+    strike_pos = to_sprite_pos(pos, (sprite_coords.z >> 26) & SMASK, ZERO, ZERO);
 }
diff --git a/kitty/char_grid.py b/kitty/char_grid.py
index be738aad1..0ed923876 100644
--- a/kitty/char_grid.py
+++ b/kitty/char_grid.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from .fast_data_types import (
     CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_UNDERLINE, DATA_CELL_SIZE, GL_BLEND,
     GL_LINE_LOOP, GL_TRIANGLE_FAN, GL_UNSIGNED_INT, glDisable, glDrawArrays,
     glDrawArraysInstanced, glEnable, glUniform1i, glUniform2f, glUniform2i,
-    glUniform2ui, glUniform4f
+    glUniform2ui, glUniform4f, glUniform1uiv
 )
 from .rgb import to_color
 from .shaders import ShaderProgram, load_shaders
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ def calculate_gl_geometry(window_geometry):
 def render_cells(vao_id, sg, cell_program, sprites, color_profile, invert_colors=False):
     ul = cell_program.uniform_location
     glUniform2ui(ul('dimensions'), sg.xnum, sg.ynum)
+    glUniform2ui(ul('default_colors'), color_profile.default_fg, color_profile.default_bg)
+    glUniform1uiv(ul('color_table'), 256, color_profile.color_table_address())
     glUniform2i(ul('color_indices'), 1 if invert_colors else 0, 0 if invert_colors else 1)
     glUniform4f(ul('steps'), sg.xstart, sg.ystart, sg.dx, sg.dy)
     glUniform1i(ul('sprites'), sprites.sampler_num)
@@ -200,7 +202,6 @@ class CharGrid:
             dirtied = True
             setattr(self.screen.color_profile, which.name, val)
         if dirtied:
-            self.screen.color_profile.dirty = True
             self.screen.mark_as_dirty()
 
     def scroll(self, amt, upwards=True):
diff --git a/kitty/data-types.h b/kitty/data-types.h
index 378cd7bf7..dd62615c0 100644
--- a/kitty/data-types.h
+++ b/kitty/data-types.h
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ void cursor_reset(Cursor*);
 Cursor* cursor_copy(Cursor*);
 void cursor_copy_to(Cursor *src, Cursor *dest);
 void cursor_reset_display_attrs(Cursor*);
-bool update_cell_range_data(ScreenModes *modes, SpriteMap *, Line *, unsigned int, unsigned int, ColorProfile *, unsigned int *);
+bool update_cell_range_data(ScreenModes *modes, SpriteMap *, Line *, unsigned int, unsigned int, unsigned int *);
 
 PyObject* line_text_at(char_type, combining_type);
 void line_clear_text(Line *self, unsigned int at, unsigned int num, int ch);
diff --git a/kitty/gl.h b/kitty/gl.h
index 7bc44d6eb..918bdbf5d 100644
--- a/kitty/gl.h
+++ b/kitty/gl.h
@@ -84,6 +84,18 @@ Uniform2ui(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
+static PyObject* 
+Uniform1uiv(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int location;
+    unsigned int count;
+    PyObject *value;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "iIO", &location, &count, &value)) return NULL;
+    glUniform1uiv(location, count, (GLuint*)PyLong_AsVoidPtr(value));
+    CHECK_ERROR;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
+}
+
+
 static PyObject* 
 Uniform2i(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int location;
@@ -772,6 +784,7 @@ int add_module_gl_constants(PyObject *module) {
     METH(GetProgramiv, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(GetShaderiv, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(Uniform2ui, METH_VARARGS) \
+    METH(Uniform1uiv, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(Uniform2i, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(Uniform1i, METH_VARARGS) \
     METH(Uniform2f, METH_VARARGS) \
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 61f401513..fbd100a42 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -1176,7 +1176,7 @@ screen_update_cell_data(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
     PyObject *cursor_changed = self->change_tracker->cursor_changed ? Py_True : Py_False;
     unsigned int history_line_added_count = self->change_tracker->history_line_added_count;
 
-    if (!tracker_update_cell_data(&(self->modes), self->change_tracker, self->linebuf, spm, self->color_profile, data, (bool)force_screen_refresh)) return NULL;
+    if (!tracker_update_cell_data(&(self->modes), self->change_tracker, self->linebuf, spm, data, (bool)force_screen_refresh)) return NULL;
     return Py_BuildValue("OI", cursor_changed, history_line_added_count);
 }
 
@@ -1194,7 +1194,7 @@ set_scroll_cell_data(Screen *self, PyObject *args) {
     for (index_type y = 0; y < MIN(self->lines, scrolled_by); y++) {
         historybuf_init_line(self->historybuf, scrolled_by - 1 - y, self->historybuf->line);
         self->historybuf->line->ynum = y;
-        if (!update_cell_range_data(&(self->modes), spm, self->historybuf->line, 0, self->columns - 1, self->color_profile, data)) return NULL;
+        if (!update_cell_range_data(&(self->modes), spm, self->historybuf->line, 0, self->columns - 1, data)) return NULL;
     }
     if (scrolled_by < self->lines) {
         // Less than a full screen has been scrolled, copy some lines from the screen buffer to the scroll buffer
diff --git a/kitty/sprites.c b/kitty/sprites.c
index 119740a79..bf7bbf27f 100644
--- a/kitty/sprites.c
+++ b/kitty/sprites.c
@@ -139,14 +139,12 @@ position_for(SpriteMap *self, PyObject *args) {
 }
 
 bool
-update_cell_range_data(ScreenModes *modes, SpriteMap *self, Line *line, unsigned int xstart, unsigned int xmax, ColorProfile *color_profile, unsigned int *data) {
+update_cell_range_data(ScreenModes *modes, SpriteMap *self, Line *line, unsigned int xstart, unsigned int xmax, unsigned int *data) {
     SpritePosition *sp;
     char_type previous_ch=0, ch;
     uint8_t previous_width = 0;
     int err = 0;
     const bool screen_reversed = modes->mDECSCNM;
-    color_type fg = colorprofile_to_color(color_profile, color_profile->overridden.default_fg, color_profile->configured.default_fg);
-    color_type bg = colorprofile_to_color(color_profile, color_profile->overridden.default_bg, color_profile->configured.default_bg);
 
     size_t base = line->ynum * line->xnum * DATA_CELL_SIZE;
     for (size_t i = xstart, offset = base + xstart * DATA_CELL_SIZE; i <= xmax; i++, offset += DATA_CELL_SIZE) {
@@ -160,11 +158,10 @@ update_cell_range_data(ScreenModes *modes, SpriteMap *self, Line *line, unsigned
         bool reverse = ((attrs >> REVERSE_SHIFT) & 1) ^ screen_reversed;
         data[offset] = sp->x;
         data[offset+1] = sp->y;
-        data[offset+2] = sp->z;
-        data[offset+(reverse ? 4 : 3)] = colorprofile_to_color(color_profile, line->cells[i].fg & COL_MASK, fg);
-        data[offset+(reverse ? 3 : 4)] = colorprofile_to_color(color_profile, line->cells[i].bg & COL_MASK, bg);
-        unsigned int decoration_fg = colorprofile_to_color(color_profile, line->cells[i].decoration_fg & COL_MASK, data[offset+3]);
-        data[offset+5] = (decoration_fg & COL_MASK) | (decoration << 24) | (strikethrough << 26);
+        data[offset+2] = sp->z | (decoration << 24) | (strikethrough << 26);
+        data[offset+(reverse ? 4 : 3)] = line->cells[i].fg;
+        data[offset+(reverse ? 3 : 4)] = line->cells[i].bg;
+        data[offset+5] = line->cells[i].fg;
         previous_ch = ch; previous_width = (attrs) & WIDTH_MASK;
     }
     return true;
diff --git a/kitty/tracker.c b/kitty/tracker.c
index e68af980e..52bcef4e6 100644
--- a/kitty/tracker.c
+++ b/kitty/tracker.c
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ update_cell_range(ChangeTracker *self, PyObject *args) {
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
-bool tracker_update_cell_data(ScreenModes *modes, ChangeTracker *self, LineBuf *lb, SpriteMap *spm, ColorProfile *color_profile, unsigned int *data, bool force_screen_refresh) {
+bool tracker_update_cell_data(ScreenModes *modes, ChangeTracker *self, LineBuf *lb, SpriteMap *spm, unsigned int *data, bool force_screen_refresh) {
     unsigned int y;
     Py_ssize_t start;
 
 #define UPDATE_RANGE(xstart, xmax) \
     linebuf_init_line(lb, y); \
-    if (!update_cell_range_data(modes, spm, lb->line, (xstart), (xmax), color_profile, data)) return false;
+    if (!update_cell_range_data(modes, spm, lb->line, (xstart), (xmax), data)) return false;
 
     if (self->screen_changed || force_screen_refresh) {
         for (y = 0; y < self->ynum; y++) {
diff --git a/kitty/tracker.h b/kitty/tracker.h
index f17a0b78f..fc082f5f7 100644
--- a/kitty/tracker.h
+++ b/kitty/tracker.h
@@ -52,4 +52,4 @@ static inline void tracker_reset(ChangeTracker *self) {
 
 PyObject* tracker_consolidate_changes(ChangeTracker *self);
 bool tracker_resize(ChangeTracker *self, unsigned int ynum, unsigned int xnum);
-bool tracker_update_cell_data(ScreenModes*, ChangeTracker *, LineBuf *, SpriteMap *, ColorProfile *, unsigned int *, bool);
+bool tracker_update_cell_data(ScreenModes*, ChangeTracker *, LineBuf *, SpriteMap *, unsigned int *, bool);