diff --git a/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.cpp b/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.cpp
index 16c4d665bb41..9bec55999771 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include "mp_game_utils.hpp"
 #include "mt_rng.hpp"
 #include "tod_manager.hpp"
-
+#include "multiplayer_ui.hpp" // For get_color_string
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include <boost/assign.hpp>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -851,7 +851,8 @@ side_engine::side_engine(const config& cfg, connect_engine& parent_engine,
 	chose_random_(cfg["chose_random"].to_bool(false)),
 	disallow_shuffle_(cfg["disallow_shuffle"].to_bool(false)),
 	flg_(parent_.era_factions_, cfg_, parent_.force_lock_settings_,
-		parent_.params_.use_map_settings, parent_.params_.saved_game, color_)
+		parent_.params_.use_map_settings, parent_.params_.saved_game, color_),
+	custom_color_()
 {
 	// Check if this side should give its control to some other side.
 	const size_t side_cntr_index = cfg_["controller"].to_int(-1) - 1;
@@ -918,7 +919,13 @@ side_engine::side_engine(const config& cfg, connect_engine& parent_engine,
 		team_ = team_name_index;
 	}
 	if (!cfg["color"].empty()) {
-		color_ = game_config::color_info(cfg["color"]).index() - 1;
+		if(cfg["color"].to_int()) {
+			color_ = cfg["color"].to_int() - 1;
+		}
+		else {
+			custom_color_ = cfg["color"];
+			color_ = 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Initialize ai algorithm.
@@ -1064,7 +1071,7 @@ config side_engine::new_config() const
 		res["team_name"] = parent_.team_names_[team_];
 		res["user_team_name"] = parent_.user_team_names_[team_];
 		res["allow_player"] = allow_player_;
-		res["color"] = color_ + 1;
+		res["color"] = get_color(color_);
 		res["gold"] = gold_;
 		res["income"] = income_;
 
@@ -1327,4 +1334,29 @@ void side_engine::add_controller_option(ng::controller controller,
 	controller_options_.push_back(std::make_pair(controller, name));
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> side_engine::get_colors() const
+{
+	std::vector<std::string> res;
+	for (int i = 0; i < num_colors(); ++i) {
+		res.push_back(mp::get_color_string(get_color(i)));
+	}
+	return res;
+}
+
+std::string side_engine::get_color(size_t index) const
+{
+	if(!custom_color_.empty()) {
+		if(index == 0) {
+			return custom_color_;
+		}
+		index -= 1;
+	}
+	return lexical_cast<std::string>(index + 1);
+}
+
+int side_engine::num_colors() const
+{
+	return custom_color_.empty() ? gamemap::MAX_PLAYERS : gamemap::MAX_PLAYERS + 1;
+}
+
 } // end namespace ng
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.hpp b/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.hpp
index 579cd4d98537..1a69754e760f 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/connect_engine.hpp
@@ -219,6 +219,9 @@ class side_engine
 		{ return parent_.player_teams_; }
 	flg_manager& flg() { return flg_; }
 
+	std::vector<std::string> get_colors() const;
+	std::string get_color(size_t index) const;
+	int num_colors() const;
 private:
 	side_engine(const side_engine& engine);
 	void operator=(const side_engine&);
@@ -255,6 +258,7 @@ class side_engine
 	bool chose_random_;
 	bool disallow_shuffle_;
 	flg_manager flg_;
+	std::string custom_color_;
 };
 
 } // end namespace ng
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.cpp b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.cpp
index e3a458cd6385..812a1f567f0a 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.cpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.cpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ connect::side::side(connect& parent, ng::side_engine_ptr engine) :
 	combo_leader_(parent.disp(), std::vector<std::string>()),
 	combo_gender_(parent.disp(), std::vector<std::string>()),
 	combo_team_(parent.disp(), engine_->player_teams()),
-	combo_color_(parent.disp(), parent.player_colors_),
+	combo_color_(parent.disp(), engine->get_colors()),
 	slider_gold_(parent.video()),
 	slider_income_(parent.video())
 {
@@ -371,7 +371,6 @@ connect::connect(game_display& disp, const std::string& game_name,
 	const config& game_config, chat& c, config& gamelist,
 	ng::connect_engine& engine) :
 	mp::ui(disp, _("Game Lobby: ") + game_name, game_config, c, gamelist),
-	player_colors_(),
 	ai_algorithms_(),
 	sides_(),
 	engine_(engine),
@@ -410,11 +409,6 @@ connect::connect(game_display& disp, const std::string& game_name,
 
 	ai_algorithms_ = ai::configuration::get_available_ais();
 
-	// Colors.
-	for(int i = 0; i < gamemap::MAX_PLAYERS; ++i) {
-		player_colors_.push_back(get_color_string(i));
-	}
-
 	// Sides.
 	BOOST_FOREACH(ng::side_engine_ptr s, engine_.side_engines()) {
 		sides_.push_back(side(*this, s));
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.hpp b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.hpp
index 1a0d6c841b21..313b3f797c98 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.hpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_connect.hpp
@@ -123,8 +123,6 @@ class connect : public mp::ui
 	const mp_game_settings& params() { return engine_.params(); }
 	bool force_lock_settings() const { return engine_.force_lock_settings(); }
 
-	// Lists used for combos.
-	std::vector<std::string> player_colors_;
 	std::vector<ai::description*> ai_algorithms_;
 
 	side_list sides_;
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.cpp b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.cpp
index dc2b821778ff..d94a9005733b 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.cpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ std::string get_color_string(int id)
 	}
 }
 
+std::string get_color_string(const std::string& id)
+{
+	std::map<std::string, color_range>::iterator i_color = game_config::team_rgb_range.find(id);
+	std::map<std::string, t_string>::iterator i_name = game_config::team_rgb_name.find(id);
+	bool has_color = i_color != game_config::team_rgb_range.end();
+	bool has_name= i_name != game_config::team_rgb_name.end();
+
+	return rgb2highlight(has_color ? i_color->second.mid() : 0x00FF0000) + (has_name ? std::string(i_name->second) : _("Invalid Color"));
+}
+
 chat::chat() :
 	message_history_(),
 	last_update_()
diff --git a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.hpp b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.hpp
index 0a6794458b0c..9f93f4a1f7c5 100644
--- a/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.hpp
+++ b/src/game_initialization/multiplayer_ui.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class plugins_context;
 namespace mp {
 
 std::string get_color_string(int id);
+std::string get_color_string(const std::string& id);
 
 /** this class memorizes a chat session. */
 class chat