diff --git a/curspriv.h b/curspriv.h
index d16460bf..5697a42d 100644
--- a/curspriv.h
+++ b/curspriv.h
@@ -120,4 +120,6 @@ size_t  PDC_wcstombs(char *, const wchar_t *, size_t);
 #define PDC_CLICK_PERIOD 150  /* time to wait for a click, if
                                  not set by mouseinterval() */
 
+#define PDC_MAXCOL 768        /* maximum possible COLORS; may be less */
+
 #endif /* __CURSES_INTERNALS__ */
diff --git a/sdl1/pdcscrn.c b/sdl1/pdcscrn.c
index 519a4ca9..76d9d4e9 100644
--- a/sdl1/pdcscrn.c
+++ b/sdl1/pdcscrn.c
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ SDL_Surface *pdc_screen = NULL, *pdc_font = NULL, *pdc_icon = NULL,
             *pdc_back = NULL, *pdc_tileback = NULL;
 int pdc_sheight = 0, pdc_swidth = 0, pdc_yoffset = 0, pdc_xoffset = 0;
 
-SDL_Color pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];
-Uint32 pdc_mapped[MAX_COLORS];
+SDL_Color pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];
+Uint32 pdc_mapped[PDC_MAXCOL];
 int pdc_fheight, pdc_fwidth, pdc_fthick, pdc_flastc;
 bool pdc_own_screen;
 
diff --git a/sdl1/pdcsdl.h b/sdl1/pdcsdl.h
index 58108e83..25209275 100644
--- a/sdl1/pdcsdl.h
+++ b/sdl1/pdcsdl.h
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@ PDCEX  int pdc_font_size;
 PDCEX  SDL_Surface *pdc_screen, *pdc_font, *pdc_icon, *pdc_back;
 PDCEX  int pdc_sheight, pdc_swidth, pdc_yoffset, pdc_xoffset;
 
-#define MAX_COLORS 768
-
 extern SDL_Surface *pdc_tileback;    /* used to regenerate the background
                                         of "transparent" cells */
-extern SDL_Color pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];  /* colors for font palette */
-extern Uint32 pdc_mapped[MAX_COLORS];    /* colors for FillRect(), as
+extern SDL_Color pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];  /* colors for font palette */
+extern Uint32 pdc_mapped[PDC_MAXCOL];    /* colors for FillRect(), as
                                             used in _highlight() */
 extern int pdc_fheight, pdc_fwidth;  /* font height and width */
 extern int pdc_fthick;               /* thickness for highlights and
diff --git a/sdl1/pdcsetsc.c b/sdl1/pdcsetsc.c
index 3b96c7ff..4ed939de 100644
--- a/sdl1/pdcsetsc.c
+++ b/sdl1/pdcsetsc.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ void PDC_set_title(const char *title)
 int PDC_set_blink(bool blinkon)
 {
     if (pdc_color_started)
-        COLORS = MAX_COLORS;
+        COLORS = PDC_MAXCOL;
 
     if (blinkon)
     {
diff --git a/sdl2/pdcscrn.c b/sdl2/pdcscrn.c
index d16a0805..15c9e808 100644
--- a/sdl2/pdcscrn.c
+++ b/sdl2/pdcscrn.c
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ SDL_Surface *pdc_screen = NULL, *pdc_font = NULL, *pdc_icon = NULL,
             *pdc_back = NULL, *pdc_tileback = NULL;
 int pdc_sheight = 0, pdc_swidth = 0, pdc_yoffset = 0, pdc_xoffset = 0;
 
-SDL_Color pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];
-Uint32 pdc_mapped[MAX_COLORS];
+SDL_Color pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];
+Uint32 pdc_mapped[PDC_MAXCOL];
 int pdc_fheight, pdc_fwidth, pdc_fthick, pdc_flastc;
 bool pdc_own_window;
 
diff --git a/sdl2/pdcsdl.h b/sdl2/pdcsdl.h
index 1fd3b2c4..357b4429 100644
--- a/sdl2/pdcsdl.h
+++ b/sdl2/pdcsdl.h
@@ -15,12 +15,10 @@ PDCEX  SDL_Window *pdc_window;
 PDCEX  SDL_Surface *pdc_screen, *pdc_font, *pdc_icon, *pdc_back;
 PDCEX  int pdc_sheight, pdc_swidth, pdc_yoffset, pdc_xoffset;
 
-#define MAX_COLORS 768
-
 extern SDL_Surface *pdc_tileback;    /* used to regenerate the background
                                         of "transparent" cells */
-extern SDL_Color pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];  /* colors for font palette */
-extern Uint32 pdc_mapped[MAX_COLORS];    /* colors for FillRect(), as
+extern SDL_Color pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];  /* colors for font palette */
+extern Uint32 pdc_mapped[PDC_MAXCOL];    /* colors for FillRect(), as
                                             used in _highlight() */
 extern int pdc_fheight, pdc_fwidth;  /* font height and width */
 extern int pdc_fthick;               /* thickness for highlights and
diff --git a/sdl2/pdcsetsc.c b/sdl2/pdcsetsc.c
index 318f6eed..c30f6984 100644
--- a/sdl2/pdcsetsc.c
+++ b/sdl2/pdcsetsc.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ void PDC_set_title(const char *title)
 int PDC_set_blink(bool blinkon)
 {
     if (pdc_color_started)
-        COLORS = MAX_COLORS;
+        COLORS = PDC_MAXCOL;
 
     if (blinkon)
     {
diff --git a/wincon/pdcscrn.c b/wincon/pdcscrn.c
index adec04c7..7f0525ba 100644
--- a/wincon/pdcscrn.c
+++ b/wincon/pdcscrn.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ static struct {short f, b;} atrtab[PDC_COLOR_PAIRS];
 
 /* Color component table */
 
-PDCCOLOR pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];
+PDCCOLOR pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];
 
 HANDLE std_con_out = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
 HANDLE pdc_con_out = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
diff --git a/wincon/pdcsetsc.c b/wincon/pdcsetsc.c
index 9e021119..c61e2922 100644
--- a/wincon/pdcsetsc.c
+++ b/wincon/pdcsetsc.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ int PDC_set_blink(bool blinkon)
         else if (PDC_can_change_color()) /* is_nt */
         {
             if (SetConsoleMode(pdc_con_out, 0x0004)) /* VT */
-                COLORS = MAX_COLORS;
+                COLORS = PDC_MAXCOL;
 
             SetConsoleMode(pdc_con_out, 0x0010); /* LVB */
         }
diff --git a/wincon/pdcwin.h b/wincon/pdcwin.h
index 329fbb95..dab1f76b 100644
--- a/wincon/pdcwin.h
+++ b/wincon/pdcwin.h
@@ -13,11 +13,9 @@
 # define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE 1   /* kill nonsense warnings */
 #endif
 
-#define MAX_COLORS 768
-
 typedef struct {short r, g, b; bool mapped;} PDCCOLOR;
 
-extern PDCCOLOR pdc_color[MAX_COLORS];
+extern PDCCOLOR pdc_color[PDC_MAXCOL];
 
 extern HANDLE pdc_con_out, pdc_con_in;
 extern DWORD pdc_quick_edit;
diff --git a/x11/pdcsetsc.c b/x11/pdcsetsc.c
index 9d195fde..d2db7672 100644
--- a/x11/pdcsetsc.c
+++ b/x11/pdcsetsc.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ void PDC_set_title(const char *title)
 int PDC_set_blink(bool blinkon)
 {
     if (pdc_color_started)
-        COLORS = MAX_COLORS;
+        COLORS = PDC_MAXCOL;
 
     XCursesInstruct(blinkon ? CURSES_BLINK_ON : CURSES_BLINK_OFF);
 
diff --git a/x11/pdcx11.h b/x11/pdcx11.h
index cefea1e2..abaece07 100644
--- a/x11/pdcx11.h
+++ b/x11/pdcx11.h
@@ -187,5 +187,3 @@ enum
 };
 
 extern short *xc_atrtab;
-
-#define MAX_COLORS 768
diff --git a/x11/x11.c b/x11/x11.c
index 68596dcb..425677ea 100644
--- a/x11/x11.c
+++ b/x11/x11.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ XCursesAppData xc_app_data;
 # define PDC_SCROLLBAR_TYPE float
 #endif
 
-#define COLOR_CURSOR MAX_COLORS     /* color of cursor */
-#define COLOR_BORDER MAX_COLORS + 1 /* color of border */
+#define COLOR_CURSOR PDC_MAXCOL     /* color of cursor */
+#define COLOR_BORDER PDC_MAXCOL + 1 /* color of border */
 
 #define XCURSESDISPLAY (XtDisplay(drawing))
 #define XCURSESWIN     (XtWindow(drawing))
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ static XtActionsRec action_table[] =
 };
 
 static bool after_first_curses_request = FALSE;
-static Pixel colors[MAX_COLORS + 2];
+static Pixel colors[PDC_MAXCOL + 2];
 static bool vertical_cursor = FALSE;
 
 static XIM Xim = NULL;
@@ -2283,7 +2283,7 @@ static void _get_color(void)
     Colormap cmap = DefaultColormap(XCURSESDISPLAY,
                                     DefaultScreen(XCURSESDISPLAY));
 
-    if (index < 0 || index >= MAX_COLORS)
+    if (index < 0 || index >= PDC_MAXCOL)
         _exit_process(4, SIGKILL, "exiting from _get_color");
 
     tmp->pixel = colors[index];
@@ -2299,7 +2299,7 @@ static void _set_color(void)
     Colormap cmap = DefaultColormap(XCURSESDISPLAY,
                                     DefaultScreen(XCURSESDISPLAY));
 
-    if (index < 0 || index >= MAX_COLORS)
+    if (index < 0 || index >= PDC_MAXCOL)
         _exit_process(4, SIGKILL, "exiting from _set_color");
 
     if (XAllocColor(XCURSESDISPLAY, cmap, tmp))
diff --git a/x11new/pdcsetsc.c b/x11new/pdcsetsc.c
index 7c84021a..393a3790 100644
--- a/x11new/pdcsetsc.c
+++ b/x11new/pdcsetsc.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void PDC_set_title(const char *title)
 int PDC_set_blink(bool blinkon)
 {
     if (pdc_color_started)
-        COLORS = MAX_COLORS;
+        COLORS = PDC_MAXCOL;
 
     XCursesInstruct(blinkon ? CURSES_BLINK_ON : CURSES_BLINK_OFF);
 
diff --git a/x11new/pdcx11.h b/x11new/pdcx11.h
index 2db684af..1e30ecf4 100644
--- a/x11new/pdcx11.h
+++ b/x11new/pdcx11.h
@@ -176,5 +176,3 @@ enum
 extern short *xc_atrtab;
 
 extern bool xc_resize_now;
-
-#define MAX_COLORS 768
diff --git a/x11new/x11.c b/x11new/x11.c
index 9c34a87d..ec5c217a 100644
--- a/x11new/x11.c
+++ b/x11new/x11.c
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ XCursesAppData xc_app_data;
 # define PDC_SCROLLBAR_TYPE float
 #endif
 
-#define COLOR_CURSOR MAX_COLORS     /* color of cursor */
-#define COLOR_BORDER MAX_COLORS + 1 /* color of border */
+#define COLOR_CURSOR PDC_MAXCOL     /* color of cursor */
+#define COLOR_BORDER PDC_MAXCOL + 1 /* color of border */
 
 #define XCURSESDISPLAY (XtDisplay(drawing))
 #define XCURSESWIN     (XtWindow(drawing))
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ static XtActionsRec action_table[] =
     {"string",                (XtActionProc)XCursesHandleString}
 };
 
-static Pixel colors[MAX_COLORS + 2];
+static Pixel colors[PDC_MAXCOL + 2];
 static bool vertical_cursor = FALSE;
 
 static XIM Xim = NULL;
@@ -2067,7 +2067,7 @@ static void _get_color(void)
     Colormap cmap = DefaultColormap(XCURSESDISPLAY,
                                     DefaultScreen(XCURSESDISPLAY));
 
-    if (index < 0 || index >= MAX_COLORS)
+    if (index < 0 || index >= PDC_MAXCOL)
         _exit_process(4, SIGKILL, "exiting from _get_color");
 
     tmp->pixel = colors[index];
@@ -2083,7 +2083,7 @@ static void _set_color(void)
     Colormap cmap = DefaultColormap(XCURSESDISPLAY,
                                     DefaultScreen(XCURSESDISPLAY));
 
-    if (index < 0 || index >= MAX_COLORS)
+    if (index < 0 || index >= PDC_MAXCOL)
         _exit_process(4, SIGKILL, "exiting from _set_color");
 
     if (XAllocColor(XCURSESDISPLAY, cmap, tmp))