diff --git a/src/v_video.c b/src/v_video.c
index 98a87fd6f..aaa796e8b 100644
--- a/src/v_video.c
+++ b/src/v_video.c
@@ -2517,6 +2517,8 @@ void V_DrawSmallStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *st
 	fixed_t cx = x, cy = y;
 	INT32 w, c, dupx, dupy, scrwidth, center = 0, left = 0;
 	const char *ch = string;
+	INT32 charflags = 0;
+	const UINT8 *colormap = NULL;
 	INT32 spacewidth = 2, charwidth = 0;
 
 	INT32 lowercase = (option & V_ALLOWLOWERCASE);
@@ -2536,6 +2538,8 @@ void V_DrawSmallStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *st
 		scrwidth -= left;
 	}
 
+	charflags = (option & V_CHARCOLORMASK);
+
 	switch (option & V_SPACINGMASK)
 	{
 		case V_MONOSPACE:
@@ -2554,8 +2558,13 @@ void V_DrawSmallStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *st
 	{
 		if (!*ch)
 			break;
-		if (*ch & 0x80) //color ignoring
+		if (*ch & 0x80) //color parsing -x 2.16.09
+		{
+			// manually set flags override color codes
+			if (!(option & V_CHARCOLORMASK))
+				charflags = ((*ch & 0x7f) << V_CHARCOLORSHIFT) & V_CHARCOLORMASK;
 			continue;
+		}
 		if (*ch == '\n')
 		{
 			cx = x;
@@ -2596,7 +2605,9 @@ void V_DrawSmallStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *st
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		V_DrawSciencePatch(cx + (center<<FRACBITS), cy, option, hu_font[c], FRACUNIT/2);
+		colormap = V_GetStringColormap(charflags);
+
+		V_DrawFixedPatch(cx + (center<<FRACBITS), cy, FRACUNIT/2, option, hu_font[c], colormap);
 
 		cx += w<<FRACBITS;
 	}
@@ -2608,6 +2619,8 @@ void V_DrawThinStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *str
 	fixed_t cx = x, cy = y;
 	INT32 w, c, dupx, dupy, scrwidth, center = 0, left = 0;
 	const char *ch = string;
+	INT32 charflags = 0;
+	const UINT8 *colormap = NULL;
 	INT32 spacewidth = 2, charwidth = 0;
 
 	INT32 lowercase = (option & V_ALLOWLOWERCASE);
@@ -2627,6 +2640,8 @@ void V_DrawThinStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *str
 		scrwidth -= left;
 	}
 
+	charflags = (option & V_CHARCOLORMASK);
+
 	switch (option & V_SPACINGMASK)
 	{
 		case V_MONOSPACE:
@@ -2645,8 +2660,13 @@ void V_DrawThinStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *str
 	{
 		if (!*ch)
 			break;
-		if (*ch & 0x80) //color ignoring
+		if (*ch & 0x80) //color parsing -x 2.16.09
+		{
+			// manually set flags override color codes
+			if (!(option & V_CHARCOLORMASK))
+				charflags = ((*ch & 0x7f) << V_CHARCOLORSHIFT) & V_CHARCOLORMASK;
 			continue;
+		}
 		if (*ch == '\n')
 		{
 			cx = x;
@@ -2687,7 +2707,9 @@ void V_DrawThinStringAtFixed(fixed_t x, fixed_t y, INT32 option, const char *str
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		V_DrawSciencePatch(cx + (center<<FRACBITS), cy, option, tny_font[c], FRACUNIT);
+		colormap = V_GetStringColormap(charflags);
+
+		V_DrawFixedPatch(cx + (center<<FRACBITS), cy, FRACUNIT, option, tny_font[c], colormap);
 
 		cx += w<<FRACBITS;
 	}