diff --git a/src/xfaces.c b/src/xfaces.c
index cffa89e1f3..eeea165187 100644
--- a/src/xfaces.c
+++ b/src/xfaces.c
@@ -1157,8 +1157,6 @@ load_color (struct frame *f, struct face *face, Lisp_Object name,
 
 #ifdef HAVE_WINDOW_SYSTEM
 
-#define NEAR_SAME_COLOR_THRESHOLD 30000
-
 /* Load colors for face FACE which is used on frame F.  Colors are
    specified by slots LFACE_BACKGROUND_INDEX and LFACE_FOREGROUND_INDEX
    of ATTRS.  If the background color specified is not supported on F,
@@ -1198,8 +1196,9 @@ load_face_colors (struct frame *f, struct face *face,
   face->foreground = load_color2 (f, face, fg, LFACE_FOREGROUND_INDEX, &xfg);
 
   dfg = attrs[LFACE_DISTANT_FOREGROUND_INDEX];
+  int distance = color_distance (&xbg, &xfg);
   if (!NILP (dfg) && !UNSPECIFIEDP (dfg)
-      && color_distance (&xbg, &xfg) < NEAR_SAME_COLOR_THRESHOLD)
+      && distance < face_near_same_color_threshold)
     {
       if (EQ (attrs[LFACE_INVERSE_INDEX], Qt))
         face->background = load_color (f, face, dfg, LFACE_BACKGROUND_INDEX);
@@ -6768,6 +6767,12 @@ RESCALE-RATIO is a floating point number to specify how much larger
 a font of 10 point, we actually use a font of 10 * RESCALE-RATIO point.  */);
   Vface_font_rescale_alist = Qnil;
 
+  DEFVAR_INT ("face-near-same-color-threshold", face_near_same_color_threshold,
+	      doc: /* Number representing the minimum tolerated distance
+between face background and foreground colors before distant-foreground is
+used instead (when present). */);
+  face_near_same_color_threshold = 30000;
+
 #ifdef HAVE_WINDOW_SYSTEM
   defsubr (&Sbitmap_spec_p);
   defsubr (&Sx_list_fonts);