diff --git a/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp b/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
index ffb237c8..8278d2d9 100644
--- a/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
@@ -594,14 +594,16 @@ int showsample(int id) {
   return isize(samples_shown) - 1;
   }
 
-void showsample(string s) {
-  if(s == "") return;
+int showsample(string s) {
+  if(s == "") return -1;
+  int ret = -1;
   for(int i=0; i<samples; i++) {
     if(s[0] != '*' && data[i].name == s)
-      showsample(i);
+      ret = showsample(i);
     if(s[0] == '*' && data[i].name.find(s.substr(1)) != string::npos)
-      showsample(i);
+      ret = showsample(i);
     }
+  return ret;
   }
 
 void showbestsamples() {
diff --git a/rogueviz.cpp b/rogueviz.cpp
index de3c5fdc..2e3a0580 100644
--- a/rogueviz.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz.cpp
@@ -1298,8 +1298,17 @@ void readcolor(const string& cfname) {
     
     colorpair x;
     int c2 = fgetc(f);
+    int known_id = -1;
+    bool force = false;
+
+    if(kohonen::samples && c2 == '!') {
+      force = true;
+      c2 = fgetc(f);
+      if(c2 == 10 || c2 == 13) continue;
+      }
+    
     if(kohonen::samples && c2 == '+') {
-      kohonen::showsample(lab);
+      known_id = kohonen::showsample(lab);
       c2 = fgetc(f);
       if(c2 == 10 || c2 == 13) continue;
       }
@@ -1317,7 +1326,7 @@ void readcolor(const string& cfname) {
       x = vdata[getid(lab2)].cp;
       }
     else if(c2 == '@') {
-      legend.push_back(getid(lab));
+      legend.push_back(known_id == -1 ? getid(lab) : known_id);
       continue;
       }
     else if(c2 == '/') {
@@ -1341,7 +1350,7 @@ void readcolor(const string& cfname) {
           vdata[i].cp = x;
           }
       }
-    else if(kohonen::samples) {
+    else if(kohonen::samples && !force) {
       for(int i=0; i<isize(vdata); i++)
         if(vdata[i].name == lab) {
           vdata[i].cp = x;
diff --git a/rogueviz.h b/rogueviz.h
index 2aec6810..9297e102 100644
--- a/rogueviz.h
+++ b/rogueviz.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ namespace rogueviz {
   namespace kohonen {
     extern int samples;
     int showsample(int id);
-    void showsample(string id);
+    int showsample(string id);
     void describe(cell *c);
     void steps();
     void showMenu();