diff --git a/escher/include/escher/text_view.h b/escher/include/escher/text_view.h
index 243b681f8..bb742452a 100644
--- a/escher/include/escher/text_view.h
+++ b/escher/include/escher/text_view.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define ESCHER_TEXT_VIEW_H
 
 #include <escher/childless_view.h>
+#include <kandinsky/color.h>
 
 class TextView : public ChildlessView {
 public:
@@ -10,10 +11,12 @@ public:
   // alignment = 0.5 -> align center
   // alignment = 1.0 -> align right or bottom
   TextView(const char * text,
-      float horizontalAlignment,
-      float verticalAlignment);
+      float horizontalAlignment, float verticalAlignment,
+      KDColor textColor = KDColorBlack, KDColor backgroundColor = KDColorWhite);
   void drawRect(KDContext * ctx, KDRect rect) const override;
   void setText(const char * text);
+  void setBackgroundColor(KDColor backgroundColor);
+  void setTextColor(KDColor textColor);
 protected:
 #if ESCHER_VIEW_LOGGING
   const char * className() const override;
@@ -22,6 +25,8 @@ private:
   const char * m_text;
   float m_horizontalAlignment;
   float m_verticalAlignment;
+  KDColor m_textColor;
+  KDColor m_backgroundColor;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/escher/src/text_view.cpp b/escher/src/text_view.cpp
index bdd24fc56..7f25250b0 100644
--- a/escher/src/text_view.cpp
+++ b/escher/src/text_view.cpp
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 #include <escher/text_view.h>
 
-TextView::TextView() : TextView(nullptr, 0.0f, 0.0f)
+TextView::TextView() : TextView(nullptr, 0.0f, 0.0f, KDColorBlack, KDColorWhite)
 {
 }
 
-TextView::TextView(const char * text, float horizontalAlignment, float verticalAlignment) :
+TextView::TextView(const char * text, float horizontalAlignment, float verticalAlignment,
+    KDColor textColor, KDColor backgroundColor) :
   ChildlessView(),
   m_text(text),
   m_horizontalAlignment(horizontalAlignment),
-  m_verticalAlignment(verticalAlignment)
+  m_verticalAlignment(verticalAlignment),
+  m_textColor(textColor),
+  m_backgroundColor(backgroundColor)
 {
 }
 
@@ -16,13 +19,23 @@ void TextView::setText(const char * text) {
   m_text = text;
 }
 
+void TextView::setBackgroundColor(KDColor backgroundColor) {
+  m_backgroundColor = backgroundColor;
+  markRectAsDirty(bounds());
+}
+
+void TextView::setTextColor(KDColor textColor) {
+  m_textColor = textColor;
+  markRectAsDirty(bounds());
+}
+
 void TextView::drawRect(KDContext * ctx, KDRect rect) const {
   KDSize textSize = KDText::stringSize(m_text);
   KDPoint origin = {
     (KDCoordinate)(m_horizontalAlignment*(m_frame.width() - textSize.width())),
     (KDCoordinate)(m_verticalAlignment*(m_frame.height() - textSize.height()))
   };
-  ctx->drawString(m_text, origin, 0);
+  ctx->drawString(m_text, origin, m_textColor, m_backgroundColor);
 }
 
 #if ESCHER_VIEW_LOGGING