diff --git a/src/jv_print.c b/src/jv_print.c
index 2e781bb..e621b31 100644
--- a/src/jv_print.c
+++ b/src/jv_print.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ static const jv_kind color_kinds[] =
 static char color_bufs[sizeof(color_kinds)/sizeof(color_kinds[0])][16];
 static const char *color_bufps[8];
 static const char* def_colors[] =
-  {COL("1;30"),    COL("0;37"),      COL("0;37"),     COL("0;37"),
+  {COL("1;90"),    COL("0;37"),      COL("0;37"),     COL("0;37"),
    COL("0;32"),      COL("1;37"),     COL("1;37")};
 #define FIELD_COLOR COL("34;1")
 
diff --git a/tests/shtest b/tests/shtest
index 8ed62b2..2d3f0da 100755
--- a/tests/shtest
+++ b/tests/shtest
@@ -280,12 +280,12 @@ fi
 
 # Check $JQ_COLORS
 $JQ -Ccn . > $d/color
-printf '\033[1;30mnull\033[0m\n' > $d/expect
+printf '\033[1;90mnull\033[0m\n' > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 JQ_COLORS='4;31' $JQ -Ccn . > $d/color
 printf '\033[4;31mnull\033[0m\n' > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
-JQ_COLORS='1;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
+JQ_COLORS='1;90:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
   $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
 (
 printf '\033[1;35m[\033[1;36m{'
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ printf '[0m\033[0;31mfalse\033'
 printf '[0m\033[1;36m\033[1;36'
 printf 'm}\033[0m\033[1;35m,\033['
 printf '0;33m123\033[0m\033[1;'
-printf '35m,\033[1;30mnull\033'
+printf '35m,\033[1;90mnull\033'
 printf '[0m\033[1;35m\033[1;35'
 printf 'm]\033[0m\n'
 ) > $d/expect