diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index 33aaeb49..6d203efa 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -4,24 +4,26 @@
 typedef struct Config Config;
 extern Config config;
 
+struct Colortriple {
+	char border[8];
+	char background[8];
+	char text[8];
+};
+
 struct Config {
 	const char *terminal;
 	const char *font;
 
 	/* Color codes are stored here */
-	char *client_focused_background_active;
-	char *client_focused_background_inactive;
-	char *client_focused_text;
-	char *client_focused_border;
-	char *client_unfocused_background;
-	char *client_unfocused_text;
-	char *client_unfocused_border;
-	char *bar_focused_background;
-	char *bar_focused_text;
-	char *bar_focused_border;
-	char *bar_unfocused_background;
-	char *bar_unfocused_text;
-	char *bar_unfocused_border;
+	struct config_client {
+		struct Colortriple focused;
+		struct Colortriple focused_inactive;
+		struct Colortriple unfocused;
+	} client;
+	struct config_bar {
+		struct Colortriple focused;
+		struct Colortriple unfocused;
+	} bar;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index c4d940ae..82219793 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -52,24 +52,45 @@ void load_configuration(const char *override_configpath) {
         if (config.name == NULL) \
                 die("You did not specify required configuration option " #name "\n");
 
-#define OPTION_COLOR(opt, name) \
+#define OPTION_COLORTRIPLE(opt, name) \
         if (strcasecmp(key, opt) == 0) { \
-                config.name = sstrdup(value); \
+                struct Colortriple buffer; \
+                memset(&buffer, 0, sizeof(struct Colortriple)); \
+                buffer.border[0] = buffer.background[0] = buffer.text[0] = '#'; \
+                if (sscanf(value, "#%06[0-9a-fA-F] #%06[0-9a-fA-F] #%06[0-9a-fA-F]", \
+                    buffer.border + 1, buffer.background + 1, buffer.text + 1) != 3 || \
+                    strlen(buffer.border) != 7 || \
+                    strlen(buffer.background) != 7 || \
+                    strlen(buffer.text) != 7) \
+                        die("invalid color code line: %s\n", value); \
+                memcpy(&config.name, &buffer, sizeof(struct Colortriple)); \
                 continue; \
         }
 
-#define VERIFY_COLOR(name, def) \
-        if (config.name == NULL) { \
-                config.name = (char *)malloc(7); \
-                memset(config.name, 0, 7); \
-        } \
-        if ((strlen(config.name) != 7) || (config.name[0] != '#')) { \
-                strncpy(config.name, def, 7); \
-        }
-
         /* Clear the old config or initialize the data structure */
         memset(&config, 0, sizeof(config));
 
+        /* Initialize default colors */
+        strcpy(config.client.focused.border, "#4c7899");
+        strcpy(config.client.focused.background, "#285577");
+        strcpy(config.client.focused.text, "#ffffff");
+
+        strcpy(config.client.focused_inactive.border, "#4c7899");
+        strcpy(config.client.focused_inactive.background, "#555555");
+        strcpy(config.client.focused_inactive.text, "#ffffff");
+
+        strcpy(config.client.unfocused.border, "#333333");
+        strcpy(config.client.unfocused.background, "#222222");
+        strcpy(config.client.unfocused.text, "#888888");
+
+        strcpy(config.bar.focused.border, "#4c7899");
+        strcpy(config.bar.focused.background, "#285577");
+        strcpy(config.bar.focused.text, "#ffffff");
+
+        strcpy(config.bar.unfocused.border, "#333333");
+        strcpy(config.bar.unfocused.background, "#222222");
+        strcpy(config.bar.unfocused.text, "#888888");
+
         FILE *handle;
         if (override_configpath != NULL) {
                 if ((handle = fopen(override_configpath, "r")) == NULL)
@@ -101,32 +122,12 @@ void load_configuration(const char *override_configpath) {
                 OPTION_STRING(font);
 
                 /* Colors */
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.focused.background.active",
-                                client_focused_background_active);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.focused.background.inactive",
-                                client_focused_background_inactive);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.focused.text", 
-                                client_focused_text);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.focused.border", 
-                                client_focused_border);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.unfocused.background",
-                                client_unfocused_background);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.unfocused.text",
-                                client_unfocused_text);
-                OPTION_COLOR("client.unfocused.border",
-                                client_unfocused_border);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.focused.background",
-                                bar_focused_background);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.focused.text",
-                                bar_focused_text);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.focused.border",
-                                bar_focused_border);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.unfocused.background",
-                                bar_unfocused_background);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.unfocused.text",
-                                bar_unfocused_text);
-                OPTION_COLOR("bar.unfocused.border",
-                                bar_unfocused_border);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("client.focused", client.focused);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("client.focused_inactive", client.focused_inactive);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("client.unfocused", client.unfocused);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("client.focused", client.focused);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("bar.focused", bar.focused);
+                OPTION_COLORTRIPLE("bar.unfocused", bar.unfocused);
 
                 /* exec-lines (autostart) */
                 if (strcasecmp(key, "exec") == 0) {
@@ -214,25 +215,10 @@ void load_configuration(const char *override_configpath) {
                         continue;
                 }
 
-                fprintf(stderr, "Unknown configfile option: %s\n", key);
-                exit(1);
+                die("Unknown configfile option: %s\n", key);
         }
         fclose(handle);
 
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_focused_background_active, "#285577");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_focused_background_inactive, "#555555");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_focused_text, "#ffffff");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_focused_border, "#4c7899");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_unfocused_background,"#222222");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_unfocused_text, "#888888");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(client_unfocused_border, "#333333");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_focused_background, "#285577");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_focused_text, "#ffffff");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_focused_border, "#4c7899");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_unfocused_background, "#222222");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_unfocused_text, "#888888");
-        VERIFY_COLOR(bar_unfocused_border, "#333333");
-
         REQUIRED_OPTION(terminal);
         REQUIRED_OPTION(font);
  
diff --git a/src/layout.c b/src/layout.c
index 32f52134..060625d9 100644
--- a/src/layout.c
+++ b/src/layout.c
@@ -112,16 +112,16 @@ void decorate_window(xcb_connection_t *conn, Client *client, xcb_drawable_t draw
         if (client->floating || client->container->currently_focused == client) {
                 /* Distinguish if the window is currently focused… */
                 if (client->floating || CUR_CELL->currently_focused == client)
-                        background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_focused_background_active);
+                        background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.focused.background);
                 /* …or if it is the focused window in a not focused container */
-                else background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_focused_background_inactive);
+                else background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.focused_inactive.background);
 
-                text_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_focused_text);
-                border_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_focused_border);
+                text_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.focused.text);
+                border_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.focused.border);
         } else {
-                background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_unfocused_background);
-                text_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_unfocused_text);
-                border_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client_unfocused_border);
+                background_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.unfocused.background);
+                text_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.unfocused.text);
+                border_color = get_colorpixel(conn, config.client.unfocused.border);
         }
 
         /* Our plan is the following:
@@ -409,13 +409,13 @@ static void render_internal_bar(xcb_connection_t *conn, Workspace *r_ws, int wid
 
         black = get_colorpixel(conn, "#000000");
 
-        background_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_unfocused_background);
-        text_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_unfocused_text);
-        border_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_unfocused_border);
+        background_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.unfocused.background);
+        text_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.unfocused.text);
+        border_color[SET_NORMAL] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.unfocused.border);
 
-        background_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_focused_background);
-        text_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_focused_text);
-        border_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar_focused_border);
+        background_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.focused.background);
+        text_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.focused.text);
+        border_color[SET_FOCUSED] = get_colorpixel(conn, config.bar.focused.border);
 
         /* Fill the whole bar in black */
         xcb_change_gc_single(conn, screen->bargc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND, black);