diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e1974368..dfaab3f2 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ byobu (4.30) unreleased; urgency=low
     - fix underscore, italics, hidden
   * usr/lib/byobu/.dirs:
     - ensure that the cache dir gets created
+  * usr/bin/byobu, usr/lib/byobu/.shutil, usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmux:
+    - get 256 colors working in tmux
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:31:31 -0500
 
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu b/usr/bin/byobu
index 14a1ec53..9c365295 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ fi
 # Determine backend
 case "$0" in
 	*byobu-screen) export BYOBU_BACKEND="screen" ;;
-	*byobu-tmux) export BYOBU_BACKEND="tmux" ;;
+	*byobu-tmux) export BYOBU_BACKEND="tmux" TERM="screen-256color" ;;
 esac
 
 # Sanitize the environment
diff --git a/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil b/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
index 6dad8d39..90fa7a9b 100755
--- a/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
+++ b/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@ color_map() {
 		c) _RET=cyan,dim ;;
 		w) _RET=white,dim ;;
 		d) _RET=color0,dim ;;
-		K) _RET=black ;;
-		R) _RET=red ;;
-		G) _RET=green ;;
-		Y) _RET=yellow ;;
-		B) _RET=blue ;;
-		M) _RET=magenta ;;
-		C) _RET=cyan ;;
-		W) _RET=white ;;
+		K) _RET="#555555" ;;
+		R) _RET="#FF0000" ;;
+		G) _RET="#00FF00" ;;
+		Y) _RET="#FFFF00" ;;
+		B) _RET="#0000FF" ;;
+		M) _RET="#FF00FF" ;;
+		C) _RET="#00FFFF" ;;
+		W) _RET="#FFFFFF" ;;
 		*) _RET= ;;
 	esac
 }
diff --git a/usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmux b/usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmux
index 0a549d62..9b6af83c 100644
--- a/usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmux
+++ b/usr/share/byobu/profiles/tmux
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ set-window-option -g monitor-activity on
 
 # Must set default-command to $SHELL, in order to not source ~/.profile
 # BUG: Should *not* hardcode /bin/bash here
+set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
 set -g terminal-overrides 'xterm*:smcup@:rmcup@'
 set -g default-command /bin/bash
 set -g status-bg black