diff --git a/cmd-set-option.c b/cmd-set-option.c
index 06535e0d..63e646e0 100644
--- a/cmd-set-option.c
+++ b/cmd-set-option.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ const struct set_option_entry set_session_option_table[] = {
 	{ "default-shell", SET_OPTION_STRING, 0, 0, NULL },
 	{ "default-terminal", SET_OPTION_STRING, 0, 0, NULL },
 	{ "display-panes-colour", SET_OPTION_COLOUR, 0, 0, NULL },
+	{ "display-panes-active-colour", SET_OPTION_COLOUR, 0, 0, NULL },
 	{ "display-panes-time", SET_OPTION_NUMBER, 1, INT_MAX, NULL },
 	{ "display-time", SET_OPTION_NUMBER, 1, INT_MAX, NULL },
 	{ "history-limit", SET_OPTION_NUMBER, 0, INT_MAX, NULL },
diff --git a/screen-redraw.c b/screen-redraw.c
index 83eafa62..bd3010cb 100644
--- a/screen-redraw.c
+++ b/screen-redraw.c
@@ -269,18 +269,21 @@ screen_redraw_draw_number(struct client *c, struct window_pane *wp)
 {
 	struct tty		*tty = &c->tty;
 	struct session		*s = c->session;
+	struct options	        *oo = &s->options;
+	struct window		*w = wp->window;
 	struct grid_cell	 gc;
 	u_int			 idx, px, py, i, j, xoff, yoff;
-	int			 colour;
+	int			 colour, active_colour;
 	char			 buf[16], *ptr;
 	size_t			 len;
 
-	idx = window_pane_index(wp->window, wp);
+	idx = window_pane_index(w, wp);
 	len = xsnprintf(buf, sizeof buf, "%u", idx);
 
 	if (wp->sx < len)
 		return;
-	colour = options_get_number(&s->options, "display-panes-colour");
+	colour = options_get_number(oo, "display-panes-colour");
+	active_colour = options_get_number(oo, "display-panes-active-colour");
 
 	px = wp->sx / 2; py = wp->sy / 2;
 	xoff = wp->xoff; yoff = wp->yoff;
@@ -289,7 +292,10 @@ screen_redraw_draw_number(struct client *c, struct window_pane *wp)
 		tty_cursor(tty, xoff + px - len / 2, yoff + py);
 		memcpy(&gc, &grid_default_cell, sizeof gc);
 		gc.data = '_'; /* not space */
-		colour_set_fg(&gc, colour);
+		if (w->active == wp)
+			colour_set_fg(&gc, active_colour);
+		else
+			colour_set_fg(&gc, colour);
 		tty_attributes(tty, &gc);
 		tty_puts(tty, buf);
 		return;
@@ -300,7 +306,10 @@ screen_redraw_draw_number(struct client *c, struct window_pane *wp)
 
 	memcpy(&gc, &grid_default_cell, sizeof gc);
 	gc.data = '_'; /* not space */
-	colour_set_bg(&gc, colour);
+	if (w->active == wp)
+		colour_set_bg(&gc, active_colour);
+	else
+		colour_set_bg(&gc, colour);
 	tty_attributes(tty, &gc);
 	for (ptr = buf; *ptr != '\0'; ptr++) {
 		if (*ptr < '0' || *ptr > '9')
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 286d9613..b80e8580 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -751,9 +751,10 @@ This command works only from inside
 Display a visible indicator of each pane shown by
 .Ar target-client .
 See the
-.Ic display-panes-time
+.Ic display-panes-time ,
+.Ic display-panes-colour ,
 and
-.Ic display-panes-colour
+.Ic display-panes-active-colour
 session options.
 While the indicator is on screen, a pane may be selected with the
 .Ql 0
@@ -1398,10 +1399,14 @@ to work correctly, this
 be set to
 .Ql screen
 or a derivative of it.
-.It Ic display-panes-colour Ar colour
-Set the colour used for the
+.It Ic display-panes-active-colour Ar colour
+Set the colour used by the
 .Ic display-panes
-command.
+command to show the indicator for the active pane.
+.It Ic display-panes-colour Ar colour
+Set the colour used by the
+.Ic display-panes
+command to show the indicators for inactive panes.
 .It Ic display-panes-time Ar time
 Set the time in milliseconds for which the indicators shown by the
 .Ic display-panes
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index 24aa24f6..d003ff21 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	options_set_string(so, "default-shell", "%s", getshell());
 	options_set_string(so, "default-terminal", "screen");
 	options_set_number(so, "display-panes-colour", 4);
+	options_set_number(so, "display-panes-active-colour", 1);
 	options_set_number(so, "display-panes-time", 1000);
 	options_set_number(so, "display-time", 750);
 	options_set_number(so, "history-limit", 2000);