diff --git a/src/units/frame.cpp b/src/units/frame.cpp
index 9cec70657bcd..0f7892b3afbc 100644
--- a/src/units/frame.cpp
+++ b/src/units/frame.cpp
@@ -70,13 +70,10 @@ frame_builder::frame_builder(const config& cfg,const std::string& frame_string)
 		base::primary_frame = cfg[frame_string + "primary"].to_bool();
 	}
 
-	std::vector<std::string> color = utils::split(cfg[frame_string + "text_color"]);
-	if(color.size() == 3) {
-		try {
-			text_color = color_t(std::stoi(color[0]), std::stoi(color[1]), std::stoi(color[2]));
-		} catch(std::invalid_argument) {
-			ERR_NG << "Invalid RGB color value in unit animation: " << color[0] << ", " << color[1] << ", " << color[2] << "\n";
-		}
+	try {
+		text_color = color_t::from_rgb_string(cfg[frame_string + "text_color"]);
+	} catch(std::invalid_argument) {
+		ERR_NG << "Invalid RGB color value in unit animation: " << cfg[frame_string + "text_color"] << "\n";
 	}
 
 	if(const config::attribute_value* v = cfg.get(frame_string + "duration")) {
@@ -93,13 +90,10 @@ frame_builder::frame_builder(const config& cfg,const std::string& frame_string)
 
 	base::duration = std::max(base::duration, 1);
 
-	color = utils::split(cfg[frame_string + "blend_color"]);
-	if(color.size() == 3) {
-		try {
-			base::blend_with = color_t(std::stoi(color[0]), std::stoi(color[1]), std::stoi(color[2]));
-		} catch(std::invalid_argument) {
-			ERR_NG << "Invalid RGB color value in unit animation: " << color[0] << ", " << color[1] << ", " << color[2] << "\n";
-		}
+	try {
+		base::blend_with = color_t::from_rgb_string(cfg[frame_string + "blend_color"]);
+	} catch(std::invalid_argument) {
+		ERR_NG << "Invalid RGB color value in unit animation: " << cfg[frame_string + "blend_color"] << "\n";
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/units/frame.hpp b/src/units/frame.hpp
index 7a7db134e221..908140380277 100644
--- a/src/units/frame.hpp
+++ b/src/units/frame.hpp
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ struct basic_frame_parameters {
 
 /** All parameters from a frame at a given instant */
 using frame_parameters = basic_frame_parameters<int, double, std::string, image::locator>;
+
 using builder_frame_parameters = basic_frame_parameters<std::string, std::string, std::string, std::string>;
 using parsed_frame_parameters = basic_frame_parameters<progressive_int, progressive_double, progressive_string, progressive_image>;