diff --git a/canframemodel.cpp b/canframemodel.cpp
index 9fff765..f497e59 100644
--- a/canframemodel.cpp
+++ b/canframemodel.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "canframemodel.h"
 
 #include <QFile>
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <QPalette>
 #include "utility.h"
 
 
@@ -194,14 +196,43 @@ QVariant CANFrameModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
 {
     int dLen;
     QString tempString;
+    CANFrame thisFrame;
+
     if (!index.isValid())
         return QVariant();
 
     if (index.row() >= (filteredFrames.count()))
         return QVariant();
 
+    thisFrame = filteredFrames.at(index.row());
+
+    if (role == Qt::BackgroundColorRole)
+    {
+        if (dbcHandler != NULL && interpretFrames)
+        {
+            DBC_MESSAGE *msg = dbcHandler->findMessage(thisFrame);
+            if (msg != NULL)
+            {
+                return msg->bgColor;
+            }
+        }
+        return QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::Window);
+    }
+
+    if (role == Qt::TextColorRole)
+    {
+        if (dbcHandler != NULL && interpretFrames)
+        {
+            DBC_MESSAGE *msg = dbcHandler->findMessage(thisFrame);
+            if (msg != NULL)
+            {
+                return msg->fgColor;
+            }
+        }
+        return QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::WindowText);
+    }
+
     if (role == Qt::DisplayRole) {
-        CANFrame thisFrame = filteredFrames.at(index.row());
         switch (index.column())
         {
         case 0: //timestamp
@@ -249,7 +280,7 @@ QVariant CANFrameModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
                             tempString.append(sigString);
                             tempString.append("\n");
                         }
-                    }
+                    }                    
                 }
             }
             return tempString;
diff --git a/dbc/dbchandler.cpp b/dbc/dbchandler.cpp
index 10744f7..66722fa 100644
--- a/dbc/dbchandler.cpp
+++ b/dbc/dbchandler.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QFileDialog>
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <QPalette>
 #include "utility.h"
 
 DBCHandler* DBCHandler::instance = NULL;
@@ -732,6 +734,53 @@ void DBCFile::loadFile(QString fileName)
             }
         }
     }
+
+    //upon loading the file add our custom foreground and background color attributes if they don't exist already
+    DBC_ATTRIBUTE *bgAttr = findAttributeByName("GenMsgBackgroundColor");
+    if (!bgAttr)
+    {
+        attr.attrType = MESSAGE;
+        attr.defaultValue = QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::WindowText).name();
+        attr.enumVals.clear();
+        attr.lower = 0;
+        attr.upper = 0;
+        attr.name = "GenMsgBackgroundColor";
+        attr.valType = QSTRING;
+        dbc_attributes.append(attr);
+        bgAttr = findAttributeByName("GenMsgBackgroundColor");
+    }
+
+    DBC_ATTRIBUTE *fgAttr = findAttributeByName("GenMsgForegroundColor");
+    if (!fgAttr)
+    {
+        attr.attrType = MESSAGE;
+        attr.defaultValue = QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::Window).name();
+        attr.enumVals.clear();
+        attr.lower = 0;
+        attr.upper = 0;
+        attr.name = "GenMsgForegroundColor";
+        attr.valType = QSTRING;
+        dbc_attributes.append(attr);
+        fgAttr = findAttributeByName("GenMsgForegroundColor");
+    }
+
+    QColor DefaultBG = QColor(bgAttr->defaultValue.toString());
+    QColor DefaultFG = QColor(fgAttr->defaultValue.toString());
+
+    DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE *thisBG;
+    DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE *thisFG;
+
+    for (int x = 0; x < messageHandler->getCount(); x++)
+    {
+        DBC_MESSAGE *msg = messageHandler->findMsgByIdx(x);
+        msg->bgColor = DefaultBG;
+        msg->fgColor = DefaultFG;
+        thisBG = msg->findAttrValByName("GenMsgBackgroundColor");
+        thisFG = msg->findAttrValByName("GenMsgForegroundColor");
+        if (thisBG) msg->bgColor = QColor(thisBG->value.toString());
+        if (thisFG) msg->fgColor = QColor(thisFG->value.toString());
+    }
+
     if (numSigFaults > 0 || numMsgFaults > 0)
     {
         QMessageBox msgBox;
@@ -950,6 +999,7 @@ void DBCFile::saveFile(QString fileName)
     for (int x = 0; x < messageHandler->getCount(); x++)
     {
         DBC_MESSAGE *msg = messageHandler->findMsgByIdx(x);
+
         msgOutput.append("BO_ " + QString::number(msg->ID) + " " + msg->name + ": " + QString::number(msg->len) +
                          " " + msg->sender->name + "\n");
         if (msg->comment.length() > 0)
@@ -1166,6 +1216,27 @@ void DBCHandler::saveDBCFile(int idx)
 int DBCHandler::createBlankFile()
 {
     DBCFile newFile;
+    DBC_ATTRIBUTE attr;
+
+    //add our custom attributes to the new file so that we know they're already there.
+    attr.attrType = MESSAGE;
+    attr.defaultValue = QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::WindowText).name();
+    attr.enumVals.clear();
+    attr.lower = 0;
+    attr.upper = 0;
+    attr.name = "GenMsgBackgroundColor";
+    attr.valType = QSTRING;
+    newFile.dbc_attributes.append(attr);
+
+    attr.attrType = MESSAGE;
+    attr.defaultValue = QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::Window).name();
+    attr.enumVals.clear();
+    attr.lower = 0;
+    attr.upper = 0;
+    attr.name = "GenMsgForegroundColor";
+    attr.valType = QSTRING;
+    newFile.dbc_attributes.append(attr);
+
     loadedFiles.append(newFile);
     return loadedFiles.count();
 }
diff --git a/dbc/dbcmaineditor.cpp b/dbc/dbcmaineditor.cpp
index a6d63d0..954c645 100644
--- a/dbc/dbcmaineditor.cpp
+++ b/dbc/dbcmaineditor.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QSettings>
-
-#define MT_COLUMN_COUNT   5
+#include <QColorDialog>
 
 DBCMainEditor::DBCMainEditor( const QVector<CANFrame> *frames, QWidget *parent) :
     QDialog(parent),
@@ -27,13 +26,15 @@ DBCMainEditor::DBCMainEditor( const QVector<CANFrame> *frames, QWidget *parent)
     ui->NodesTable->horizontalHeader()->setStretchLastSection(true);
 
     QStringList headers2;
-    headers2 << "Msg ID" << "Msg Name" << "Data Len" << "Signals" << "Comment";
-    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnCount(MT_COLUMN_COUNT);
+    headers2 << "Msg ID" << "Msg Name" << "Data Len" << "Signals" << "Fg" << "Bg" << "Comment";
+    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnCount(headers2.count());
     ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(0, 80);
-    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(1, 240);
+    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(1, 200);
     ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(2, 80);
     ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(3, 80);
-    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(4, 340);
+    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(4, 40);
+    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(5, 40);
+    ui->MessagesTable->setColumnWidth(6, 300);
     ui->MessagesTable->setHorizontalHeaderLabels(headers2);
     ui->MessagesTable->horizontalHeader()->setStretchLastSection(true);
 
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ void DBCMainEditor::onCellChangedMessage(int row,int col)
             item->setFlags(item->flags() & ~Qt::ItemIsEditable);
             item->setText(Utility::formatNumber(msgID));
 
-            for(int i=1 ; i<MT_COLUMN_COUNT ; i++)
+            for(int i=1 ; i < ui->MessagesTable->columnCount(); i++)
             {
                 item = ui->MessagesTable->item(row, i);
                 item->setFlags(item->flags() | Qt::ItemIsEditable);
@@ -324,7 +325,7 @@ void DBCMainEditor::onCellChangedMessage(int row,int col)
         }
         case 3: //signals (number) - we don't handle anything here. User cannot directly change this value
             break;
-        case 4: //comment
+        case 6: //comment
         {
             QString msgComment = ui->MessagesTable->item(row, col)->text().simplified();
             if( ret && (msgComment!=NULL) )
@@ -359,6 +360,12 @@ void DBCMainEditor::onCellClickedNode(int row, int col)
 
 void DBCMainEditor::onCellClickedMessage(int row, int col)
 {
+    QTableWidgetItem* thisItem = ui->MessagesTable->item(row, col);
+    QTableWidgetItem* firstCol = ui->MessagesTable->item(row, 0);
+    bool ret = false;
+    DBC_MESSAGE *msg;
+    int msgID;
+
     if (col == 3) //3 is the signals field. If clicked we go to the signals dialog
     {
         QTableWidgetItem* msg = ui->MessagesTable->item(row, 0);
@@ -375,6 +382,60 @@ void DBCMainEditor::onCellClickedMessage(int row, int col)
             inhibitCellChanged = false;
         }
     }
+    if (col == 4)
+    {
+        QColor newColor = QColorDialog::getColor(thisItem->backgroundColor());
+        thisItem->setBackgroundColor(newColor);
+
+        if(!firstCol) return;
+
+        msgID = Utility::ParseStringToNum2(firstCol->text(), &ret);
+        msg = dbcFile->messageHandler->findMsgByID(msgID);
+
+        if (msg)
+        {
+            msg->fgColor = newColor;
+            DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE *val = msg->findAttrValByName("GenMsgForegroundColor");
+            if (val)
+            {
+                val->value = newColor.name();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE newVal;
+                newVal.attrName = "GenMsgForegroundColor";
+                newVal.value = newColor.name();
+                msg->attributes.append(newVal);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (col == 5)
+    {
+        QColor newColor = QColorDialog::getColor(thisItem->backgroundColor());
+        thisItem->setBackgroundColor(newColor);
+
+        if(!firstCol) return;
+
+        msgID = Utility::ParseStringToNum2(firstCol->text(), &ret);
+        msg = dbcFile->messageHandler->findMsgByID(msgID);
+
+        if (msg)
+        {
+            msg->bgColor = newColor;
+            DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE *val = msg->findAttrValByName("GenMsgBackgroundColor");
+            if (val)
+            {
+                val->value = newColor.name();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                DBC_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE newVal;
+                newVal.attrName = "GenMsgBackgroundColor";
+                newVal.value = newColor.name();
+                msg->attributes.append(newVal);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 void DBCMainEditor::refreshNodesTable()
@@ -453,9 +514,11 @@ void DBCMainEditor::insertBlankRow()
 {
     int rowIdx = ui->MessagesTable->rowCount();
     ui->MessagesTable->insertRow(rowIdx);
-    for(int i=1 ; i<MT_COLUMN_COUNT ; i++)
+    for(int i=1 ; i < ui->MessagesTable->columnCount(); i++)
     {
         QTableWidgetItem *item = new QTableWidgetItem("");
+        if (i == 4) item->setBackgroundColor(QApplication::palette().color(QPalette::WindowText)); //foreground color
+        //if (i == 5) item->setBackgroundColor(ui->MessagesTable->palette().color(ui->MessagesTable->backgroundRole())); //background color
         item->setFlags(item->flags() & ~Qt::ItemIsEditable);
         ui->MessagesTable->setItem(rowIdx, i, item);
     }