diff --git a/main.lua b/main.lua
index ce6a066..cf7a6e5 100644
--- a/main.lua
+++ b/main.lua
@@ -1340,15 +1340,22 @@ function Bookhoard:applyServerAnnotations(annotations)
                 entry.drawer = "lighten"
                 entry.text = srv_text
                 if srv_notes ~= "" then entry.note = srv_notes end
-                -- Match the device's native highlight look exactly: native
-                -- highlights carry view.highlight.saved_color ("yellow" on
-                -- color screens); a nil color renders grey (darkenRect).
-                -- Synced entries still never push this color back (see
-                -- collectAnnotations) — the web color only changes when the
-                -- highlight is edited here.
-                local default_color = (self.ui.view and self.ui.view.highlight
-                    and self.ui.view.highlight.saved_color) or "yellow"
-                entry.color = default_color
+                -- Color: the server maps the web color into KOReader's
+                -- named palette — use it when it arrives as a plain name so
+                -- synced highlights keep their web color. Anything else
+                -- (absent, or a raw hex that slipped through) falls back to
+                -- the device default (view.highlight.saved_color, "yellow"
+                -- on color screens — nil would render grey via darkenRect).
+                -- Echoes of applied entries never push this color back
+                -- (collectAnnotations) unless the user edited them, so the
+                -- stored web color never drifts.
+                local srv_color = server_entry.color or ""
+                if srv_color ~= "" and not srv_color:find("^#") then
+                    entry.color = srv_color
+                else
+                    entry.color = (self.ui.view and self.ui.view.highlight
+                        and self.ui.view.highlight.saved_color) or "yellow"
+                end
             else
                 if srv_text ~= "" then entry.note = srv_text end -- bookmark label
             end
@@ -1363,6 +1370,12 @@ function Bookhoard:applyServerAnnotations(annotations)
                 notes = srv_text,
                 text = srv_notes,
             }
+            if has_text then
+                local srv_color = server_entry.color or ""
+                if srv_color ~= "" and not srv_color:find("^#") then
+                    entry.color = srv_color
+                end
+            end
             if server_entry.dedup_key and server_entry.dedup_key ~= "" then
                 entry.bookhoard_dedup_key = server_entry.dedup_key
             end