diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/online-comp.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/online-comp.rkt
index f03d15574d..79bacca887 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/online-comp.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/online-comp.rkt
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
          racket/place
          "traversals.rkt"
          "local-member-names.rkt"
-         "intf.rkt")
+         "intf.rkt"
+         framework/preferences)
+
+(preferences:set-default 'framework:white-on-black? #f boolean?)
+
 (provide go)
 
 (define obj%
diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/traversals.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/traversals.rkt
index c886cbf3dc..4b09f1ac61 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/traversals.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/traversals.rkt
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
          racket/list
          syntax/boundmap
          scribble/xref
-         scribble/manual-struct)
+         scribble/manual-struct
+         framework/preferences)
 
 (provide make-traversal)
     
@@ -1056,7 +1057,10 @@
                               (let ([index-entry (xref-tag->index-entry xref definition-tag)])
                                 (when index-entry
                                   (send defs-text syncheck:add-background-color
-                                        source-editor start fin "navajowhite")
+                                        source-editor start fin 
+                                        (if (preferences:get 'framework:white-on-black?)
+                                            "darkgreen"
+                                            "palegreen"))
                                   (send defs-text syncheck:add-docs-menu
                                         source-editor
                                         start 
diff --git a/collects/framework/preferences.rkt b/collects/framework/preferences.rkt
index 3de7c46630..3f4a4adae6 100644
--- a/collects/framework/preferences.rkt
+++ b/collects/framework/preferences.rkt
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ the state transitions / contracts are:
 
 |#
 
-(require scribble/srcdoc racket/class racket/gui/base 
+(require scribble/srcdoc racket/class
          racket/contract racket/file)
 (require/doc racket/base scribble/manual (for-label racket/serialize))