diff --git a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-slime.c b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-slime.c
index 02c497b..c3a05a4 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-slime.c
+++ b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-slime.c
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ static int is_slime(long map_seed, long chunkx, long chunkz) {
     return (random_next_int(&seed, 10) == 0);
 }
 
-static OverlayColor default_color[] = { 40, 230, 40, 240 };
-
 static void get_color(void *data, RenderState *state,
                       unsigned char *r, unsigned char *g, unsigned char *b, unsigned char *a) {
     RenderPrimitiveSlime *self = (RenderPrimitiveSlime *)data;
@@ -76,7 +74,7 @@ static void get_color(void *data, RenderState *state,
     *r = self->parent.color->r;
     *g = self->parent.color->g;
     *b = self->parent.color->b;
-    
+
     /* default to no overlay, until told otherwise */
     *a = 0;
     
@@ -100,6 +98,11 @@ overlay_slime_start(void *data, RenderState *state, PyObject *support) {
     self = (RenderPrimitiveSlime *)data;
     self->parent.get_color = get_color;
     
+    self->parent.default_color.r = 40;
+    self->parent.default_color.g = 230;
+    self->parent.default_color.b = 40;
+    self->parent.default_color.a = 240;
+    
     pyseed = PyObject_GetAttrString(state->world, "seed");
     if (!pyseed)
         return 1;
diff --git a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-spawn.c b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-spawn.c
index 662eac2..ffd9ab9 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-spawn.c
+++ b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay-spawn.c
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ typedef struct {
     RenderPrimitiveOverlay parent;
 } RenderPrimitiveSpawn;
 
-static OverlayColor default_color[] = { 229, 36, 38, 0 };
-
 static void get_color(void *data, RenderState *state,
                       unsigned char *r, unsigned char *g, unsigned char *b, unsigned char *a) {
     RenderPrimitiveSpawn* self = (RenderPrimitiveSpawn *)data;
@@ -70,6 +68,11 @@ overlay_spawn_start(void *data, RenderState *state, PyObject *support) {
     self = (RenderPrimitiveSpawn *)data;
     self->parent.get_color = get_color;
     
+    self->parent.default_color.r = 229;
+    self->parent.default_color.g = 36;
+    self->parent.default_color.b = 38;
+    self->parent.default_color.a = 0;
+    
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.c b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.c
index 1de341d..ff7ce75 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.c
+++ b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.c
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@
 
 #include "overlay.h"
 
-static OverlayColor default_color[] = { 200, 200, 255, 155 };
-
 static void get_color(void *data, RenderState *state,
                       unsigned char *r, unsigned char *g, unsigned char *b, unsigned char *a) {
     RenderPrimitiveOverlay* self = (RenderPrimitiveOverlay *)data;
@@ -44,22 +42,26 @@ overlay_start(void *data, RenderState *state, PyObject *support) {
     if (color == NULL) {
         return 1;
     }
-
+    
+    self->default_color.r = 200;
+    self->default_color.g = 200;
+    self->default_color.b = 255;
+    self->default_color.a = 155;
+    
     if(!render_mode_parse_option(support, "overlay_color", "bbbb", &(color->r), &(color->g), &(color->b), &(color->a))) {
-	if(PyErr_Occurred())
+        if(PyErr_Occurred())
             PyErr_Clear();
         free(color);
-        self->color = default_color;
+        self->color = &self->default_color;
         // Check if it is None, if it is, continue and use the default, if it isn't, return an error
         if(render_mode_parse_option(support, "overlay_color", "O", &(opt))) {
             // If it is an object, check to see if it is None, if it is, use the default.
             if(opt && opt != Py_None) {
                 return 1;
             }
-        } else {
-            return 1;
         }
     }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ static void
 overlay_finish(void *data, RenderState *state) {
     RenderPrimitiveOverlay *self = (RenderPrimitiveOverlay *)data;
 
-    if (self->color && self->color != default_color) {
+    if (self->color && self->color != &self->default_color) {
         free(self->color);
     }
     
diff --git a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.h b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.h
index abc9a7c..6871e75 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.h
+++ b/overviewer_core/src/primitives/overlay.h
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
     /* top facemask and white color image, for drawing overlays */
     PyObject *facemask_top, *white_color;
+    /* color will be a pointer to either the default_color object below or
+       to a specially allocated color object that is instantiated from the
+       settings file */
     OverlayColor *color;
+    OverlayColor default_color;
     /* can be overridden in derived classes to control
        overlay alpha and color
        last four vars are r, g, b, a out */