diff --git a/zathura/config.c b/zathura/config.c
index d3fe43a..fcbff3f 100644
--- a/zathura/config.c
+++ b/zathura/config.c
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ cb_color_change(girara_session_t* session, const char* name,
 
   const char* string_value = (const char*) value;
   if (g_strcmp0(name, "highlight-color") == 0) {
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&(zathura->ui.colors.highlight_color), string_value);
+    parse_color(&zathura->ui.colors.highlight_color, string_value);
   } else if (g_strcmp0(name, "highlight-active-color") == 0) {
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&(zathura->ui.colors.highlight_color_active), string_value);
+    parse_color(&zathura->ui.colors.highlight_color_active, string_value);
   } else if (g_strcmp0(name, "recolor-darkcolor") == 0) {
     if (zathura->sync.render_thread != NULL) {
       zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors_str(zathura->sync.render_thread, NULL, string_value);
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ cb_color_change(girara_session_t* session, const char* name,
       zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors_str(zathura->sync.render_thread, string_value, NULL);
     }
   } else if (g_strcmp0(name, "render-loading-bg") == 0) {
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&(zathura->ui.colors.render_loading_bg), string_value);
+    parse_color(&zathura->ui.colors.render_loading_bg, string_value);
   } else if (g_strcmp0(name, "render-loading-fg") == 0) {
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&(zathura->ui.colors.render_loading_fg), string_value);
+    parse_color(&zathura->ui.colors.render_loading_fg, string_value);
   }
 
   render_all(zathura);
diff --git a/zathura/render.c b/zathura/render.c
index 4199485..5953de0 100644
--- a/zathura/render.c
+++ b/zathura/render.c
@@ -375,13 +375,15 @@ zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors_str(ZathuraRenderer* renderer,
 
   if (dark != NULL) {
     GdkRGBA color;
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&color, dark);
-    zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors(renderer, NULL, &color);
+    if (parse_color(&color, dark) == true) {
+      zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors(renderer, NULL, &color);
+    }
   }
   if (light != NULL) {
     GdkRGBA color;
-    gdk_rgba_parse(&color, light);
-    zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors(renderer, &color, NULL);
+    if (parse_color(&color, light) == true) {
+      zathura_renderer_set_recolor_colors(renderer, &color, NULL);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/zathura/utils.c b/zathura/utils.c
index 90e8268..9aeaff3 100644
--- a/zathura/utils.c
+++ b/zathura/utils.c
@@ -280,3 +280,13 @@ find_first_page_column(const char* first_page_column_list,
 
   return first_page_column;
 }
+
+bool
+parse_color(GdkRGBA* color, const char* str)
+{
+  if (gdk_rgba_parse(color, str) == FALSE) {
+    girara_warning("Failed to parse color string '%s'.", str);
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/zathura/utils.h b/zathura/utils.h
index c30d3f9..135eb2e 100644
--- a/zathura/utils.h
+++ b/zathura/utils.h
@@ -120,4 +120,14 @@ double zathura_correct_scale_value(girara_session_t* session, const double
 unsigned int find_first_page_column(const char* first_page_column_list,
                                     const unsigned int pages_per_row);
 
+/**
+ * Parse color string and print warning if color cannot be parsed.
+ *
+ * @param[out] color The color
+ * @param[in] str Color string
+ *
+ * @return True if color string can be parsed, false otherwise.
+ */
+bool parse_color(GdkRGBA* color, const char* str);
+
 #endif // UTILS_H
diff --git a/zathura/zathura.c b/zathura/zathura.c
index d61877c..94609bf 100644
--- a/zathura/zathura.c
+++ b/zathura/zathura.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ init_css(zathura_t* zathura)
     GdkRGBA rgba      = {0, 0, 0, 0};
     girara_setting_get(zathura->ui.session, index_settings[s], &tmp_value);
     if (tmp_value != NULL) {
-      gdk_rgba_parse(&rgba, tmp_value);
+      parse_color(&rgba, tmp_value);
       g_free(tmp_value);
     }