diff --git a/src/dobjtype.cpp b/src/dobjtype.cpp
index 965a0d8fd..e84504015 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.cpp
+++ b/src/dobjtype.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ PStatePointer *TypeState;
 PStateLabel *TypeStateLabel;
 PStruct *TypeVector2;
 PStruct *TypeVector3;
+PStruct *TypeColorStruct;
 PPointer *TypeNullPtr;
 
 // PRIVATE DATA DEFINITIONS ------------------------------------------------
@@ -578,6 +579,19 @@ void PType::StaticInit()
 	TypeTable.AddType(TypeStateLabel = new PStateLabel);
 	TypeTable.AddType(TypeNullPtr = new PPointer);
 
+	TypeColorStruct = new PStruct("@ColorStruct", nullptr);	//This name is intentionally obfuscated so that it cannot be used explicitly. The point of this type is to gain access to the single channels of a color value.
+#ifdef __BIG_ENDIAN__
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_a, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_r, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_g, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_b, TypeUInt8);
+#else
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_b, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_g, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_r, TypeUInt8);
+	TypeColorStruct->AddField(NAME_a, TypeUInt8);
+#endif
+
 	TypeVector2 = new PStruct(NAME_Vector2, nullptr);
 	TypeVector2->AddField(NAME_X, TypeFloat64);
 	TypeVector2->AddField(NAME_Y, TypeFloat64);
diff --git a/src/dobjtype.h b/src/dobjtype.h
index aeb042ebb..b8fc1cbf6 100644
--- a/src/dobjtype.h
+++ b/src/dobjtype.h
@@ -919,6 +919,7 @@ extern PSound *TypeSound;
 extern PColor *TypeColor;
 extern PStruct *TypeVector2;
 extern PStruct *TypeVector3;
+extern PStruct *TypeColorStruct;
 extern PStatePointer *TypeState;
 extern PStateLabel *TypeStateLabel;
 extern PPointer *TypeNullPtr;
diff --git a/src/namedef.h b/src/namedef.h
index d4206e2bb..0418e0f87 100644
--- a/src/namedef.h
+++ b/src/namedef.h
@@ -750,3 +750,9 @@ xx(A_FirePlasma)
 xx(A_FireBFG)
 xx(A_FireOldBFG)
 xx(A_FireRailgun)
+
+// color channels
+xx(a)
+xx(r)
+xx(g)
+xx(b)
diff --git a/src/scripting/codegeneration/codegen.cpp b/src/scripting/codegeneration/codegen.cpp
index 43d5f8174..c040403d8 100644
--- a/src/scripting/codegeneration/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/codegeneration/codegen.cpp
@@ -5652,6 +5652,10 @@ FxExpression *FxMemberIdentifier::Resolve(FCompileContext& ctx)
 
 	SAFE_RESOLVE(Object, ctx);
 
+	// allow accessing the color chanels by mapping the type to a matching struct which defines them.
+	if (Object->ValueType == TypeColor) 
+		Object->ValueType = TypeColorStruct;
+
 	if (Object->ValueType->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(PPointer)))
 	{
 		auto ptype = static_cast<PPointer *>(Object->ValueType)->PointedType;
@@ -6305,6 +6309,26 @@ FxExpression *FxStructMember::Resolve(FCompileContext &ctx)
 			delete this;
 			return locvar;
 		}
+		else if (classx->ExprType == EFX_LocalVariable && classx->ValueType == TypeColorStruct)
+		{
+			// This needs special treatment because it'd require accessing the register via address.
+			// Fortunately this is the only place where this kind of access is ever needed so an explicit handling is acceptable.
+			int bits;
+			switch (membervar->SymbolName.GetIndex())
+			{
+			case NAME_a: bits = 24; break;
+			case NAME_r: bits = 16; break;
+			case NAME_g: bits = 8; break;
+			case NAME_b: default: bits = 0; break;
+			}
+			classx->ValueType = TypeColor;	// need to set it back.
+			FxExpression *x = classx;
+			if (bits > 0) x = new FxShift(TK_URShift, x, new FxConstant(bits, ScriptPosition));
+			x = new FxBitOp('&', x, new FxConstant(255, ScriptPosition));
+			classx = nullptr;
+			delete this;
+			return x->Resolve(ctx);
+		}
 		else
 		{
 			if (!(classx->RequestAddress(ctx, &AddressWritable)))
diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vmbuilder.cpp b/src/scripting/vm/vmbuilder.cpp
index 3ccf67f95..04339f6eb 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vmbuilder.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vmbuilder.cpp
@@ -785,6 +785,8 @@ VMFunction *FFunctionBuildList::AddFunction(PFunction *functype, FxExpression *c
 	it.StateIndex = stateindex;
 	it.StateCount = statecount;
 	it.Lump = lumpnum;
+	assert(it.Func->Variants.Size() == 1);
+	it.Func->Variants[0].Implementation = it.Function;
 
 	// set prototype for named functions.
 	if (it.Func->SymbolName != NAME_None)
diff --git a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
index f2d847325..3d8cc18b5 100644
--- a/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/zscript/zcc_compile.cpp
@@ -2272,7 +2272,7 @@ void ZCCCompiler::CompileFunction(ZCC_StructWork *c, ZCC_FuncDeclarator *f, bool
 				auto code = ConvertAST(c->Type(), f->Body);
 				if (code != nullptr)
 				{
-					sym->Variants[0].Implementation = FunctionBuildList.AddFunction(sym, code, FStringf("%s.%s", c->Type()->TypeName.GetChars(), FName(f->Name).GetChars()), false, -1, 0, Lump);
+					FunctionBuildList.AddFunction(sym, code, FStringf("%s.%s", c->Type()->TypeName.GetChars(), FName(f->Name).GetChars()), false, -1, 0, Lump);
 				}
 			}
 		}