diff --git a/darwin/table.m b/darwin/table.m
index 4e046a86..0fa8ac86 100644
--- a/darwin/table.m
+++ b/darwin/table.m
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ enum {
 @property uiTableColumn *libui_col;
 @end
 
+@interface tableView : NSTableView
+@property uiTable *libui_t;
+@end
+
 struct uiTableModel {
 	uiTableModelHandler *mh;
 	tableModel *m;
@@ -40,8 +44,9 @@ struct uiTableColumn {
 struct uiTable {
 	uiDarwinControl c;
 	NSScrollView *sv;
-	NSTableView *tv;
+	tableView *tv;
 	struct scrollViewData *d;
+	int backgroundColumn;
 };
 
 @implementation tableModel
@@ -124,6 +129,22 @@ done:
 	return v;
 }
 
+- (void)tableView:(NSTableView *)nstv didAddRowView:(NSTableRowView *)rv forRow:(NSInteger)row
+{
+	uiTableModel *m = self->libui_m;
+	tableView *tv = (tableView *) nstv;
+	uiTable *t = tv.libui_t;
+	NSColor *color;
+
+	if (t->backgroundColumn == -1)
+		return;
+	color = (NSColor *) ((*(m->mh->CellValue))(m->mh, m, row, t->backgroundColumn));
+	if (color == nil)
+		return;
+	[rv setBackgroundColor:color];
+	// TODO autorelease color? or release it?
+}
+
 @end
 
 @implementation tablePart
@@ -161,6 +182,9 @@ done:
 @implementation tableColumn
 @end
 
+@implementation tableView
+@end
+
 void *uiTableModelStrdup(const char *str)
 {
 	// TODO don't we have this already?
@@ -182,6 +206,11 @@ uiTableModel *uiNewTableModel(uiTableModelHandler *mh)
 	return m;
 }
 
+void *uiTableModelGiveColor(double r, double g, double b, double a)
+{
+	return [[NSColor colorWithSRGBRed:r green:g blue:b alpha:a] retain];
+}
+
 void uiFreeTableModel(uiTableModel *m)
 {
 	if ([m->tables count] != 0)
@@ -266,6 +295,11 @@ uiTableColumn *uiTableAppendColumn(uiTable *t, const char *name)
 	return c;
 }
 
+void uiTableSetRowBackgroundColorModelColumn(uiTable *t, int modelColumn)
+{
+	t->backgroundColumn = modelColumn;
+}
+
 uiTable *uiNewTable(uiTableModel *model)
 {
 	uiTable *t;
@@ -273,7 +307,8 @@ uiTable *uiNewTable(uiTableModel *model)
 
 	uiDarwinNewControl(uiTable, t);
 
-	t->tv = [[NSTableView alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
+	t->tv = [[tableView alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
+	t->tv.libui_t = t;
 
 	[t->tv setDataSource:model->m];
 	[t->tv setDelegate:model->m];
@@ -303,5 +338,7 @@ uiTable *uiNewTable(uiTableModel *model)
 	p.VScroll = YES;
 	t->sv = mkScrollView(&p, &(t->d));
 
+	t->backgroundColumn = -1;
+
 	return t;
 }
diff --git a/test/page16.c b/test/page16.c
index f210f89b..66df42b1 100644
--- a/test/page16.c
+++ b/test/page16.c
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ static uiTableModelHandler mh;
 
 static int modelNumColumns(uiTableModelHandler *mh, uiTableModel *m)
 {
-	return 3;
+	return 4;
 }
 
 static uiTableModelColumnType modelColumnType(uiTableModelHandler *mh, uiTableModel *m, int column)
 {
+	if (column == 3)
+		return uiTableModelColumnColor;
 	return uiTableModelColumnString;
 }
 
@@ -22,6 +24,13 @@ static void *modelCellValue(uiTableModelHandler *mh, uiTableModel *m, int row, i
 {
 	char buf[256];
 
+	if (col == 3) {
+		if (row == 3)
+			return uiTableModelGiveColor(1, 0, 0, 1);
+		if (row == 11)
+			return uiTableModelGiveColor(0, 0.5, 1, 0.5);
+		return NULL;
+	}
 	switch (col) {
 	case 0:
 		sprintf(buf, "Row %d", row);
@@ -64,5 +73,7 @@ uiBox *makePage16(void)
 	uiTableColumnAppendTextPart(tc, 1, 0);
 	uiTableColumnAppendTextPart(tc, 2, 1);
 
+	uiTableSetRowBackgroundColorModelColumn(t, 3);
+
 	return page16;
 }
diff --git a/uitable.h b/uitable.h
index fc0e5ad5..05c5acd2 100644
--- a/uitable.h
+++ b/uitable.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ typedef struct uiTableModelHandler uiTableModelHandler;
 
 _UI_ENUM(uiTableModelColumnType) {
 	uiTableModelColumnString,
+	uiTableModelColumnColor,
 };
 
 struct uiTableModelHandler {
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ struct uiTableModelHandler {
 };
 
 _UI_EXTERN void *uiTableModelStrdup(const char *str);
+// TODO rename the strdup one to this too
+_UI_EXTERN void *uiTableModelGiveColor(double r, double g, double b, double a);
 
 _UI_EXTERN uiTableModel *uiNewTableModel(uiTableModelHandler *mh);
 _UI_EXTERN void uiFreeTableModel(uiTableModel *m);
@@ -33,4 +36,6 @@ typedef struct uiTable uiTable;
 #define uiTable(this) ((uiTable *) (this))
 _UI_EXTERN uiTableColumn *uiTableAppendColumn(uiTable *t, const char *name);
 _UI_EXTERN uiTableColumn *uiTableAppendTextColumn(uiTable *t, const char *name, int modelColumn);
+// TODO getter?
+_UI_EXTERN void uiTableSetRowBackgroundColorModelColumn(uiTable *t, int modelColumn);
 _UI_EXTERN uiTable *uiNewTable(uiTableModel *model);