diff --git a/docs/examples_with_code.md b/docs/examples_with_code.md
index e705480..cf37204 100644
--- a/docs/examples_with_code.md
+++ b/docs/examples_with_code.md
@@ -370,23 +370,35 @@ fig.savefig('bar_prettyplotlib_grid_annotated_labeled.png')
 
 ![Bar plot with white grid, x-axis labeled and each bar annotated](https://raw.github.com/olgabot/prettyplotlib/master/ipython_notebooks/bar_prettyplotlib_grid_annotated_labeled.png)
 
-## `bar` with colormap
+## `bar` and `barh` with colormap
 
-If you want to color the bars according to thier height, you should use `cmap=True`:
+If you want to color the bars according to thier height, you should either use `cmap=True` or you specify the colormap on your own `cmap=your_cmap`:
 
 ```python
 import prettyplotlib as ppl
-from pylab import savefig
+from pylab import savefig, show, figure, subplot
 from numpy import array, e
 from scipy import optimize
 from scipy.misc import factorial 
 # prettyplotlib imports
+import brewer2mpl
 
 func    = lambda p, x: p[0]*pow(p[1],x)*pow(e,-p[1])/factorial(x)
 N       = range(40)
 
-ppl.bar(N, func(array([0.9,14.8]),N),  cmap=True)
+Set2 = brewer2mpl.get_map('Set2', 'qualitative', 8).mpl_colormap
 
+figure(1)
+subplot(2,2,1)
+ppl.bar(N, func(array([0.9,14.8]),N),  cmap=True)
+subplot(2,2,2)
+ppl.barh(N, func(array([0.9,14.8]),N),  cmap=True)
+subplot(2,2,3)
+ppl.bar(N, func(array([0.9,14.8]),N),  cmap=Set2)
+subplot(2,2,4)
+ppl.barh(N, func(array([0.9,14.8]),N),  cmap=Set2)
+
+#show()
 savefig('bar_prettyplotlib_colormap.png')
 ```
 
diff --git a/ipython_notebooks/bar_prettyplotlib_colormap.png b/ipython_notebooks/bar_prettyplotlib_colormap.png
index 5771f37..32c0ed7 100644
Binary files a/ipython_notebooks/bar_prettyplotlib_colormap.png and b/ipython_notebooks/bar_prettyplotlib_colormap.png differ
diff --git a/prettyplotlib/_barh.py b/prettyplotlib/_barh.py
index 9fcd743..dd7729b 100644
--- a/prettyplotlib/_barh.py
+++ b/prettyplotlib/_barh.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 __author__ = 'olga'
 
 from prettyplotlib.utils import maybe_get_ax, remove_chartjunk
-from prettyplotlib.colors import set2, almost_black
+from prettyplotlib.colors import set2, almost_black, getcolors
 import numpy as np
 import collections
 
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ def barh(*args, **kwargs):
     # If no grid specified, don't draw one.
     grid = kwargs.pop('grid', None)
 
+    cmap = kwargs.pop('cmap', False)
+    if cmap:
+        kwargs['edgecolor'] = almost_black
+        if not stacked:
+            kwargs['color'] = getcolors(cmap, width, 0)
+
     # Check if stacked and plot data accordingly
     if stacked:
         num_stacks, num_data = width.shape
@@ -61,7 +67,10 @@ def barh(*args, **kwargs):
             lst = list(args)
             lst[1] = width[i]
             args = tuple(lst)
-            kwargs['color'] = set2[i]
+            if cmap:
+                kwargs['color'] = getcolors(cmap, width[i], i)
+            else:
+                kwargs['color'] = set2[i]
             kwargs['left'] = left
             rectangles = ax.barh(*args, **kwargs)
             left += width[i]