diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/utilities.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/utilities.js
index 9936a67ba02..c96efb2cf76 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/utilities.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/utilities.js
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ Discourse.Utilities = {
 
   // Create a badge like category link
   categoryLink: function(category) {
-    var color, name, description, result;
+    var color, textColor, name, description, result;
     if (!category) return "";
 
     color = Em.get(category, 'color');
+    textColor = Em.get(category, 'text_color');
     name = Em.get(category, 'name');
     description = Em.get(category, 'description');
 
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ Discourse.Utilities = {
     // Add description if we have it
     if (description) result += "title=\"" + description + "\" ";
 
-    return result + "style=\"background-color: #" + color + "\">" + name + "</a>";
+    return result + "style=\"background-color: #" + color + "; color: #" + textColor + ";\">" + name + "</a>";
   },
 
   avatarUrl: function(username, size, template) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/category.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/category.js
index 4bf87ca0caa..461faadb2fc 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/category.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/category.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ Discourse.Category = Discourse.Model.extend({
   }).property('name'),
 
   style: (function() {
-    return "background-color: #" + (this.get('color'));
-  }).property('color'),
+    return "background-color: #" + (this.get('category.color')) + "; color: #" + (this.get('category.text_color')) + ";";
+  }).property('color', 'text_color'),
 
   moreTopics: (function() {
     return this.get('topic_count') > Discourse.SiteSettings.category_featured_topics;
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ Discourse.Category = Discourse.Model.extend({
     return this.ajax(url, {
       data: {
         name: this.get('name'),
-        color: this.get('color')
+        color: this.get('color'),
+        text_color: this.get('text_color')
       },
       type: this.get('id') ? 'PUT' : 'POST',
       success: function(result) { return args.success(result); },
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/excerpt/category.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/excerpt/category.js.handlebars
index db20ce8f6c4..2a57235f3b8 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/excerpt/category.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/excerpt/category.js.handlebars
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <div class='contents'>
-  <span class='badge-category' style='background-color: #{{unbound view.color}}'>{{unbound view.name}}</span>
+  <span class='badge-category' style='background-color: #{{unbound view.color}}; color: #{{unbound view.text_color}}'>{{unbound view.name}}</span>
 
   {{#if view.excerpt}}
   <div class='description'>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit_category.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit_category.js.handlebars
index 7c87ec498ac..1317e44b395 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit_category.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/edit_category.js.handlebars
@@ -20,11 +20,22 @@
 
     </div>
 
-    <label>{{i18n category.color}}</label>
+    <label>{{i18n category.badge_colors}}</label>
 
-    <div class='input-prepend input-append'>
-      <span class='add-on'>#</span>{{view Discourse.TextField valueBinding="view.category.color" placeholderKey="category.color_placeholder" maxlength="6"}}
-      <span class='badge-category' {{bindAttr style="view.colorStyle"}}>{{i18n preview}}</span>
+    <div class="category-color-editor">
+        <span class='badge-category' {{bindAttr style="view.colorStyle"}}>{{i18n preview}}</span>
+
+        <div class='input-prepend input-append' style="margin-top: 10px;">
+          <span class='color-title'>{{i18n category.background_color}}:</span>
+          <span class='add-on'>#</span>{{view Discourse.TextField valueBinding="view.category.color" placeholderKey="category.color_placeholder" maxlength="6"}}
+          {{view Discourse.ColorsView colorsBinding="view.predefinedColors" valueBinding="view.category.color"}}
+        </div>
+
+        <div class='input-prepend input-append'>
+          <span class='color-title'>{{i18n category.foreground_color}}:</span>
+          <span class='add-on'>#</span>{{view Discourse.TextField valueBinding="view.category.text_color" placeholderKey="category.color_placeholder" maxlength="6"}}
+          {{view Discourse.ColorsView colorsBinding="view.predefinedColors" valueBinding="view.category.text_color"}}
+        </div>
     </div>
 
   </form>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/search/category_result.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/search/category_result.js.handlebars
index 7cbee1710ac..0bf3bfba785 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/search/category_result.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/search/category_result.js.handlebars
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {{#with view.content}}
   <a href='{{unbound url}}'>
-    <span class='badge-category' style="background-color: #{{unbound color}}">{{unbound title}}</span>
+    <span class='badge-category' style="background-color: #{{unbound color}}; color: #{{unbound text_color}};">{{unbound title}}</span>
   </a>
 {{/with}}
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/combobox_view_category.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/combobox_view_category.js
index cac5e069a1e..55f8d463efd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/combobox_view_category.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/combobox_view_category.js
@@ -8,12 +8,13 @@
 **/
 Discourse.ComboboxViewCategory = Discourse.ComboboxView.extend({
   none: 'category.none',
-  dataAttributes: ['color', 'description'],
+  dataAttributes: ['color', 'text_color', 'description'],
 
   template: function(text, templateData) {
     if (!templateData.color) return text;
 
-    var result = "<span class='badge-category' style='background-color: #" + templateData.color + "' "
+    var result = "<span class='badge-category' style='background-color: #" + templateData.color + '; color: #' +
+        templateData.text_color + ";' ";
     if (templateData.description && templateData.description !== 'null') {
       result += "title=\"" + templateData.description + "\" ";
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/colors_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/colors_view.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8dbd7e3e0a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/colors_view.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/**
+ This view shows an array of buttons for selection of a color from a predefined set.
+
+ @class ColorsView
+ @extends Ember.ContainerView
+ @namespace Discourse
+ @module Discourse
+ **/
+Discourse.ColorsView = Ember.ContainerView.extend({
+    classNames: 'colors-container',
+
+    init: function() {
+        this._super();
+        return this.createButtons();
+    },
+
+    createButtons: function() {
+        var colors = this.get('colors');
+        var _this = this;
+
+        colors.each(function(color) {
+            _this.addObject(Discourse.View.create({
+                tagName: 'button',
+                attributeBindings: ['style'],
+                classNames: ['colorpicker'],
+                style: 'background-color: #' + color + ';',
+                click: function() {
+                    _this.set("value", color);
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }));
+        });
+    }
+});
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/edit_category_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/edit_category_view.js
index 97e96254c01..fb1aeb6dd6f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/edit_category_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/modal/edit_category_view.js
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@ Discourse.EditCategoryView = Discourse.ModalBodyView.extend({
   }).property('category.name', 'category.color'),
 
   colorStyle: (function() {
-    return "background-color: #" + (this.get('category.color')) + ";";
-  }).property('category.color'),
+    return "background-color: #" + (this.get('category.color')) + "; color: #" + (this.get('category.text_color')) + ";";
+  }).property('category.color', 'category.text_color'),
+
+  predefinedColors: ["FFFFFF", "000000", "AECFC6", "836953", "77DD77", "FFB347", "FDFD96", "536878",
+      "EC5800", "0096E0", "7C4848", "9AC932", "BA160C", "003366", "B19CD9", "E4717A"],
 
   title: (function() {
     if (this.get('category.id')) return Em.String.i18n("category.edit_long");
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ Discourse.EditCategoryView = Discourse.ModalBodyView.extend({
     if (this.get('category')) {
       this.set('id', this.get('category.slug'));
     } else {
-      this.set('category', Discourse.Category.create({ color: 'AB9364' }));
+      this.set('category', Discourse.Category.create({ color: 'AB9364', text_color: 'FFFFFF' }));
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/application/colorpicker.css.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/colorpicker.css.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..319d391940d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/application/colorpicker.css.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// styles for the category badge color picker
+
+@import "foundation/variables";
+@import "foundation/mixins";
+
+.category-color-editor {
+  input {
+    width: 70px;
+  }
+
+  .color-title {
+    display: inline-block;
+    width: 130px;
+  }
+
+  .colors-container {
+    display: inline-block;
+    vertical-align: bottom;
+    padding-bottom: 2px;
+    padding-left: 15px;
+
+    .colorpicker {
+      border: 1px solid $darkish_gray;
+      width: 15px;
+      height: 15px;
+      margin-right: 2px;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb b/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
index 1f422878bc2..48e9f4a32f2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/categories_controller.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class CategoriesController < ApplicationController
   private
 
     def category_param_keys
-      [:name, :color]
+      [:name, :color, :text_color]
     end
 
     def category_params
diff --git a/app/serializers/category_excerpt_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/category_excerpt_serializer.rb
index 4ac0e2506e8..2117c653454 100644
--- a/app/serializers/category_excerpt_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/category_excerpt_serializer.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ require_dependency 'excerpt_type'
 class CategoryExcerptSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
   include ExcerptType
 
-  attributes :excerpt, :name, :color, :slug, :topic_url, :topics_year,
+  attributes :excerpt, :name, :color, :text_color, :slug, :topic_url, :topics_year,
              :topics_month, :topics_week, :category_url, :can_edit, :can_delete
 
 
diff --git a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
index 935066dae97..60f07c8d860 100644
--- a/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/category_serializer.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ class CategorySerializer < ApplicationSerializer
   attributes :id,
              :name,
              :color,
+             :text_color,
              :slug,
              :topic_count,
              :description,
diff --git a/config/locales/client.cs.yml b/config/locales/client.cs.yml
index 8aeff54d706..6136c912f10 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.cs.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.cs.yml
@@ -584,7 +584,9 @@ cs:
       name: "Název kategorie"
       description: "Popis"
       topic: "téma kategorie"
-      color: "Barva"
+      badge_colors: "Barvy štítku"
+      background_color: "Barva pozadí"
+      foreground_color: "Barva textu"
       name_placeholder: "Měl by být krátký a výstižný."
       color_placeholder: "Jakákoliv webová barva"
       delete_confirm: "Opravdu chcete odstranit tuto kategorii?"
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 92181ca3eab..f7c5fa8d31c 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -587,7 +587,9 @@ en:
       name: "Category Name"
       description: "Description"
       topic: "category topic"
-      color: "Color"
+      badge_colors: "Badge colors"
+      background_color: "Background color"
+      foreground_color: "Foreground color"
       name_placeholder: "Should be short and succinct."
       color_placeholder: "Any web color"
       delete_confirm: "Are you sure you want to delete that category?"
diff --git a/db/migrate/20130314093434_add_foreground_color_to_categories.rb b/db/migrate/20130314093434_add_foreground_color_to_categories.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f60663b85cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20130314093434_add_foreground_color_to_categories.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddForegroundColorToCategories < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :categories, :text_color, :string, limit: 6, null: false, default: 'FFFFFF'
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/search.rb b/lib/search.rb
index aa1291e96e4..2e4ecb2362e 100644
--- a/lib/search.rb
+++ b/lib/search.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ module Search
                   '/users/' || u.username_lower AS url,
                   u.username AS title,
                   u.email,
-                  NULL AS color
+                  NULL AS color,
+                  NULL AS text_color
     FROM users AS u
     JOIN users_search s on s.id = u.id
     WHERE s.search_data @@ TO_TSQUERY(:locale, :query)
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ module Search
             '/t/slug/' || ft.id AS url,
             ft.title,
             NULL AS email,
-            NULL AS color
+            NULL AS color,
+            NULL AS text_color
     FROM topics AS ft
       JOIN posts AS p ON p.topic_id = ft.id AND p.post_number = 1
       JOIN posts_search s on s.id = p.id
@@ -52,7 +54,8 @@ module Search
             '/t/slug/' || ft.id || '/' || p.post_number AS url,
             ft.title,
             NULL AS email,
-            NULL AS color
+            NULL AS color,
+            NULL AS text_color
     FROM topics AS ft
       JOIN posts AS p ON p.topic_id = ft.id AND p.post_number <> 1
       JOIN posts_search s on s.id = p.id
@@ -74,7 +77,8 @@ module Search
             '/category/' || c.slug AS url,
             c.name AS title,
             NULL AS email,
-            c.color
+            c.color,
+            c.text_color
     FROM categories AS c
     JOIN categories_search s on s.id = c.id
     WHERE s.search_data @@ TO_TSQUERY(:locale, :query)
@@ -168,6 +172,7 @@ module Search
       end
       row.delete('email')
       row.delete('color') unless type == 'category'
+      row.delete('text_color') unless type == 'category'
 
       grouped[type] ||= []
       grouped[type] << row
diff --git a/spec/controllers/categories_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/categories_controller_spec.rb
index 73979ed656c..f0016998274 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/categories_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/categories_controller_spec.rb
@@ -14,22 +14,26 @@ describe CategoriesController do
 
       it "raises an exception when they don't have permission to create it" do
         Guardian.any_instance.expects(:can_create?).with(Category, nil).returns(false)
-        xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', color: '#ff0'
+        xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff'
         response.should be_forbidden
       end
 
       it 'raises an exception when the name is missing' do
-        lambda { xhr :post, :create, color: '#ff0' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+        lambda { xhr :post, :create, color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
       end
 
       it 'raises an exception when the color is missing' do
-        lambda { xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+        lambda { xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', text_color: 'fff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+      end
+
+      it 'raises an exception when the text color is missing' do
+        lambda { xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', color: 'ff0' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
       end
 
       describe 'failure' do
         before do
           @category = Fabricate(:category, user: @user)
-          xhr :post, :create, name: @category.name, color: '#ff0'
+          xhr :post, :create, name: @category.name, color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff'
         end
 
         it { should_not respond_with(:success) }
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ describe CategoriesController do
 
       describe 'success' do
         before do
-          xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', color: '#ff0'
+          xhr :post, :create, name: 'hello', color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff'
         end
 
         it 'creates a category' do
@@ -97,22 +101,26 @@ describe CategoriesController do
 
       it "raises an exception if they don't have permission to edit it" do
         Guardian.any_instance.expects(:can_edit?).returns(false)
-        xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, name: 'hello', color: '#ff0'
+        xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, name: 'hello', color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff'
         response.should be_forbidden
       end
 
       it "requires a name" do
-        lambda { xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, color: '#fff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+        lambda { xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, color: 'fff', text_color: '0ff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
       end
 
       it "requires a color" do
-        lambda { xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, name: 'asdf'}.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+        lambda { xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, name: 'asdf', text_color: '0ff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
+      end
+
+      it "requires a text color" do
+        lambda { xhr :put, :update, id: @category.slug, name: 'asdf', color: 'fff' }.should raise_error(Discourse::InvalidParameters)
       end
 
       describe 'failure' do
         before do
           @other_category = Fabricate(:category, name: 'Other', user: @user )
-          xhr :put, :update, id: @category.id, name: @other_category.name, color: '#ff0'
+          xhr :put, :update, id: @category.id, name: @other_category.name, color: 'ff0', text_color: 'fff'
         end
 
         it 'returns errors on a duplicate category name' do
@@ -126,7 +134,7 @@ describe CategoriesController do
 
       describe 'success' do
         before do
-          xhr :put, :update, id: @category.id, name: 'science', color: '#000'
+          xhr :put, :update, id: @category.id, name: 'science', color: '000', text_color: '0ff'
           @category.reload
         end
 
@@ -135,7 +143,11 @@ describe CategoriesController do
         end
 
         it 'updates the color' do
-          @category.color.should == '#000'
+          @category.color.should == '000'
+        end
+
+        it 'updates the text color' do
+          @category.text_color.should == '0ff'
         end
 
       end