diff --cc terminal/terminal-screen.c
index 4442bca,37e50a6..0000000
--- a/terminal/terminal-screen.c
+++ b/terminal/terminal-screen.c
@@@ -2294,12 -2315,28 +2294,38 @@@ terminal_screen_search_find_previous (T
    vte_terminal_search_find_previous (VTE_TERMINAL (screen->terminal));
  }
  
 +
 +
 +void
 +terminal_screen_set_input_enabled (TerminalScreen *screen,
 +                                   gboolean        enabled)
 +{
 +  terminal_return_if_fail (TERMINAL_IS_SCREEN (screen));
 +  vte_terminal_set_input_enabled (VTE_TERMINAL (screen->terminal), enabled);
 +}
++
+ void
+ terminal_screen_set_tab_color (TerminalScreen *screen)
+ {
+   char *markup;
+   GtkLabel *label = GTK_LABEL (screen->tab_label);
+   const char *format = "<span foreground='\%s'>\%s</span>";
+   GHashTable *color_list;
+   GHashTableIter iter;
+   gpointer key, value;
+ 
+   g_object_get (G_OBJECT (screen->preferences), "tab-colors-list", &color_list, NULL);
+   if (!color_list)
+     return;
+ 
+   g_hash_table_iter_init (&iter, color_list);
+   while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&iter, &key, &value))
+   {
+      if (strstr (gtk_label_get_text(label), key) != NULL) {
+        markup = g_markup_printf_escaped (format, value, gtk_label_get_text (label));
+        gtk_label_set_markup (label, markup);
+        g_free (markup);
+        break;
+      }
+   }
+ }
diff --git a/terminal/terminal-preferences.c b/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
index 0b49b5e..9bbbaa4 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
+++ b/terminal/terminal-preferences.c
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ enum
   PROP_WORD_CHARS,
   PROP_TAB_ACTIVITY_COLOR,
   PROP_TAB_ACTIVITY_TIMEOUT,
+  PROP_TAB_COLORS_LIST,
   N_PROPERTIES,
 };
 
@@ -237,7 +238,12 @@ transform_string_to_enum (const GValue *src,
   g_value_set_enum (dst, genum_value->value);
 }
 
-
+static void
+transform_hashtable_to_string (const GValue *src,
+                               GValue       *dst)
+{
+    //TODO
+}
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (TerminalPreferences, terminal_preferences, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
 
@@ -283,6 +289,8 @@ terminal_preferences_class_init (TerminalPreferencesClass *klass)
     g_value_register_transform_func (G_TYPE_STRING, TERMINAL_TYPE_ERASE_BINDING, transform_string_to_enum);
   if (!g_value_type_transformable (G_TYPE_STRING, TERMINAL_TYPE_CURSOR_SHAPE))
     g_value_register_transform_func (G_TYPE_STRING, TERMINAL_TYPE_CURSOR_SHAPE, transform_string_to_enum);
+//  if (!g_value_type_transformable (G_TYPE_HASH_TABLE, G_TYPE_STRING))
+//    g_value_register_transform_func (G_TYPE_HASH_TABLE, G_TYPE_STRING, transform_hashtable_to_string);
 
   /**
    * TerminalPreferences:background-mode:
@@ -961,6 +969,16 @@ terminal_preferences_class_init (TerminalPreferencesClass *klass)
                            "-A-Za-z0-9,./?%&#:_=+@~",
                            G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
+  /**
+   * TerminalPreferences:title-mode:
+   **/
+  preferences_props[PROP_TAB_COLORS_LIST] =
+      g_param_spec_boxed ("tab-colors-list",
+                         "TabColorsList",
+                         "TabColorsList",
+                         G_TYPE_HASH_TABLE,
+                         G_PARAM_READWRITE);
+
   /* install all properties */
   g_object_class_install_properties (gobject_class, N_PROPERTIES, preferences_props);
 }
diff --git a/terminal/terminal-screen.h b/terminal/terminal-screen.h
index 1351b5a..cf95ff3 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal-screen.h
+++ b/terminal/terminal-screen.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ void         terminal_screen_search_find_next             (TerminalScreen *scree
 void         terminal_screen_search_find_previous         (TerminalScreen *screen);
 
 void         terminal_screen_update_font                  (TerminalScreen *screen);
+void         terminal_screen_set_tab_color                (TerminalScreen *screen);
 
 void         terminal_screen_set_input_enabled            (TerminalScreen *screen,
                                                            gboolean        enabled);
diff --git a/terminal/terminal-window-ui.xml b/terminal/terminal-window-ui.xml
index 9e50e82..62c9d50 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal-window-ui.xml
+++ b/terminal/terminal-window-ui.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     </menu>
     <menu action="terminal-menu">
       <menuitem action="set-title"/>
+      <menuitem action="set-tab-color"/>
       <separator/>
       <menuitem action="search"/>
       <menuitem action="search-next"/>
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@
     <menuitem action="detach-tab"/>
     <menuitem action="close-other-tabs"/>
     <menuitem action="set-title"/>
+    <menuitem action="set-tab-color"/>
     <separator/>
     <menuitem action="move-tab-left"/>
     <menuitem action="move-tab-right"/>
diff --git a/terminal/terminal-window.c b/terminal/terminal-window.c
index 213f5ba..195936d 100644
--- a/terminal/terminal-window.c
+++ b/terminal/terminal-window.c
@@ -212,8 +212,10 @@ static void         terminal_window_switch_tab                    (GtkNotebook
 static void         terminal_window_move_tab                      (GtkNotebook            *notebook,
                                                                    gboolean                move_left);
 static void         terminal_window_tab_info_free                 (TerminalWindowTabInfo  *tab_info);
-
-
+static void         terminal_window_action_set_tab_color          (GtkAction              *action,
+                                                                   TerminalWindow         *window);
+static void         terminal_window_action_set_tab_color_response (GtkWidget              *button,
+                                                                   TerminalWindow         *window);
 
 static guint   window_signals[LAST_SIGNAL];
 static gchar   *window_notebook_group = PACKAGE_NAME;
@@ -243,6 +245,7 @@ static const GtkActionEntry action_entries[] =
     { "zoom-reset", "zoom-original", N_ ("_Normal Size"), "<control>0", N_ ("Zoom to default size"), G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_zoom_reset), },
   { "terminal-menu", NULL, N_ ("_Terminal"), NULL, NULL, NULL, },
     { "set-title", NULL, N_ ("_Set Title..."), "<control><shift>s", NULL, G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_set_title), },
+    { "set-tab-color", NULL, N_ ("Set Tab _Color..."), "<control><shift>c", NULL, G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_set_tab_color), },
     { "search", "edit-find", N_ ("_Find..."), "<control><shift>f", N_ ("Search terminal contents"), G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_search), },
     { "search-next", NULL, N_ ("Find Ne_xt"), NULL, NULL, G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_search_next), },
     { "search-prev", NULL, N_ ("Find Pre_vious"), NULL, NULL, G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_search_prev), },
@@ -1017,7 +1020,6 @@ terminal_window_notebook_button_press_event (GtkNotebook    *notebook,
 
   terminal_return_val_if_fail (TERMINAL_IS_WINDOW (window), FALSE);
   terminal_return_val_if_fail (GTK_IS_NOTEBOOK (notebook), FALSE);
-
   gdk_window_get_position (event->window, &x, &y);
   x += event->x;
   y += event->y;
@@ -1315,6 +1317,7 @@ terminal_window_notify_title (TerminalScreen *screen,
   if (screen == window->active)
     {
       title = terminal_screen_get_title (window->active);
+      terminal_screen_set_tab_color (screen);
       gtk_window_set_title (GTK_WINDOW (window), title);
       g_free (title);
     }
@@ -1853,7 +1856,6 @@ terminal_window_action_set_title (GtkAction      *action,
 }
 
 
-
 static void
 terminal_window_action_search_response (GtkWidget      *dialog,
                                         gint            response_id,
@@ -2295,3 +2297,109 @@ terminal_window_get_restart_command (TerminalWindow *window)
 
   return g_slist_reverse (result);
 }
+
+static void
+terminal_window_action_set_tab_color (GtkAction      *action,
+                                      TerminalWindow *window)
+{
+  GtkWidget *tab;
+  GtkWidget *popover;
+  GtkWidget *box;
+  GtkWidget *label;
+  GtkWidget *entry;
+  GtkWidget *color_button;
+  GdkRGBA    color = {255, .0, .0, 1};
+  GtkWidget *button;
+  GtkWidget *save;
+
+  terminal_return_if_fail (window->active != NULL);
+
+  tab = gtk_notebook_get_tab_label (GTK_NOTEBOOK(window->notebook), GTK_WIDGET(window->active));
+  popover = gtk_popover_new (tab);
+  gtk_popover_set_position (GTK_POPOVER (popover), GTK_POS_BOTTOM);
+
+  box = gtk_box_new (GTK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL, 22);
+  label = gtk_label_new_with_mnemonic (_("_Substring"));
+  gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (box), label, FALSE, TRUE, 0);
+
+  entry = gtk_entry_new ();
+  gtk_entry_set_text (GTK_ENTRY(entry), terminal_screen_get_title (window->active));
+  gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (box), entry, TRUE, TRUE, 0);
+  gtk_entry_set_activates_default (GTK_ENTRY (entry), TRUE);
+  gtk_label_set_mnemonic_widget (GTK_LABEL (label), entry);
+  /*TODO: submit on enter */
+
+  color_button = gtk_color_button_new ();
+  gtk_color_chooser_set_rgba (GTK_COLOR_CHOOSER(color_button), &color);
+  gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (box), color_button, TRUE, TRUE, 0);
+ 
+  save = gtk_check_button_new_with_label (_("Save"));
+  gtk_toggle_button_set_active (GTK_TOGGLE_BUTTON(save), TRUE);
+  gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (box), save, TRUE, TRUE, 0);
+
+  button = gtk_button_new_with_label (_("Apply"));
+  gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (box), button, TRUE, TRUE, 0);
+  g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (button), "clicked",
+      G_CALLBACK (terminal_window_action_set_tab_color_response), window);
+  g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (button), "pattern", entry);
+  g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (button), "color", color_button);
+  g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (button), "permanent", save);
+  g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (button), "popover", popover);
+
+  gtk_widget_show_all (box);
+  gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (popover), box);
+  gtk_container_set_border_width (GTK_CONTAINER (popover), 6);
+  gtk_widget_set_visible (popover, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+terminal_window_action_set_tab_color_response (GtkWidget      *button,
+                                               TerminalWindow *window)
+{
+  TerminalScreen *screen;
+  GtkWidget      *patternWidget;
+  GtkWidget      *colorWidget;
+  GtkWidget      *permanentWidget;
+  GtkWidget      *popover;
+  GdkRGBA        color;
+  GHashTable     *color_list;
+  gchar          *color_str;
+  gchar          *pattern;
+  gint           npages, n;
+
+  g_object_get (G_OBJECT (window->preferences), "tab-colors-list", &color_list, NULL);
+  if (!color_list)
+    color_list = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);
+
+  patternWidget = g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (button), "pattern");
+  colorWidget = g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (button), "color");
+  permanentWidget = g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (button), "permanent");
+  popover = g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (button), "popover");
+
+  pattern = g_strdup (gtk_entry_get_text (GTK_ENTRY(patternWidget)));
+  gtk_color_chooser_get_rgba (GTK_COLOR_CHOOSER(colorWidget), &color);
+
+  color_str = g_strdup_printf ("#%02x%02x%02x",
+              (guint) (color.red * 255),
+              (guint) (color.green * 255),
+              (guint) (color.blue * 255));
+
+/* TODO
+  if (gtk_toggle_button_get_active (GTK_TOGGLE_BUTTON(permanentWidget)))
+    g_warning ("need to save %s for pattern %s", color_str, pattern);
+*/
+  g_hash_table_insert (color_list, pattern, color_str);
+  g_object_set (G_OBJECT (window->preferences), "tab-colors-list", color_list, NULL);
+
+  /* walk the tabs */
+  npages = gtk_notebook_get_n_pages (GTK_NOTEBOOK (window->notebook));
+  for (n = 0; n < npages; n++)
+    {
+      screen = TERMINAL_SCREEN (gtk_notebook_get_nth_page (GTK_NOTEBOOK (window->notebook), n));
+      terminal_screen_set_tab_color (screen);
+    }
+
+
+  gtk_widget_hide (popover);
+  gtk_widget_destroy (popover);
+}