diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 1c0b587..80d0e6e 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ static const char *colors[][3]      = {
 /* tagging */
 static const char *tags[] = { "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9" };
 
+static const char *tagsel[][2] = {
+	{ "#ffffff", "#ff0000" },
+	{ "#ffffff", "#ff7f00" },
+	{ "#000000", "#ffff00" },
+	{ "#000000", "#00ff00" },
+	{ "#ffffff", "#0000ff" },
+	{ "#ffffff", "#4b0082" },
+	{ "#ffffff", "#9400d3" },
+	{ "#000000", "#ffffff" },
+	{ "#ffffff", "#000000" },
+};
+
+static const unsigned int tagalpha[] = { OPAQUE, baralpha };
+
 static const Rule rules[] = {
 	/* xprop(1):
 	 *	WM_CLASS(STRING) = instance, class
diff --git a/dwm.c b/dwm.c
index b0b3466..23d1c46 100644
--- a/dwm.c
+++ b/dwm.c
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ static Atom wmatom[WMLast], netatom[NetLast];
 static int running = 1;
 static Cur *cursor[CurLast];
 static Clr **scheme;
+static Clr **tagscheme;
 static Display *dpy;
 static Drw *drw;
 static Monitor *mons, *selmon;
@@ -717,7 +718,7 @@ drawbar(Monitor *m)
 	x = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(tags); i++) {
 		w = TEXTW(tags[i]);
-		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[m->tagset[m->seltags] & 1 << i ? SchemeSel : SchemeNorm]);
+		drw_setscheme(drw, (m->tagset[m->seltags] & 1 << i ? tagscheme[i] : scheme[SchemeNorm]));
 		drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, tags[i], urg & 1 << i);
 		if (occ & 1 << i)
 			drw_rect(drw, x + boxs, boxs, boxw, boxw,
@@ -1568,9 +1569,14 @@ setup(void)
 	cursor[CurResize] = drw_cur_create(drw, XC_sizing);
 	cursor[CurMove] = drw_cur_create(drw, XC_fleur);
 	/* init appearance */
+	if (LENGTH(tags) > LENGTH(tagsel))
+		die("too few color schemes for the tags");
 	scheme = ecalloc(LENGTH(colors), sizeof(Clr *));
 	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(colors); i++)
 		scheme[i] = drw_scm_create(drw, colors[i], 3);
+	tagscheme = ecalloc(LENGTH(tagsel), sizeof(Clr *));
+	for (i = 0; i < LENGTH(tagsel); i++)
+		tagscheme[i] = drw_scm_create(drw, tagsel[i], tagalpha, 2);
 	/* init bars */
 	updatebars();
 	updatestatus();