diff --git a/src/color.cpp b/src/color.cpp
index b82c72179a39..4acc64bdeb4f 100644
--- a/src/color.cpp
+++ b/src/color.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 color_t color_t::from_rgba_string(const std::string& c)
 {
 	if(c.empty()) {
-		return {0,0,0,0};
+		return null_color();
 	}
 
 	std::vector<std::string> fields = utils::split(c);
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ color_t color_t::from_rgba_string(const std::string& c)
 color_t color_t::from_rgb_string(const std::string& c)
 {
 	if(c.empty()) {
-		return {0,0,0,0};
+		return null_color();
 	}
 
 	std::vector<std::string> fields = utils::split(c);
diff --git a/src/color.hpp b/src/color.hpp
index 389cdf032450..2115583f87be 100644
--- a/src/color.hpp
+++ b/src/color.hpp
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ struct color_t
 
 	bool null() const
 	{
-		return r == 0 && g == 0 && b == 0 && a == 0;
+		return *this == null_color();
 	}
 
 	bool operator==(const color_t& c) const
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ struct color_t
 			a
 		};
 	}
+
+	/** Definition of a 'null' color - fully transparent black. */
+	static color_t null_color()
+	{
+		return {0,0,0,0};
+	}
 };
 
 inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& s, const color_t& c)