diff --git a/terminatorlib/terminator.py b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
index 4ad0055b..731942c1 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/terminator.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/terminator.py
@@ -414,11 +414,19 @@ class Terminator(Borg):
         profiles = self.config.base.profiles
         for profile in profiles.keys():
             if profiles[profile]['use_theme_colors']:
-                # FIXME: This dummy vte has different system colors to the real ones
-                bgcolor = Vte.Terminal().get_style_context().get_background_color(Gtk.StateType.NORMAL)
+                # Create a dummy window/vte and realise it so it has correct
+                # values to read from
+                tmp_win = Gtk.Window()
+                tmp_vte = Vte.Terminal()
+                tmp_win.add(tmp_vte)
+                tmp_win.realize()
+                bgcolor = tmp_vte.get_style_context().get_background_color(Gtk.StateType.NORMAL)
                 bgcolor = "#{0:02x}{1:02x}{2:02x}".format(int(bgcolor.red  * 255),
                                                           int(bgcolor.green * 255),
                                                           int(bgcolor.blue * 255))
+                tmp_win.remove(tmp_vte)
+                del(tmp_vte)
+                del(tmp_win)
             else:
                 bgcolor = Gdk.RGBA()
                 bgcolor = profiles[profile]['background_color']