diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
index 9409007ec6..6e7d982a82 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
@@ -8,18 +8,20 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 from PyQt4.Qt import QTextCharFormat, QFont, QBrush, QColor
 
 from pygments.formatter import Formatter as PF
-from pygments.token import Token, Generic
+from pygments.token import Token, Generic, string_to_tokentype
 
 class Formatter(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, prompt, continuation, **options):
+    def __init__(self, prompt, continuation, style='default'):
         if len(prompt) != len(continuation):
             raise ValueError('%r does not have the same length as %r' %
                     (prompt, continuation))
 
         self.prompt, self.continuation = prompt, continuation
+        self.set_style(style)
 
-        pf = PF(**options)
+    def set_style(self, style):
+        pf = PF(style=style)
         self.styles = {}
         self.normal = self.base_fmt()
         self.background_color = pf.style.background_color
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ class Formatter(object):
 
         for ttype, ndef in pf.style:
             fmt = self.base_fmt()
+            fmt.setProperty(fmt.UserProperty, str(ttype))
             if ndef['color']:
                 fmt.setForeground(QBrush(QColor('#%s'%ndef['color'])))
                 fmt.setUnderlineColor(QColor('#%s'%ndef['color']))
@@ -49,6 +52,14 @@ class Formatter(object):
         QTextEdit { color: %s; background-color: %s }
         '''%(self.color, self.background_color)
 
+    def get_fmt(self, token):
+        if type(token) != type(Token.Generic):
+            token = string_to_tokentype(token)
+        fmt = self.styles.get(token, None)
+        if fmt is None:
+            fmt = self.base_fmt()
+            fmt.setProperty(fmt.UserProperty, str(token))
+        return fmt
 
     def base_fmt(self):
         fmt = QTextCharFormat()
@@ -59,7 +70,7 @@ class Formatter(object):
         cursor.insertText(raw, self.normal)
 
     def render_syntax_error(self, tb, cursor):
-        fmt = self.styles[Token.Error]
+        fmt = self.get_fmt(Token.Error)
         cursor.insertText(tb, fmt)
 
     def render(self, tokens, cursor):
@@ -84,7 +95,9 @@ class Formatter(object):
 
     def render_prompt(self, is_continuation, cursor):
         pr = self.continuation if is_continuation else self.prompt
-        fmt = self.styles[Generic.Prompt]
+        fmt = self.get_fmt(Generic.Prompt)
+        if fmt is None:
+             fmt = self.base_fmt()
         cursor.insertText(pr, fmt)