diff --git a/config.cpp b/config.cpp
index a942d42a..d9cd87de 100644
--- a/config.cpp
+++ b/config.cpp
@@ -770,9 +770,7 @@ EX shared_ptr<custom_parameter> param_colortable(colortable& val, const paramete
   u->custom_value = [] () { return -1; };
   u->custom_affect = [&val] (void *v) { return &val == v; };
   u->custom_load = [&val] (const string& s) {
-    auto seq = split_string(s, ',');
-    val.resize(isize(seq));
-    for(int i=0; i<isize(seq); i++) sscanf(seq[i].c_str(), "%x", &(val[i]));
+    val = parsecolortable(s);
     };
   u->custom_save = [&val] {
     bool first = true;
diff --git a/util.cpp b/util.cpp
index 13a8e6a9..9b1f9b71 100644
--- a/util.cpp
+++ b/util.cpp
@@ -615,6 +615,17 @@ EX color_t parsecolor(const string& s, bool has_alpha) {
   return col;
   }
 
+EX colortable parsecolortable(const string& s) {
+  colortable tab;
+  tab.clear();
+  exp_parser ep;
+  ep.s = s;
+  tab.push_back(ep.parsecolor() >> 8);
+  while(ep.eat(","))
+    tab.push_back(ep.parsecolor() >> 8);
+  return tab;
+  }
+
 EX trans23 parsematrix23(const string& s) {
   trans23 t;
   #if MAXMDIM == 3