diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index cf19710fbb..478f8648fa 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import regex
 from PyQt4.Qt import (
     QPlainTextEdit, QFontDatabase, QToolTip, QPalette, QFont, QKeySequence,
     QTextEdit, QTextFormat, QWidget, QSize, QPainter, Qt, QRect, pyqtSlot,
-    QApplication, QMimeData)
+    QApplication, QMimeData, QColor, QColorDialog)
 
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import tprefs, TOP
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor import SYNTAX_PROPERTY
@@ -485,6 +485,16 @@ class TextEdit(QPlainTextEdit):
     def format_text(self, formatting):
         if self.syntax != 'html':
             return
+        color = 'currentColor'
+        if formatting in {'color', 'background-color'}:
+            color = QColorDialog.getColor(QColor(Qt.black if formatting == 'color' else Qt.white), self, _('Choose color'), QColorDialog.ShowAlphaChannel)
+            if not color.isValid():
+                return
+            r, g, b, a = color.getRgb()
+            if a == 255:
+                color = 'rgb(%d, %d, %d)' % (r, g, b)
+            else:
+                color = 'rgba(%d, %d, %d, %.2g)' % (r, g, b, a/255)
         prefix, suffix = {
             'bold': ('<b>', '</b>'),
             'italic': ('<i>', '</i>'),
@@ -492,6 +502,8 @@ class TextEdit(QPlainTextEdit):
             'strikethrough': ('<strike>', '</strike>'),
             'superscript': ('<sup>', '</sup>'),
             'subscript': ('<sub>', '</sub>'),
+            'color': ('<span style="color: %s">' % color, '</span>'),
+            'background-color': ('<span style="background-color: %s">' % color, '</span>'),
         }[formatting]
         left, right = self.get_range_inside_tag()
         c = self.textCursor()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
index 22335a42dd..8201a0083e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/widget.py
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ def register_text_editor_actions(reg):
     ac = reg('format-text-subscript', _('&Subscript'), ('format_text', 'subscript'),
              'format-text-subscript', (), _('Make the selected text a subscript'))
     ac.setToolTip(_('<h3>Subscript</h3>Set the selected text slightly smaller and below the normal line'))
+    ac = reg('format-text-color', _('&Color'), ('format_text', 'color'), 'format-text-color', (), _('Change text color'))
+    ac.setToolTip(_('<h3>Color</h3>Change the color of the selected text'))
+    ac = reg('format-fill-color', _('&Background Color'), ('format_text', 'background-color'),
+             'format-text-background-color', (), _('Change background color of text'))
+    ac.setToolTip(_('<h3>Background Color</h3>Change the background color of the selected text'))
 
 class Editor(QMainWindow):
 
@@ -159,7 +164,7 @@ class Editor(QMainWindow):
             b.addAction(actions['pretty-current'])
         if self.syntax == 'html':
             self.format_bar = b = self.addToolBar(_('Format text'))
-            for x in ('bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'strikethrough', 'subscript', 'superscript'):
+            for x in ('bold', 'italic', 'underline', 'strikethrough', 'subscript', 'superscript', 'color', 'background-color'):
                 b.addAction(actions['format-text-%s' % x])
 
     def break_cycles(self):