Index: src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MapStatus.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MapStatus.java	(revision 17046)
+++ src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/MapStatus.java	(working copy)
@@ -909,6 +909,12 @@
         setLayout(new GridBagLayout());
         setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(1, 2, 1, 2));
 
+        latText.setForeground(PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.get());
+        lonText.setForeground(PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.get());
+        headingText.setForeground(PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.get());
+        distText.setForeground(PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.get());
+        nameText.setForeground(PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.get());
+
         latText.setInheritsPopupMenu(true);
         lonText.setInheritsPopupMenu(true);
         headingText.setInheritsPopupMenu(true);
@@ -1154,8 +1160,7 @@
     @Override
     public void preferenceChanged(PreferenceChangeEvent e) {
         String key = e.getKey();
-        if (key.startsWith("color.")) {
-            key = key.substring("color.".length());
+        if (key.startsWith(NamedColorProperty.NAMED_COLOR_PREFIX)) {
             if (PROP_BACKGROUND_COLOR.getKey().equals(key) || PROP_FOREGROUND_COLOR.getKey().equals(key)) {
                 for (ImageLabel il : new ImageLabel[]{latText, lonText, headingText, distText, nameText}) {
                     il.setBackground(PROP_BACKGROUND_COLOR.get());
Index: src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/ImageLabel.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/ImageLabel.java	(revision 17046)
+++ src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/widgets/ImageLabel.java	(working copy)
@@ -55,7 +55,19 @@
         imgLabel.setIcon(ImageProvider.get("statusline/", img, ImageSizes.STATUSLINE));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the foreground color of the text.
+     * @param fg text color
+     */
     @Override
+    public void setForeground(Color fg) {
+        super.setForeground(fg);
+        if (tf != null) {
+            tf.setForeground(fg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
         return new Dimension(25 + charCount*tf.getFontMetrics(tf.getFont()).charWidth('0'), super.getPreferredSize().height);
     }