diff --git a/rogueviz/kohonen.cpp b/rogueviz/kohonen.cpp
index 0a891a8d..28d7ce7d 100644
--- a/rogueviz/kohonen.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/kohonen.cpp
@@ -1531,10 +1531,23 @@ bool turn(int delta) {
   // shmup::pc[0]->rebase();
   }
 
+bool kohonen_color(int& c2, string& lab, FILE *f) {
+  if(c2 == '+') {
+    int known_id = kohonen::showsample(lab);
+    c2 = fgetc(f);
+    if(c2 == '@') {
+      legend.push_back(known_id);
+      return true;
+      }
+    }
+  return false;
+  }
+
 auto hooks2 = addHook(hooks_frame, 50, levelline::draw)
   + addHook(hooks_mouseover, 100, describe_cell)
   + addHook(shmup::hooks_turn, 100, turn)
-  + addHook(rogueviz::hooks_rvmenu, 100, showMenu);
+  + addHook(rogueviz::hooks_rvmenu, 100, showMenu)
+  + addHook(hooks_readcolor, 100, kohonen_color);
 
 void clear() {
   printf("clearing Kohonen...\n");
diff --git a/rogueviz/rogueviz.cpp b/rogueviz/rogueviz.cpp
index 6825862f..806eb0f0 100644
--- a/rogueviz/rogueviz.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/rogueviz.cpp
@@ -910,6 +910,8 @@ void drawExtra() {
     }
   }
 
+inline hookset<bool(int&, string&, FILE*)> *hooks_readcolor;
+
 void readcolor(const string& cfname) {
   FILE *f = fopen(cfname.c_str(), "rt");
   if(!f) { printf("color file missing\n"); exit(1); }
@@ -926,19 +928,9 @@ 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 == '+') {
-      known_id = kohonen::showsample(lab);
-      c2 = fgetc(f);
-      if(c2 == 10 || c2 == 13) continue;
-      }
+    if(callhandlers(false, hooks_readcolor, c2, lab, f)) continue;
+
     if(c2 == '#') {
       while(c2 != 10 && c2 != 13 && c2 != -1) c2 = fgetc(f);
       continue;
@@ -977,7 +969,7 @@ void readcolor(const string& cfname) {
           vdata[i].cp = x;
           }
       }
-    else if(kohonen::samples && !force) {
+    else if(isize(lab) && lab[0] == '!') {
       for(int i=0; i<isize(vdata); i++)
         if(vdata[i].name == lab) {
           vdata[i].cp = x;