Index: src/rcfile.c
===================================================================
--- src/rcfile.c	(revision 4847)
+++ src/rcfile.c	(working copy)
@@ -844,6 +844,7 @@
 bool parse_color_names(char *combostr, short *fg, short *bg, bool *bright)
 {
     bool no_fgcolor = FALSE;
+	*bright = FALSE;
 
     if (combostr == NULL)
 	return false;
@@ -858,11 +859,11 @@
 	    bgcolorname = combostr + 1;
 	    no_fgcolor = TRUE;
 	}
-	if (strncasecmp(bgcolorname, "bright", 6) == 0) {
+	*bg = color_to_short(bgcolorname, bright);
+	if (*bright) {
 	    rcfile_error(N_("Background color \"%s\" cannot be bright"), bgcolorname);
-	    return false;
+		*bright = FALSE;
 	}
-	*bg = color_to_short(bgcolorname, bright);
     } else
 	*bg = -1;