diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/backend/canvas/Color.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/backend/canvas/Color.java
index a9ad2177..acec4ebc 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/backend/canvas/Color.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/backend/canvas/Color.java
@@ -223,4 +223,19 @@ public class Color {
 		}
 		throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown color");
 	}
+
+	public static int parseColor(String colorString, int fallBackColor) {
+		if (colorString.charAt(0) == '#') {
+			// Use a long to avoid rollovers on #ffXXXXXX
+			long color = Long.parseLong(colorString.substring(1), 16);
+			if (colorString.length() == 7) {
+				// Set the alpha value
+				color |= 0x00000000ff000000;
+			} else if (colorString.length() != 9) {
+				return fallBackColor;
+			}
+			return (int) color;
+		}
+		return fallBackColor;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/layers/tile/s3db/S3DBLayer.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/layers/tile/s3db/S3DBLayer.java
index 291f0763..888d396f 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/layers/tile/s3db/S3DBLayer.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/layers/tile/s3db/S3DBLayer.java
@@ -55,11 +55,8 @@ public class S3DBLayer extends TileLayer {
 
 	static int getColor(String color, boolean roof) {
 
-		try {
-			return Color.parseColor(color);
-		} catch (Exception e) {
-
-		}
+		if (color.charAt(0) == '#')
+			return Color.parseColor(color, Color.CYAN);
 
 		if (roof) {
 			if ("brown" == color)