diff --git a/src/celengine/cmdparser.cpp b/src/celengine/cmdparser.cpp
index 640e6f78f..e2daf31d9 100644
--- a/src/celengine/cmdparser.cpp
+++ b/src/celengine/cmdparser.cpp
@@ -764,6 +764,13 @@ Command* CommandParser::parseCommand()
         Color color((float) colorv.x, (float) colorv.y, (float) colorv.z);
         cmd = new CommandSetLabelColor(item, color);
     }
+    else if (commandName == "settextcolor")
+    {
+        Vec3d colorv(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
+        paramList->getVector("color", colorv);
+        Color color((float) colorv.x, (float) colorv.y, (float) colorv.z);
+        cmd = new CommandSetTextColor(color);
+    }
     else
     {
         error("Unknown command name '" + commandName + "'");
diff --git a/src/celengine/command.cpp b/src/celengine/command.cpp
index 1e386af92..fbac6f0f4 100644
--- a/src/celengine/command.cpp
+++ b/src/celengine/command.cpp
@@ -923,6 +923,20 @@ void CommandSetLabelColor::process(ExecutionEnvironment& /* env */)
 }
 
 
+////////////////
+// SetTextColor command
+
+CommandSetTextColor::CommandSetTextColor(Color _color) :
+    color(_color)
+{
+}
+
+void CommandSetTextColor::process(ExecutionEnvironment& env)
+{
+    env.getCelestiaCore()->setTextColor(color);
+}
+
+
 ///////////////
 // Repeat command
 
diff --git a/src/celengine/command.h b/src/celengine/command.h
index 55bda1cf8..523a929b2 100644
--- a/src/celengine/command.h
+++ b/src/celengine/command.h
@@ -658,6 +658,17 @@ class CommandSetLabelColor : public InstantaneousCommand
 };
 
 
+class CommandSetTextColor : public InstantaneousCommand
+{
+ public:
+    CommandSetTextColor(Color);
+    void process(ExecutionEnvironment&);
+
+ private:
+    Color color;
+};
+
+
 class Execution;
 
 class RepeatCommand : public Command
diff --git a/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp b/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
index b8e9aa8dc..68df7cb27 100644
--- a/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
+++ b/src/celestia/celestiacore.cpp
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ CelestiaCore::CelestiaCore() :
     messageVOffset(0),
     messageStart(0.0),
     messageDuration(0.0),
+    textColor(Color(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f)),
     typedText(""),
     typedTextCompletionIdx(-1),
     textEnterMode(KbNormal),
@@ -3886,7 +3887,7 @@ void CelestiaCore::renderOverlay()
         float alpha = 1.0f;
         if (currentTime > messageStart + messageDuration - 0.5)
             alpha = (float) ((messageStart + messageDuration - currentTime) / 0.5);
-        glColor4f(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, alpha);
+        glColor4f(textColor.red(), textColor.green(), textColor.blue(), alpha);
         glTranslatef((float) x, (float) y, 0.0f);
         overlay->beginText();
         *overlay << _(messageText.c_str());
@@ -4677,6 +4678,18 @@ void CelestiaCore::setHudDetail(int newHudDetail)
     notifyWatchers(VerbosityLevelChanged);
 }
 
+
+Color CelestiaCore::getTextColor()
+{
+    return textColor;
+}
+
+void CelestiaCore::setTextColor(Color newTextColor)
+{
+    textColor = newTextColor;
+}
+
+
 astro::Date::Format CelestiaCore::getDateFormat() const
 {
     return dateFormat;
diff --git a/src/celestia/celestiacore.h b/src/celestia/celestiacore.h
index 865246960..122cbc5fd 100644
--- a/src/celestia/celestiacore.h
+++ b/src/celestia/celestiacore.h
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ class CelestiaCore // : public Watchable<CelestiaCore>
 
     int getHudDetail();
     void setHudDetail(int);
+    Color getTextColor();
+    void setTextColor(Color);
     astro::Date::Format getDateFormat() const;
     void setDateFormat(astro::Date::Format format);
     int getOverlayElements() const;
@@ -375,6 +377,7 @@ class CelestiaCore // : public Watchable<CelestiaCore>
     int messageVOffset;
     double messageStart;
     double messageDuration;
+    Color textColor;
     std::string typedText;
     std::vector<std::string> typedTextCompletion;
     int typedTextCompletionIdx;
diff --git a/src/celestia/celx.cpp b/src/celestia/celx.cpp
index 1c796ba63..93b46358a 100644
--- a/src/celestia/celx.cpp
+++ b/src/celestia/celx.cpp
@@ -2118,6 +2118,40 @@ static int celestia_getoverlayelements(lua_State* l)
     return 1;
 }
 
+
+static int celestia_settextcolor(lua_State* l)
+{
+    Celx_CheckArgs(l, 4, 4, "Three arguments expected for celestia:settextcolor()");
+    CelestiaCore* appCore = this_celestia(l);
+
+    Color color;
+    double red     = Celx_SafeGetNumber(l, 2, WrongType, "settextcolor: color values must be numbers", 1.0);
+    double green   = Celx_SafeGetNumber(l, 3, WrongType, "settextcolor: color values must be numbers", 1.0);
+    double blue    = Celx_SafeGetNumber(l, 4, WrongType, "settextcolor: color values must be numbers", 1.0);
+
+    // opacity currently not settable
+    double opacity = 1.0;
+
+    color = Color((float) red, (float) green, (float) blue, (float) opacity);
+    appCore->setTextColor(color);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int celestia_gettextcolor(lua_State* l)
+{
+    Celx_CheckArgs(l, 1, 1, "No arguments expected for celestia:getgalaxylightgain()");
+    CelestiaCore* appCore = this_celestia(l);
+
+    Color color = appCore->getTextColor();
+    lua_pushnumber(l, color.red());
+    lua_pushnumber(l, color.green());
+    lua_pushnumber(l, color.blue());
+
+    return 3;
+}
+
+
 static int celestia_setlabelcolor(lua_State* l)
 {
     Celx_CheckArgs(l, 5, 5, "Four arguments expected for celestia:setlabelcolor()");
@@ -3392,6 +3426,8 @@ static void CreateCelestiaMetaTable(lua_State* l)
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "getlabelcolor", celestia_getlabelcolor);
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "setlinecolor",  celestia_setlinecolor);
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "getlinecolor",  celestia_getlinecolor);
+    Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "settextcolor",  celestia_settextcolor);
+    Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "gettextcolor",  celestia_gettextcolor);
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "getoverlayelements", celestia_getoverlayelements);
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "setoverlayelements", celestia_setoverlayelements);
     Celx_RegisterMethod(l, "getfaintestvisible", celestia_getfaintestvisible);