Index: ls.1
===================================================================
--- ls.1	(revision 331729)
+++ ls.1	(working copy)
@@ -659,7 +659,8 @@
 .Ar f
 is the foreground color and
 .Ar b
-is the background color.
+is the background color. If the string contains an odd number of characters,
+the default value for the background is selected.
 .Pp
 The color designators are as follows:
 .Pp
Index: print.c
===================================================================
--- print.c	(revision 331729)
+++ print.c	(working copy)
@@ -611,25 +611,21 @@
 void
 parsecolors(const char *cs)
 {
-	int i;
 	int j;
-	size_t len;
+	size_t i;
+	char overrides[C_NUMCOLORS * 2];
 	char c[2];
 	short legacy_warn = 0;
 
-	if (cs == NULL)
-		cs = "";	/* LSCOLORS not set */
-	len = strlen(cs);
-	for (i = 0; i < (int)C_NUMCOLORS; i++) {
+	strncpy(overrides, defcolors, C_NUMCOLORS * 2);
+	if (cs != NULL)
+		memcpy(overrides, cs, MIN(strlen(cs), C_NUMCOLORS * 2));
+
+	for (i = 0; i < C_NUMCOLORS; i++) {
 		colors[i].bold = 0;
+		c[0] = overrides[2 * i];
+		c[1] = overrides[2 * i + 1];
 
-		if (len <= 2 * (size_t)i) {
-			c[0] = defcolors[2 * i];
-			c[1] = defcolors[2 * i + 1];
-		} else {
-			c[0] = cs[2 * i];
-			c[1] = cs[2 * i + 1];
-		}
 		for (j = 0; j < 2; j++) {
 			/* Legacy colours used 0-7 */
 			if (c[j] >= '0' && c[j] <= '7') {