diff --git a/collects/framework/private/color.rkt b/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
index b64be91b8f..87ad45f593 100644
--- a/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
+++ b/collects/framework/private/color.rkt
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ added get-regions
 (init-depend framework:text^ framework:mode^)
 
 (define (should-color-type? type)
-  (not (memq type '(white-space no-color))))
+  (not (memq type '(no-color))))
 
 (define (make-data type mode backup-delta) 
   (if (zero? backup-delta)
diff --git a/collects/framework/private/racket.rkt b/collects/framework/private/racket.rkt
index dc5e36c124..92f1af6683 100644
--- a/collects/framework/private/racket.rkt
+++ b/collects/framework/private/racket.rkt
@@ -328,7 +328,10 @@
                                 [(sexp-comment) 'comment]
                                 [else sym]))
 (define sn-hash (make-hasheq))
-(define (short-sym->style-name sym)
+(define (short-sym->style-name _sym)
+  (define sym (if (eq? _sym 'white-space)
+                  'parenthesis
+                  _sym))
   (hash-ref sn-hash sym
             (λ ()
               (let ([s (format "framework:syntax-color:scheme:~a"
diff --git a/collects/racket/snip/private/snip.rkt b/collects/racket/snip/private/snip.rkt
index 908784dc45..0cb5b1bd0b 100644
--- a/collects/racket/snip/private/snip.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/snip/private/snip.rkt
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@
 
     (set! s-flags (add-flag (add-flag s-flags IS-TEXT) CAN-APPEND))
 
-    (let ([len (max 20 (* 2 (min len 5000)))])
+    (let ([len (max 8 (* 2 (min len 5000)))])
       (set! s-buffer (make-string len)))
     
     (set! s-snipclass the-string-snip-class)
diff --git a/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt b/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
index bd0b6ba617..f092d88d52 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
+++ b/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
   . DrRacket's toolbar buttons now have numbers associated with them
     to control what order they appear in.
 
+  . The framework's color:text%'s token-sym->style init argument (also
+    the same as the color:text%'s start-colorer method's argument of
+    the same name) is a function that now might be passed 'white-space.
+
 ------------------------------
        Version 5.2.1
 ------------------------------