diff --git a/mode-icons.el b/mode-icons.el
index 4556133..28b06f1 100644
--- a/mode-icons.el
+++ b/mode-icons.el
@@ -318,9 +318,15 @@ If ICON-PATH is a string, return that."
   "Get xpm image from ICON-PATH and reaplce REP-ALIST in file.
 When NAME is non-nil, also replace the internal xpm image name."
   (let ((case-fold-search t)
-        (img (mode-icons-get-xpm-string icon-path)))
+        (img (mode-icons-get-xpm-string icon-path))
+        (i 0))
     (dolist (c rep-alist)
-      (setq img (replace-regexp-in-string (regexp-quote (car c)) (cdr c) img t t)))
+      (setq img (replace-regexp-in-string (regexp-quote (car c)) (format "COLOR<%d>" i) img t t)
+            i (1+ i)))
+    (let ((i 0))
+      (dolist (c rep-alist)
+        (setq img (replace-regexp-in-string (format "COLOR<%d>" i) (cdr c) img t t)
+              i (1+ i))))
     (when name
       (setq img (replace-regexp-in-string "^[ ]*static[ ]+char[ ]+[*][ ]+.*?\\[" (concat "static char * " name "[") img t t)))
     img))