diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 3fb820f0f..db942c3f9 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ struct bar_config {
 struct border_colors {
 	float border[4];
 	float background[4];
-	uint32_t text; // uint32_t because that's the format that cairo uses
+	float text[4];
 	float indicator[4];
 	float child_border[4];
 };
diff --git a/sway/commands/client.c b/sway/commands/client.c
index 0abd0167c..d6b7de1a5 100644
--- a/sway/commands/client.c
+++ b/sway/commands/client.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static struct cmd_results *handle_command(int argc, char **argv,
 				"Unable to parse background color");
 	}
 
-	if (!parse_color_int(argv[2], &class->text)) {
+	if (!parse_color_float(argv[2], class->text)) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, cmd_name,
 				"Unable to parse text color");
 	}
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 0ad9c3a2b..5efa0d486 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -210,31 +210,31 @@ static void config_defaults(struct sway_config *config) {
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.border, 0x4C7899);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.border, 0x4C7899);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.background, 0x285577);
-	config->border_colors.focused.text = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.text, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.indicator, 0x2E9EF4);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused.child_border, 0x285577);
 
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused_inactive.border, 0x333333);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused_inactive.background, 0x5F676A);
-	config->border_colors.focused_inactive.text = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+	set_color(config->border_colors.focused_inactive.text, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused_inactive.indicator, 0x484E50);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.focused_inactive.child_border, 0x5F676A);
 
 	set_color(config->border_colors.unfocused.border, 0x333333);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.unfocused.background, 0x222222);
-	config->border_colors.unfocused.text = 0x888888FF;
+	set_color(config->border_colors.unfocused.text, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.unfocused.indicator, 0x292D2E);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.unfocused.child_border, 0x222222);
 
 	set_color(config->border_colors.urgent.border, 0x2F343A);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.urgent.background, 0x900000);
-	config->border_colors.urgent.text = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+	set_color(config->border_colors.urgent.text, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.urgent.indicator, 0x900000);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.urgent.child_border, 0x900000);
 
 	set_color(config->border_colors.placeholder.border, 0x000000);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.placeholder.background, 0x0C0C0C);
-	config->border_colors.placeholder.text = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+	set_color(config->border_colors.placeholder.text, 0xFFFFFFFF);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.placeholder.indicator, 0x000000);
 	set_color(config->border_colors.placeholder.child_border, 0x0C0C0C);
 
diff --git a/sway/tree/container.c b/sway/tree/container.c
index d89019a30..90ca9b2cd 100644
--- a/sway/tree/container.c
+++ b/sway/tree/container.c
@@ -585,9 +585,10 @@ static void update_title_texture(struct sway_container *con,
 	cairo_set_source_rgba(cairo, class->background[0], class->background[1],
 			class->background[2], class->background[3]);
 	cairo_paint(cairo);
-	cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
 	PangoContext *pango = pango_cairo_create_context(cairo);
-	cairo_set_source_u32(cairo, class->text);
+	cairo_set_antialias(cairo, CAIRO_ANTIALIAS_BEST);
+	cairo_set_source_rgba(cairo, class->text[0], class->text[1],
+			class->text[2], class->text[3]);
 	cairo_move_to(cairo, 0, 0);
 
 	pango_printf(cairo, config->font, output->sway_output->wlr_output->scale,