diff --git a/src/ircutils.py b/src/ircutils.py
index 55f7a1a99..ed3a961ae 100644
--- a/src/ircutils.py
+++ b/src/ircutils.py
@@ -199,38 +199,39 @@ def bold(s):
 
 mircColors = {
     None: '',
-    'white': '0',
-    'black': '1',
-    'blue': '2',
-    'green': '3',
-    'red': '4',
-    'brown': '5',
-    'purple': '6',
-    'orange': '7',
-    'yellow': '8',
-    'light green': '9',
-    'teal': '10',
-    'light blue': '11',
-    'dark blue': '12',
-    'pink': '13',
-    'dark grey': '14',
-    'light grey': '15',
+    'white': 0,
+    'black': 1,
+    'blue': 2,
+    'green': 3,
+    'red': 4,
+    'brown': 5,
+    'purple': 6,
+    'orange': 7,
+    'yellow': 8,
+    'light green': 9,
+    'teal': 10,
+    'light blue': 11,
+    'dark blue': 12,
+    'pink': 13,
+    'dark grey': 14,
+    'light grey': 15,
 }
 
 for (k, v) in mircColors.items():
-    if v: # Ignore empty string for None.
-        i = int(v)
-        mircColors[v] = i
-        mircColors[i] = i
+    if k is not None: # Ignore empty string for None.
+        mircColors[v] = k
 
 def mircColor(s, fg=None, bg=None):
     """Returns s, with the appropriate mIRC color codes applied."""
     if fg is None and bg is None:
         return s
-    elif bg is None:
-        return '\x03%s%s\x03' % (mircColors[fg], s)
+    fg = mircColors[fg]
+    if bg is None:
+        return '\x03%s%s\x03' % (fg, s)
     else:
-        return '\x03%s,%s%s\x03' % (mircColors[fg], mircColors[bg], s)
+        if isinstance(bg, str):
+            bg = mircColors[bg]
+        return '\x03%s,%s%s\x03' % (fg, bg, s)
 			  
 
 def isValidArgument(s):
diff --git a/test/test_ircutils.py b/test/test_ircutils.py
index 2cc176b21..c70f96a65 100644
--- a/test/test_ircutils.py
+++ b/test/test_ircutils.py
@@ -76,18 +76,22 @@ class FunctionsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         s = 'foo'
         self.assertEqual(s, ircutils.mircColor(s))
         # Test positional args
-        self.assertEqual('\x030foo\x03',
-                         ircutils.mircColor(s, 'white'))
-        self.assertEqual('\x031,2foo\x03',
-                         ircutils.mircColor(s, 'black', 'blue'))
-        self.assertEqual('\x03,3foo\x03',
-                         ircutils.mircColor(s, None, 'green'))
+        self.assertEqual('\x030foo\x03', ircutils.mircColor(s, 'white'))
+        self.assertEqual('\x031,2foo\x03',ircutils.mircColor(s,'black','blue'))
+        self.assertEqual('\x03,3foo\x03', ircutils.mircColor(s, None, 'green'))
         # Test keyword args
         self.assertEqual('\x034foo\x03', ircutils.mircColor(s, fg='red'))
         self.assertEqual('\x03,5foo\x03', ircutils.mircColor(s, bg='brown'))
         self.assertEqual('\x036,7foo\x03',
                          ircutils.mircColor(s, bg='orange', fg='purple'))
         
+    def testMircColors(self):
+        # Make sure all (k, v) pairs are also (v, k) pairs.
+        for (k, v) in ircutils.mircColors.items():
+            if k:
+                self.assertEqual(ircutils.mircColors[v], k)
+        
+        
     def testSafeArgument(self):
         s = 'I have been running for 9 seconds'
         bolds = ircutils.bold(s)