diff --git a/watch.c b/watch.c
index e0e9950e..d18ad4be 100644
--- a/watch.c
+++ b/watch.c
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ static int nr_of_colors;
 static int attributes;
 static int fg_col;
 static int bg_col;
+static int more_colors;
 
 
 static void reset_ansi(void)
@@ -123,51 +124,77 @@ static void reset_ansi(void)
 
 static void init_ansi_colors(void)
 {
+	int color;
+
 	short ncurses_colors[] = {
 		-1, COLOR_BLACK, COLOR_RED, COLOR_GREEN, COLOR_YELLOW,
 		COLOR_BLUE, COLOR_MAGENTA, COLOR_CYAN, COLOR_WHITE
 	};
-
 	nr_of_colors = sizeof(ncurses_colors) / sizeof(short);
 
+	more_colors = (COLORS >= 16) && (COLOR_PAIRS >= 16 * 16);
+
+	// Initialize ncurses colors. -1 is terminal default
+	// 0-7 are auto created standard colors initialized by ncurses
+	if (more_colors) {
+		// Initialize using ANSI SGR 8-bit specified colors
+		// 8-15 are bright colors
+		init_color(8, 333, 333, 333);  // Bright black
+		init_color(9, 1000, 333, 333);  // Bright red
+		init_color(10, 333, 1000, 333);  // Bright green
+		init_color(11, 1000, 1000, 333);  // Bright yellow
+		init_color(12, 333, 333, 1000);  // Bright blue
+		init_color(13, 1000, 333, 1000);  // Bright magenta
+		init_color(14, 333, 1000, 1000);  // Bright cyan
+		// Often ncurses is built with only 256 colors, so lets
+		// stop here - so we can support the -1 terminal default
+		//init_color(15, 1000, 1000, 1000);  // Bright white
+		nr_of_colors += 7;
+	}
+
+	// Initialize all color pairs with ncurses
 	for (bg_col = 0; bg_col < nr_of_colors; bg_col++)
 		for (fg_col = 0; fg_col < nr_of_colors; fg_col++)
-			init_pair(bg_col * nr_of_colors + fg_col + 1, ncurses_colors[fg_col], ncurses_colors[bg_col]);
+			init_pair(bg_col * nr_of_colors + fg_col + 1, fg_col - 1, bg_col - 1);
+
 	reset_ansi();
 }
 
 
 static int process_ansi_color_escape_sequence(char** escape_sequence) {
-    // process SGR ANSI color escape sequence
-    // Eg 8-bit
-    // 38;5;⟨n⟩  (set fg color to n)
-    // 48;5;⟨n⟩  (set bg color to n)
-    //
-    // Eg 24-bit (not yet implemented)
-    // ESC[ 38;2;⟨r⟩;⟨g⟩;⟨b⟩ m Select RGB foreground color
-    // ESC[ 48;2;⟨r⟩;⟨g⟩;⟨b⟩ m Select RGB background color
-    int num;
+	// process SGR ANSI color escape sequence
+	// Eg 8-bit
+	// 38;5;⟨n⟩  (set fg color to n)
+	// 48;5;⟨n⟩  (set bg color to n)
+	//
+	// Eg 24-bit (not yet implemented)
+	// ESC[ 38;2;⟨r⟩;⟨g⟩;⟨b⟩ m Select RGB foreground color
+	// ESC[ 48;2;⟨r⟩;⟨g⟩;⟨b⟩ m Select RGB background color
+	int num;
 
-    if ((*escape_sequence)[0] != ';')
-        return 0; /* not understood */
+	if ((*escape_sequence)[0] != ';')
+		return 0; /* not understood */
 
-    if ((*escape_sequence)[1] == '5') {
-        // 8 bit! ANSI specifies a predefined set of 256 colors here.
-        if ((*escape_sequence)[2] != ';')
-            return 0; /* not understood */
-        num = strtol((*escape_sequence) + 3, escape_sequence, 10);
-        if (num >= 0 && num <= 7) {
-            // 0-7 are standard colors  same as SGR 30-37
-            return num + 1;
-        }
+	if ((*escape_sequence)[1] == '5') {
+		// 8 bit! ANSI specifies a predefined set of 256 colors here.
+		if ((*escape_sequence)[2] != ';')
+			return 0; /* not understood */
+		num = strtol((*escape_sequence) + 3, escape_sequence, 10);
+		if (num >= 0 && num <= 7) {
+			// 0-7 are standard colors  same as SGR 30-37
+			return num + 1;
+		}
+		if (num >= 8 && num <= 15) {
+			// 8-15 are standard colors  same as SGR 90-97
+			 return more_colors ? num + 1 : num - 8 + 1;
+		}
 
-        // Remainder aren't yet implemented
-        // 8- 15:  high intensity colors (as in ESC [ 90–97 m)
-        // 16-231:  6 × 6 × 6 cube (216 colors): 16 + 36 × r + 6 × g + b (0 ≤ r, g, b ≤ 5)
-        // 232-255:  grayscale from black to white in 24 steps
-    }
+		// Remainder aren't yet implemented
+		// 16-231:  6 × 6 × 6 cube (216 colors): 16 + 36 × r + 6 × g + b (0 ≤ r, g, b ≤ 5)
+		// 232-255:  grayscale from black to white in 24 steps
+	}
 
-    return 0; /* not understood */
+	return 0; /* not understood */
 }
 
 
@@ -242,11 +269,15 @@ static int set_ansi_attribute(const int attrib, char** escape_sequence)
 			fg_col = attrib - 30 + 1;
 		} else if (attrib >= 40 && attrib <= 47) { /* set background color */
 			bg_col = attrib - 40 + 1;
+		} else if (attrib >= 90 && attrib <= 97) { /* set bright fg color */
+			fg_col = more_colors ? attrib - 90 + 9 : attrib - 90 + 1;
+		} else if (attrib >= 100 && attrib <= 107) { /* set bright bg color */
+			bg_col = more_colors ? attrib - 100 + 9 : attrib - 100 + 1;
 		} else {
 			return 0; /* Not understood */
 		}
 	}
-	attrset(attributes | COLOR_PAIR(bg_col * nr_of_colors + fg_col + 1));
+	attr_set(attributes, bg_col * nr_of_colors + fg_col + 1, NULL);
 	return 1;
 }