diff --git a/jni/gl/utils.c b/jni/gl/utils.c
index 9786365c..09d8fb9c 100644
--- a/jni/gl/utils.c
+++ b/jni/gl/utils.c
@@ -7,20 +7,53 @@
 
 #define JNI(X) JNIEXPORT Java_org_oscim_utils_GlUtils_##X
 
-static const char TAG[] = "org.oscim.utils.GLUtils";
+#define COLOR_R(C) (((C >> 16) & 0xff) / 255.0f)
+#define COLOR_G(C) (((C >> 8) & 0xff) / 255.0f)
+#define COLOR_B(C) (((C >> 0) & 0xff) / 255.0f)
+#define COLOR_A(C) (((C >> 24) & 0xff) / 255.0f)
 
-static void
-nativeClassInit(JNIEnv *_env)
+void JNI(setColor)(JNIEnv *env, jclass* clazz, jint location, jint c, jfloat alpha)
 {
 
+  if (alpha >= 1)
+    alpha = COLOR_A(c);
+  else if (alpha < 0)
+    alpha = 0;
+  else
+    alpha *= COLOR_A(c);
+
+  if (alpha == 1)
+    {
+      glUniform4f((GLint) location,
+          (GLfloat) COLOR_R(c),
+          (GLfloat) COLOR_G(c),
+          (GLfloat) COLOR_B(c),
+          (GLfloat) alpha);
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      glUniform4f((GLint) location,
+          (GLfloat) (COLOR_R(c) * alpha),
+          (GLfloat) (COLOR_G(c) * alpha),
+          (GLfloat) (COLOR_B(c) * alpha),
+          (GLfloat) alpha);
+    }
 }
 
-void JNI(init)(JNIEnv *env, jclass* clazz)
+void JNI(setColorBlend)(JNIEnv *env, jclass* clazz, jint location, jint c1, jint c2, jfloat mix)
 {
-  nativeClassInit(env);
-  __android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_INFO, TAG, "all initialized");
+  float a1 = COLOR_A(c1) * (1 - mix);
+  float a2 = COLOR_A(c2) * mix;
+
+  glUniform4f((GLint) location,
+      (GLfloat) (COLOR_R(c1) * a1 + COLOR_R(c2) * a2),
+      (GLfloat) (COLOR_G(c1) * a1 + COLOR_G(c2) * a2),
+      (GLfloat) (COLOR_B(c1) * a1 + COLOR_B(c2) * a2),
+      (GLfloat) (a1 + a2));
 }
 
+
+
 #undef JNI
 #define JNI(X) JNIEXPORT Java_org_oscim_utils_Matrix4_##X
 
@@ -42,7 +75,6 @@ transposeM(float* mTrans, int mTransOffset, float* m, int mOffset);
 static inline void
 matrix4_proj(float* mat, float* vec);
 
-
 jlong JNI(alloc)(JNIEnv *env, jclass* clazz)
 {
   return (long) calloc(16, sizeof(float));
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/renderer/LineTexRenderer.java b/src/org/oscim/renderer/LineTexRenderer.java
index 6d3be5ae..bd3beb7c 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/renderer/LineTexRenderer.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/renderer/LineTexRenderer.java
@@ -167,12 +167,8 @@ public class LineTexRenderer {
 			LineTexLayer ll = (LineTexLayer) l;
 			Line line = ll.line;
 
-			if (line.stippleColor == null)
-				GLES20.glUniform4f(hTexColor, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
-			else
-				GLES20.glUniform4fv(hTexColor, 1, line.stippleColor, 0);
-
-			GLES20.glUniform4fv(hBgColor, 1, line.color, 0);
+			GlUtils.setColor(hTexColor, line.stippleColor, 1);
+			GlUtils.setColor(hBgColor, line.color, 1);
 
 			float ps = FastMath.clamp((int) (s+0.5f), 1, 3);
 			GLES20.glUniform1f(hPatternScale, (GLRenderer.COORD_SCALE * line.stipple) / ps);
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/renderer/PolygonRenderer.java b/src/org/oscim/renderer/PolygonRenderer.java
index ef5b1f34..c2f82a60 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/renderer/PolygonRenderer.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/renderer/PolygonRenderer.java
@@ -113,13 +113,13 @@ public final class PolygonRenderer {
 				GLState.blend(false);
 
 				if (a.blend == zoom)
-					GlUtils.setBlendColors(hPolygonColor,
+					GlUtils.setColorBlend(hPolygonColor,
 							a.color, a.blendColor, scale - 1.0f);
 				else
 					GlUtils.setColor(hPolygonColor, a.blendColor, 1);
 
 			} else {
-				if (a.color[3] != 1)
+				if (a.color < 0xff000000)
 					GLState.blend(true);
 				else
 					GLState.blend(false);
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Area.java b/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Area.java
index d4fae587..9c9f2609 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Area.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Area.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package org.oscim.theme.renderinstruction;
 import org.oscim.core.Tag;
 import org.oscim.theme.IRenderCallback;
 import org.oscim.theme.RenderThemeHandler;
-import org.oscim.utils.GlUtils;
 import org.xml.sax.Attributes;
 
 import android.graphics.Color;
@@ -85,11 +84,11 @@ public final class Area extends RenderInstruction {
 		this.level = 0;
 		this.style = "";
 		this.fade = -1;
-		blendColor = null;
+		blendColor = 0;
 		blend = -1;
 		strokeWidth = 0;
 
-		color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(fill);
+		color = fill;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -126,12 +125,8 @@ public final class Area extends RenderInstruction {
 		// paintFill.setShader(shader);
 		// }
 
-		color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(fill);
-
-		if (blend > 0)
-			blendColor = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(blendFill);
-		else
-			blendColor = null;
+		color = fill; //GlUtils.colorToFloatP(fill);
+		blendColor = blendFill; //GlUtils.colorToFloatP(blendFill);
 
 		this.blend = blend;
 		this.strokeWidth = strokeWidth;
@@ -144,18 +139,11 @@ public final class Area extends RenderInstruction {
 		renderCallback.renderArea(this, this.level);
 	}
 
-	// @Override
-	// public void scaleStrokeWidth(float scaleFactor) {
-	// // if (paintOutline != null) {
-	// // paintOutline.setStrokeWidth(strokeWidth * scaleFactor);
-	// // }
-	// }
-
 	public String style;
 	private final int level;
 	public final float strokeWidth;
-	public final float color[];
+	public final int color;
 	public final int fade;
-	public final float blendColor[];
+	public final int blendColor;
 	public final int blend;
 }
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Line.java b/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Line.java
index abdd566c..6165aff9 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Line.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/theme/renderinstruction/Line.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import org.oscim.core.Tag;
 import org.oscim.theme.IRenderCallback;
 import org.oscim.theme.RenderThemeHandler;
-import org.oscim.utils.GlUtils;
 import org.xml.sax.Attributes;
 
 import android.graphics.Color;
@@ -66,8 +65,9 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 		int stipple = 0;
 		float stippleWidth = 0;
 
-		float[] color = null;
-		float[] stippleColor = null;
+		int color = Color.RED;
+
+		int stippleColor = Color.BLACK;
 
 		if (line != null) {
 			color = line.color;
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 			else if ("src".equals(name)) {
 				//src = value;
 			} else if ("stroke".equals(name)) {
-				int stroke = Color.parseColor(value);
-				color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
+				color = Color.parseColor(value);
 			} else if ("width".equals(name)) {
 				width = Float.parseFloat(value);
 			} else if ("cap".equals(name)) {
@@ -101,8 +100,7 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 			} else if ("stipple".equals(name)) {
 				stipple = Integer.parseInt(value);
 			} else if ("stipple-stroke".equals(name)) {
-				int stroke = Color.parseColor(value);
-				stippleColor = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
+				stippleColor =  Color.parseColor(value);
 			} else if ("stipple-width".equals(name)) {
 				stippleWidth = Float.parseFloat(value);
 			} else if ("fade".equals(name)) {
@@ -117,13 +115,6 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// hint that sth is missing
-		if (color == null)
-			color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(Color.RED);
-
-		if (stipple != 0 && stippleColor == null)
-			stippleColor = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(Color.GREEN);
-
 		// inherit properties from 'line'
 		if (line != null) {
 			// use stroke width relative to 'line'
@@ -160,7 +151,7 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 
 	public final String style;
 	public final float width;
-	public final float[] color;
+	public final int color;
 	public final Cap cap;
 	public final boolean outline;
 	public final boolean fixed;
@@ -169,14 +160,14 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 	public final float min;
 
 	public final int stipple;
-	public final float[] stippleColor;
+	public final int stippleColor;
 	public final float stippleWidth;
 
 
 
-	private Line(int level, String style, float[] color, float width,
+	private Line(int level, String style, int color, float width,
 			Cap cap, boolean fixed,
-			int stipple, float[] stippleColor, float stippleWidth,
+			int stipple, int stippleColor, float stippleWidth,
 			int fade, float blur, boolean isOutline, float min) {
 
 		this.level = level;
@@ -222,10 +213,10 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 		this.fixed = true;
 		this.fade = -1;
 		this.stipple = 0;
-		this.stippleColor = null;
+		this.stippleColor = Color.BLACK;
 		this.stippleWidth = 0;
 		this.min = 0;
-		this.color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
+		this.color = stroke; //GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
 	}
 
 	public Line(int stroke, float width, int stipple) {
@@ -238,10 +229,10 @@ public final class Line extends RenderInstruction {
 		this.fixed = true;
 		this.fade = -1;
 		this.stipple = stipple;
-		this.stippleColor = null;
+		this.stippleColor = Color.BLACK;
 		this.stippleWidth = 0.6f;
 		this.min = 0;
-		color = GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
+		color = stroke; //GlUtils.colorToFloatP(stroke);
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/src/org/oscim/utils/GlUtils.java b/src/org/oscim/utils/GlUtils.java
index 3953c8bb..0b57ba64 100644
--- a/src/org/oscim/utils/GlUtils.java
+++ b/src/org/oscim/utils/GlUtils.java
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ import android.util.Log;
  * Utility functions
  */
 public class GlUtils {
+
+	public static native void setColor(int location, int color, float alpha);
+	public static native void setColorBlend(int location, int color1, int color2, float mix);
+
 	private static String TAG = "GlUtils";
 
 	public static void setTextureParameter(int min_filter, int mag_filter, int wrap_s, int wrap_t) {
@@ -202,6 +206,7 @@ public class GlUtils {
 		return oom;
 	}
 
+
 	public static void setBlendColors(int handle, float[] c1, float[] c2, float mix) {
 		if (mix <= 0f)
 			GLES20.glUniform4fv(handle, 1, c1, 0);