diff -r -u pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkdocklet-x11.c pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkdocklet-x11.c
--- pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkdocklet-x11.c
+++ pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkdocklet-x11.c
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@
 	if (!gtk_check_version(2,4,0))
 		g_object_set(G_OBJECT(box), "visible-window", FALSE, NULL);
 
+	gtk_widget_set_colormap(GTK_WIDGET(docklet), gdk_screen_get_rgb_colormap(gdk_screen_get_default()));
 	gtk_widget_show_all(GTK_WIDGET(docklet));
 
 	/* ref the docklet before we bandy it about the place */
diff -r -u pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkutils.c pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkutils.c
--- pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkutils.c
+++ pidgin-2.5.1/pidgin/gtkutils.c
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@
 	purple_imgstore_unref_by_id,
 };
 
+GdkScreen *screen;
+GdkColormap *colormap;
+
 void
 pidgin_setup_imhtml(GtkWidget *imhtml)
 {
@@ -143,6 +146,11 @@
 	else
 		gtk_window_set_title(wnd, PIDGIN_ALERT_TITLE);
 #endif
+	screen = gtk_window_get_screen(wnd);
+	colormap = gdk_screen_get_rgba_colormap(screen);
+	if (colormap && gdk_screen_is_composited(screen))
+		gtk_widget_set_default_colormap(colormap);
+
 	gtk_container_set_border_width(GTK_CONTAINER(wnd), border_width);
 	if (role)
 		gtk_window_set_role(wnd, role);