diff --git a/app/config.js b/app/config.js
index 6747acd9..6c2a80a3 100644
--- a/app/config.js
+++ b/app/config.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const {_import, getDefaultConfig} = require('./config/import');
 const _openConfig = require('./config/open');
 const win = require('./config/windows');
 const {cfgPath, cfgDir} = require('./config/paths');
+const {getColorMap} = require('./utils/colors');
 
 const watchers = [];
 let cfg = {};
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ const checkDeprecatedConfig = function() {
 
 exports.fixConfigDefaults = decoratedConfig => {
   const defaultConfig = getDefaultConfig().config;
+  decoratedConfig.colors = getColorMap(decoratedConfig.colors) || {};
   // We must have default colors for xterm css.
   decoratedConfig.colors = Object.assign({}, defaultConfig.colors, decoratedConfig.colors);
   return decoratedConfig;
diff --git a/lib/utils/colors.js b/app/utils/colors.js
similarity index 55%
rename from lib/utils/colors.js
rename to app/utils/colors.js
index f0137f4a..f571edd3 100644
--- a/lib/utils/colors.js
+++ b/app/utils/colors.js
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ const colorList = [
   'grayscale'
 ];
 
-export default function getColorList(colors) {
-  // For backwards compatibility, return early if it's already an array
-  if (Array.isArray(colors)) {
+exports.getColorMap = colors => {
+  if (!Array.isArray(colors)) {
     return colors;
   }
-
-  return colorList.map(colorName => {
-    return colors[colorName];
-  });
-}
+  return colors.reduce((result, color, index) => {
+    if (index < colorList.length) {
+      result[colorList[index]] = color;
+    }
+    return result;
+  }, {});
+};
diff --git a/lib/reducers/ui.js b/lib/reducers/ui.js
index a516743f..3a018979 100644
--- a/lib/reducers/ui.js
+++ b/lib/reducers/ui.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import {
   SESSION_SET_CWD
 } from '../constants/sessions';
 import {UPDATE_AVAILABLE} from '../constants/updater';
-import {values} from '../utils/object';
 
 const allowedCursorShapes = new Set(['BEAM', 'BLOCK', 'UNDERLINE']);
 const allowedCursorBlinkValues = new Set([true, false]);
@@ -200,13 +199,7 @@ const reducer = (state = initial, action) => {
             }
 
             if (config.colors) {
-              if (Array.isArray(config.colors)) {
-                const stateColors = Array.isArray(state.colors) ? state.colors : values(state.colors);
-
-                if (stateColors.toString() !== config.colors.toString()) {
-                  ret.colors = config.colors;
-                }
-              } else if (JSON.stringify(state.colors) !== JSON.stringify(config.colors)) {
+              if (JSON.stringify(state.colors) !== JSON.stringify(config.colors)) {
                 ret.colors = config.colors;
               }
             }