diff --git a/drivers/video/vidconsole-uclass.c b/drivers/video/vidconsole-uclass.c
index 8a2a377161fbd2093354c00df10173611b68bf27..d32b1017581dd962271c20bff97ff263cb1db5da 100644
--- a/drivers/video/vidconsole-uclass.c
+++ b/drivers/video/vidconsole-uclass.c
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@
 #include <video_console.h>
 #include <video_font.h>		/* Get font data, width and height */
 
+/*
+ * Structure to describe a console color
+ */
+struct vid_rgb {
+	u32 r;
+	u32 g;
+	u32 b;
+};
+
 /* By default we scroll by a single line */
 #ifndef CONFIG_CONSOLE_SCROLL_LINES
 #define CONFIG_CONSOLE_SCROLL_LINES 1
@@ -108,11 +117,7 @@ static void vidconsole_newline(struct udevice *dev)
 	video_sync(dev->parent);
 }
 
-static const struct {
-	unsigned r;
-	unsigned g;
-	unsigned b;
-} colors[] = {
+static const struct vid_rgb colors[VID_COLOR_COUNT] = {
 	{ 0x00, 0x00, 0x00 },  /* black */
 	{ 0xff, 0x00, 0x00 },  /* red */
 	{ 0x00, 0xff, 0x00 },  /* green */
@@ -123,22 +128,26 @@ static const struct {
 	{ 0xff, 0xff, 0xff },  /* white */
 };
 
-static void set_color(struct video_priv *priv, unsigned idx, unsigned *c)
+u32 vid_console_color(struct video_priv *priv, unsigned int idx)
 {
 	switch (priv->bpix) {
 	case VIDEO_BPP16:
-		*c = ((colors[idx].r >> 3) << 11) |
-		     ((colors[idx].g >> 2) <<  5) |
-		     ((colors[idx].b >> 3) <<  0);
-		break;
+		return ((colors[idx].r >> 3) << 11) |
+		       ((colors[idx].g >> 2) <<  5) |
+		       ((colors[idx].b >> 3) <<  0);
 	case VIDEO_BPP32:
-		*c = (colors[idx].r << 16) |
-		     (colors[idx].g <<  8) |
-		     (colors[idx].b <<  0);
-		break;
+		return (colors[idx].r << 16) |
+		       (colors[idx].g <<  8) |
+		       (colors[idx].b <<  0);
 	default:
-		/* unsupported, leave current color in place */
-		break;
+		/*
+		 * For unknown bit arrangements just support
+		 * black and white.
+		 */
+		if (idx)
+			return 0xffffff; /* white */
+		else
+			return 0x000000; /* black */
 	}
 }
 
@@ -270,17 +279,17 @@ static void vidconsole_escape_char(struct udevice *dev, char ch)
 
 			switch (val) {
 			case 30 ... 37:
-				/* fg color */
-				set_color(vid_priv, val - 30,
-					  (unsigned *)&vid_priv->colour_fg);
+				/* foreground color */
+				vid_priv->colour_fg = vid_console_color(
+							vid_priv, val - 30);
 				break;
 			case 40 ... 47:
-				/* bg color */
-				set_color(vid_priv, val - 40,
-					  (unsigned *)&vid_priv->colour_bg);
+				/* background color */
+				vid_priv->colour_bg = vid_console_color(
+							vid_priv, val - 40);
 				break;
 			default:
-				/* unknown/unsupported */
+				/* ignore unsupported SGR parameter */
 				break;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/drivers/video/video-uclass.c b/drivers/video/video-uclass.c
index 9a980ea3a1d571450c5e346265899b51fba556ae..945b20ddfd7a686d5c6b5c26bc5d59477e8cda63 100644
--- a/drivers/video/video-uclass.c
+++ b/drivers/video/video-uclass.c
@@ -114,6 +114,17 @@ void video_clear(struct udevice *dev)
 	}
 }
 
+void video_set_default_colors(struct video_priv *priv)
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_SYS_WHITE_ON_BLACK
+	priv->colour_fg = vid_console_color(priv, VID_WHITE);
+	priv->colour_bg = vid_console_color(priv, VID_BLACK);
+#else
+	priv->colour_fg = vid_console_color(priv, VID_BLACK);
+	priv->colour_bg = vid_console_color(priv, VID_WHITE);
+#endif
+}
+
 /* Flush video activity to the caches */
 void video_sync(struct udevice *vid)
 {
@@ -203,12 +214,8 @@ static int video_post_probe(struct udevice *dev)
 	priv->line_length = priv->xsize * VNBYTES(priv->bpix);
 	priv->fb_size = priv->line_length * priv->ysize;
 
-	/* Set up colours - we could in future support other colours */
-#ifdef CONFIG_SYS_WHITE_ON_BLACK
-	priv->colour_fg = 0xffffff;
-#else
-	priv->colour_bg = 0xffffff;
-#endif
+	/* Set up colors  */
+	video_set_default_colors(priv);
 
 	if (!CONFIG_IS_ENABLED(NO_FB_CLEAR))
 		video_clear(dev);
diff --git a/include/video.h b/include/video.h
index 61ff6531215aca9b083431f1c800f4ce222ea830..841f3dc56b138a5be8f188895019add57958f8c9 100644
--- a/include/video.h
+++ b/include/video.h
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ struct video_priv {
 	void *fb;
 	int fb_size;
 	int line_length;
-	int colour_fg;
-	int colour_bg;
+	u32 colour_fg;
+	u32 colour_bg;
 	bool flush_dcache;
 	ushort *cmap;
 };
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ int video_get_ysize(struct udevice *dev);
  */
 void video_set_flush_dcache(struct udevice *dev, bool flush);
 
+/**
+ * Set default colors and attributes
+ *
+ * @priv	device information
+ */
+void video_set_default_colors(struct video_priv *priv);
+
 #endif /* CONFIG_DM_VIDEO */
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_DM_VIDEO
diff --git a/include/video_console.h b/include/video_console.h
index 9dce234bd928cf24372532c0923f868f44b1a326..656a47295f62e630887edc3e01a80bcbbb40235d 100644
--- a/include/video_console.h
+++ b/include/video_console.h
@@ -7,11 +7,29 @@
 #ifndef __video_console_h
 #define __video_console_h
 
+#include <video.h>
+
 #define VID_FRAC_DIV	256
 
 #define VID_TO_PIXEL(x)	((x) / VID_FRAC_DIV)
 #define VID_TO_POS(x)	((x) * VID_FRAC_DIV)
 
+/*
+ * The 8 colors supported by the console
+ */
+enum color_idx {
+	VID_BLACK = 0,
+	VID_RED,
+	VID_GREEN,
+	VID_YELLOW,
+	VID_BLUE,
+	VID_MAGENTA,
+	VID_CYAN,
+	VID_WHITE,
+
+	VID_COLOR_COUNT
+};
+
 /**
  * struct vidconsole_priv - uclass-private data about a console device
  *
@@ -196,4 +214,21 @@ int vidconsole_put_char(struct udevice *dev, char ch);
 void vidconsole_position_cursor(struct udevice *dev, unsigned col,
 				unsigned row);
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_DM_VIDEO
+
+/**
+ * vid_console_color() - convert a color code to a pixel's internal
+ * representation
+ *
+ * The caller has to guarantee that the color index is less than
+ * VID_COLOR_COUNT.
+ *
+ * @priv	private data of the console device
+ * @idx		color index
+ * @return	color value
+ */
+u32 vid_console_color(struct video_priv *priv, unsigned int idx);
+
+#endif
+
 #endif