         ;; NOTE: We try to turn an 8-color term into a 10-color term by not
         ;;       using default background and foreground colors, expecting the
         ;;       user to have the right colors set for them.
-        (let ((bg-back   `(:background ,(when (< (display-color-cells) 16) back nil)))
+        (let ((bg-back   `(:background ,back))
               (bg-base03 `(:background ,base03))
               (bg-base02 `(:background ,base02))
               (bg-base01 `(:background ,base01))

        (rotatef base01 base1)
        (rotatef base00 base0))
      (let ((back base03))
        (cond ((eq 'high solarized-contrast)
               (let ((orig-base3 base3))
                 (rotatef base01 base00 base0 base1 base2 base3)
                 (setf base3 orig-base3)))

              (fg-base02 `(:foreground ,base02))
              (fg-base01 `(:foreground ,base01))
              (fg-base00 `(:foreground ,base00))
              (fg-base0 `(:foreground ,(when (<= 16 (display-color-cells))
                                         base0)))
              (fg-base1 `(:foreground ,(when (<= 16 (display-color-cells))
                                         base1)))
              (fg-base2 `(:foreground ,base2))
              (fg-base3 `(:foreground ,base3))
              (fg-green `(:foreground ,green))
