diff --git a/kivy/uix/codeinput.py b/kivy/uix/codeinput.py
index 67f227ce4..53ef2c977 100644
--- a/kivy/uix/codeinput.py
+++ b/kivy/uix/codeinput.py
@@ -66,22 +66,34 @@ class CodeInput(TextInput):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         self.formatter = BBCodeFormatter()
         self.lexer = lexers.PythonLexer()
-        self.text_color = (0, 0, 0, 1)
+        self.text_color = '#000000'
         self._label_cached = Label()
+        self.use_text_color = True
         super(CodeInput, self).__init__(**kwargs)
         self._line_options = kw = self._get_line_options()
         self._label_cached = Label(**kw)
-        #use text_color as foreground color
+        # use text_color as foreground color
         text_color = kwargs.get('foreground_color')
         if text_color:
-            self.text_color = (text_color[0], text_color[1], text_color[2],
-                               text_color[3])
+            get_hex_clr = self.get_hex_clr
+            self.text_color = ''.join(('#',
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[0]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[1]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[2]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[3])))
         # set foreground to white to allow text colors to show
         # use text_color as the default color in bbcodes
-        self.foreground_color = [1, 1, 1, 1]
+        self.use_text_color = False
+        self.foreground_color = [1, 1, 1, .999]
         if not kwargs.get('background_color'):
             self.background_color = [.9, .92, .92, 1]
 
+    def get_hex_clr(self, color):
+        clr = hex(int(color * 255))[2:]
+        if len(str(clr)) < 2:
+            clr = ''.join(('0', str(clr)))
+        return clr
+
     def _create_line_label(self, text):
         # Create a label from a text, using line options
         ntext = text.replace('\n', '').replace('\t', ' ' * self.tab_width)
@@ -104,7 +116,7 @@ class CodeInput(TextInput):
             try:
                 label.refresh()
             except ValueError:
-                pass
+                return
 
             # ok, we found it.
             texture = label.texture
@@ -116,6 +128,7 @@ class CodeInput(TextInput):
         kw = super(CodeInput, self)._get_line_options()
         kw['markup'] = True
         kw['valign'] = 'top'
+        kw['codeinput'] = True
         return kw
 
     def _get_bbcode(self, ntext):
@@ -130,7 +143,7 @@ class CodeInput(TextInput):
             ntext = highlight(ntext, self.lexer, self.formatter)
             ntext = ntext.replace(u'⣿;', '&bl;').replace(u'⣾;', '&br;')
             # replace special chars with &bl; and &br;
-            ntext = ''.join(('[color=rgba', str(self.text_color), ']',
+            ntext = ''.join(('[color=', str(self.text_color), ']',
                              ntext, '[/color]'))
             ntext = ntext.replace('\n', '')
             return ntext
@@ -154,6 +167,21 @@ class CodeInput(TextInput):
     def on_lexer(self, instance, value):
         self._trigger_refresh_text()
 
+    def on_foreground_color(self, instance, text_color):
+        if not self.use_text_color:
+            self.use_text_color = True
+            return
+        get_hex_clr = self.get_hex_clr
+        self.text_color = ''.join((
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[0]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[1]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[2]),
+                get_hex_clr(text_color[3])))
+        self.use_text_color = False
+        self.foreground_color = (1, 1, 1, .999)
+        self._trigger_refresh_text()
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from kivy.extras.highlight import KivyLexer
     from kivy.app import App