diff --git a/colour.c b/colour.c
index 3166b137..eef31a30 100644
--- a/colour.c
+++ b/colour.c
@@ -170,6 +170,22 @@ colour_tostring(int c)
 		return ("white");
 	case 8:
 		return ("default");
+	case 90:
+		return ("brightblack");
+	case 91:
+		return ("brightred");
+	case 92:
+		return ("brightgreen");
+	case 93:
+		return ("brightyellow");
+	case 94:
+		return ("brightblue");
+	case 95:
+		return ("brightmagenta");
+	case 96:
+		return ("brightcyan");
+	case 97:
+		return ("brightwhite");
 	}
 	return (NULL);
 }
@@ -219,6 +235,30 @@ colour_fromstring(const char *s)
 		return (7);
 	if (strcasecmp(s, "default") == 0 || (s[0] == '8' && s[1] == '\0'))
 		return (8);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightblack") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '0' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (90);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightred") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '1' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (91);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightgreen") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '2' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (92);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightyellow") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '3' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (93);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightblue") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '4' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (94);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightmagenta") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '5' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (95);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightcyan") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '6' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (96);
+	if (strcasecmp(s, "brightwhite") == 0 ||
+	    (s[0] == '9' && s[1] == '7' && s[1] == '\0'))
+		return (97);
 	return (-1);
 }
 
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 5e3d5834..0e342338 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -1436,7 +1436,7 @@ input_csi_dispatch_sgr(struct input_ctx *ictx)
 		case 106:
 		case 107:
 			gc->flags &= ~GRID_FLAG_BG256;
-			gc->bg = n;
+			gc->bg = n - 10;
 			break;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 6ab6366e..5cee0f72 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -1980,6 +1980,10 @@ is one of:
 .Ic magenta ,
 .Ic cyan ,
 .Ic white ,
+aixterm bright variants (if supported:
+.Ic brightred ,
+.Ic brightgreen ,
+and so on),
 .Ic colour0
 to
 .Ic colour255
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index a4e7d7b1..d248a889 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -1440,7 +1440,7 @@ tty_check_bg(struct tty *tty, struct grid_cell *gc)
 
 	/* Is this an aixterm colour? */
 	colours = tty_term_number(tty->term, TTYC_COLORS);
-	if (gc->bg >= 100 && gc->bg <= 107 && colours < 16) {
+	if (gc->bg >= 90 && gc->bg <= 97 && colours < 16) {
 		gc->bg -= 90;
 		gc->attr |= GRID_ATTR_BRIGHT;
 	}
@@ -1500,14 +1500,14 @@ tty_colours_bg(struct tty *tty, const struct grid_cell *gc)
 	}
 
 	/* Is this an aixterm bright colour? */
-	if (bg >= 100 && bg <= 107) {
+	if (bg >= 90 && bg <= 97) {
 		/* 16 colour terminals or above only. */
 		if (tty_term_number(tty->term, TTYC_COLORS) >= 16) {
-			xsnprintf(s, sizeof s, "\033[%dm", bg);
+			xsnprintf(s, sizeof s, "\033[%dm", bg + 10);
 			tty_puts(tty, s);
 			goto save_bg;
 		}
-		bg -= 100;
+		bg -= 90;
 		/* no such thing as a bold background */
 	}