diff --git a/src/control/C4PlayerInfo.cpp b/src/control/C4PlayerInfo.cpp
index 01d973b36..626a96009 100644
--- a/src/control/C4PlayerInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/control/C4PlayerInfo.cpp
@@ -807,6 +807,12 @@ void C4PlayerInfoList::UpdatePlayerAttributes(C4ClientPlayerInfos *pForInfo, boo
 				pInfo->SetColor(dwForceClr);
 				pForInfo->SetUpdated();
 			}
+			// make sure colors have correct alpha (modified engines might send malformed packages of transparent colors)
+			if ((pInfo->GetColor() & 0xff000000u) != 0xff000000u)
+			{
+				pInfo->SetColor(pInfo->GetColor() | 0xff000000u);
+				pForInfo->SetUpdated();
+			}
 		}
 	if (fResolveConflicts) ResolvePlayerAttributeConflicts(pForInfo);
 }
diff --git a/src/gui/C4GameLobby.cpp b/src/gui/C4GameLobby.cpp
index eac3352be..b02189e1c 100644
--- a/src/gui/C4GameLobby.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/C4GameLobby.cpp
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ namespace C4GameLobby
 							else
 							{
 								// color validation
-								dwNewClr &= 0xffffff;
+								dwNewClr |= 0xff000000;
 								if (!dwNewClr) ++dwNewClr;
 								// request a color change to this color
 								C4ClientPlayerInfos LocalInfoRequest = *pCltNfo;