diff --git a/dlls/user/user32.spec b/dlls/user/user32.spec
index 456f033463c..918a404bc20 100644
--- a/dlls/user/user32.spec
+++ b/dlls/user/user32.spec
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ import	kernel32.dll
 @ stub UpdatePerUserSystemParameters
 @ stdcall UpdateWindow(long) UpdateWindow
 @ stub UserClientDllInitialize
-@ stub UserRealizePalette
+@ stdcall UserRealizePalette(long) UserRealizePalette
 @ stub UserRegisterWowHandlers
 @ stdcall ValidateRect(long ptr) ValidateRect
 @ stdcall ValidateRgn(long long) ValidateRgn
diff --git a/dlls/user/user_main.c b/dlls/user/user_main.c
index 3d717ee1297..21e5e06ce7b 100644
--- a/dlls/user/user_main.c
+++ b/dlls/user/user_main.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "winuser.h"
 #include "winreg.h"
 #include "wine/winbase16.h"
+#include "wine/winuser16.h"
 
 #include "dce.h"
 #include "dialog.h"
@@ -93,6 +94,27 @@ static BOOL load_driver(void)
 }
 
 
+/***********************************************************************
+ *           palette_init
+ *
+ * Patch the function pointers in GDI for SelectPalette and RealizePalette
+ */
+static void palette_init(void)
+{
+    void **ptr;
+    HMODULE module = GetModuleHandleA( "gdi32" );
+    if (!module)
+    {
+        ERR( "cannot get GDI32 handle\n" );
+        return;
+    }
+    if ((ptr = (void**)GetProcAddress( module, "pfnSelectPalette" ))) *ptr = SelectPalette16;
+    else ERR( "cannot find pfnSelectPalette in GDI32\n" );
+    if ((ptr = (void**)GetProcAddress( module, "pfnRealizePalette" ))) *ptr = UserRealizePalette;
+    else ERR( "cannot find pfnRealizePalette in GDI32\n" );
+}
+
+
 /***********************************************************************
  *           USER initialisation routine
  */
@@ -120,6 +142,9 @@ BOOL WINAPI USER_Init(HINSTANCE hinstDLL, DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID lpvReserved)
     SYSMETRICS_Init();
     SYSCOLOR_Init();
 
+    /* Setup palette function pointers */
+    palette_init();
+
     /* Create the DCEs */
     DCE_Init();
 
diff --git a/objects/palette.c b/objects/palette.c
index 6b1c2eea323..b5dd0c5fbe8 100644
--- a/objects/palette.c
+++ b/objects/palette.c
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@
 #include "callback.h"
 #include "winerror.h"
 
-DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(palette)
+DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(palette);
 
 PALETTE_DRIVER *PALETTE_Driver = NULL;
 
+/* Pointers to USER implementation of SelectPalette/RealizePalette */
+/* they will be patched by USER on startup */
 FARPROC pfnSelectPalette = NULL;
 FARPROC pfnRealizePalette = NULL;
 
@@ -641,7 +643,12 @@ HPALETTE16 WINAPI GDISelectPalette16( HDC16 hdc, HPALETTE16 hpal, WORD wBkg)
     DC *dc;
 
     TRACE("%04x %04x\n", hdc, hpal );
-    
+
+    if (GetObjectType(hpal) != PALETTE_MAGIC)
+    {
+      WARN("invalid selected palette %04x\n",hpal);
+      return 0;
+    }
     if (!(dc = DC_GetDCPtr( hdc ))) return 0;
     prev = dc->w.hPalette;
     dc->w.hPalette = hpal;
@@ -752,19 +759,7 @@ HPALETTE WINAPI SelectPalette(
     HPALETTE hPal,         /* [in] Handle of logical color palette */
     BOOL bForceBackground) /* [in] Foreground/background mode */
 {
-    WORD wBkgPalette = 1;
-
-    if (!bForceBackground && (hPal != STOCK_DEFAULT_PALETTE))
-    {
-	HWND hwnd = Callout.WindowFromDC( hDC );
-        if (hwnd)
-        {
-            HWND hForeground = Callout.GetForegroundWindow();
-            /* set primary palette if it's related to current active */
-            if (hForeground == hwnd || Callout.IsChild(hForeground,hwnd)) wBkgPalette = 0;
-        }
-    }
-    return GDISelectPalette16( hDC, hPal, wBkgPalette);
+    return pfnSelectPalette( hDC, hPal, bForceBackground );
 }
 
 
@@ -778,28 +773,7 @@ HPALETTE WINAPI SelectPalette(
 UINT WINAPI RealizePalette(
     HDC hDC) /* [in] Handle of device context */
 {
-    DC *dc;
-    UINT realized;
-
-    if (!(dc = (DC *) GDI_GetObjPtr( hDC, DC_MAGIC ))) return 0;
-    
-    realized = GDIRealizePalette16( hDC );
-
-    /* do not send anything if no colors were changed */
-
-    if( IsDCCurrentPalette16( hDC ) && realized &&
-	dc->w.devCaps->sizePalette )
-    {
-	/* Send palette change notification */
-
-	HWND hWnd;
-	GDI_ReleaseObj( hDC );
- 	if( (hWnd = Callout.WindowFromDC( hDC )) )
-            Callout.SendMessageA( HWND_BROADCAST, WM_PALETTECHANGED, hWnd, 0L);
-    }
-    else GDI_ReleaseObj( hDC );
-
-    return realized;
+    return pfnRealizePalette( hDC );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/windows/painting.c b/windows/painting.c
index a8eea979ab6..5578add6a8c 100644
--- a/windows/painting.c
+++ b/windows/painting.c
@@ -1681,7 +1681,19 @@ BOOL16 WINAPI DrawState16(HDC16 hdc, HBRUSH16 hbr,
 HPALETTE16 WINAPI SelectPalette16( HDC16 hDC, HPALETTE16 hPal,
                                    BOOL16 bForceBackground )
 {
-    return SelectPalette( hDC, hPal, bForceBackground );
+    WORD wBkgPalette = 1;
+
+    if (!bForceBackground && (hPal != STOCK_DEFAULT_PALETTE))
+    {
+        HWND hwnd = WindowFromDC( hDC );
+        if (hwnd)
+        {
+            HWND hForeground = GetForegroundWindow();
+            /* set primary palette if it's related to current active */
+            if (hForeground == hwnd || IsChild(hForeground,hwnd)) wBkgPalette = 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return GDISelectPalette16( hDC, hPal, wBkgPalette);
 }
 
 
@@ -1690,5 +1702,23 @@ HPALETTE16 WINAPI SelectPalette16( HDC16 hDC, HPALETTE16 hPal,
  */
 UINT16 WINAPI RealizePalette16( HDC16 hDC )
 {
-    return RealizePalette( hDC );
+    UINT16 realized = GDIRealizePalette16( hDC );
+
+    /* do not send anything if no colors were changed */
+    if (realized && IsDCCurrentPalette16( hDC ))
+    {
+        /* send palette change notification */
+        HWND hWnd = WindowFromDC( hDC );
+        if (hWnd) SendMessageA( HWND_BROADCAST, WM_PALETTECHANGED, hWnd, 0L);
+    }
+    return realized;
+}
+
+
+/***********************************************************************
+ *           UserRealizePalette    (USER32.@)
+ */
+UINT WINAPI UserRealizePalette( HDC hDC )
+{
+    return RealizePalette16( hDC );
 }