diff --git a/themes/bgbasic-light.theme b/themes/bgbasic-light.theme
index df2a535..427691d 100644
--- a/themes/bgbasic-light.theme
+++ b/themes/bgbasic-light.theme
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ abstracts = {
 
   # default background for all statusbars. You can also give
   # the default foreground color for statusbar items.
-  sb_background = "%B";
+  sb_background = "%4%w";
 
   # default backround for "default" statusbar group
   #sb_default_bg = "%4";
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ abstracts = {
   # public message
   sb_act_msg = "%W$*";
   # hilight
-  sb_act_hilight = "%W$*";
+  sb_act_hilight = "%G$*";
   # hilight with specified color, $0 = color, $1 = text
   sb_act_hilight_color = "$0$1-%n";
 };
diff --git a/themes/bgbasic.theme b/themes/bgbasic.theme
index 5c004d4..209fea0 100644
--- a/themes/bgbasic.theme
+++ b/themes/bgbasic.theme
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ abstracts = {
 
   # default background for all statusbars. You can also give
   # the default foreground color for statusbar items.
-  sb_background = "%B";
+  sb_background = "%4%w";
 
   # default backround for "default" statusbar group
   #sb_default_bg = "%4";
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ abstracts = {
   # public message
   sb_act_msg = "%w$*";
   # hilight
-  sb_act_hilight = "%w$*";
+  sb_act_hilight = "%g$*";
   # hilight with specified color, $0 = color, $1 = text
   sb_act_hilight_color = "$0$1-%n";
 };