diff --git a/.znewterm b/.znewterm
index 1d30148..fd65a85 100644
--- a/.znewterm
+++ b/.znewterm
@@ -23,11 +23,26 @@ then
 	stty erase 
 fi
 
-if [[ $TERM == xterm-256color && ! -f /usr/share/terminfo/x/xterm-256color ]]
+if [[ $TERM == xterm-256color && ! -f /usr/share/terminfo/x/xterm-256color && ! -f /lib/terminfo/x/xterm-256color ]]
 then
 	TERM=xterm
 fi
 
+if [[ $TERM == xterm ]]
+then
+        for t in xterm-256color
+        do
+                for dir in /usr/share/terminfo/x /lib/terminfo/x
+                do
+                    if [[ -f $dir/$t ]]
+                    then
+                            TERM=$t
+                            break 2
+                    fi
+                done
+        done
+fi
+
 case "$TERM" in
     xterm*|screen)
 	# indicated exit status by smiley (suggested by Stig Sandbeck Mathisen)
diff --git a/.zshrc b/.zshrc
index 4b56f37..177b469 100644
--- a/.zshrc
+++ b/.zshrc
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ if ack=`whence ack-grep`
 then
     alias ack=$ack
 fi
-alias   darkbg='xtermcontrol --bg "#000" --fg "#FFF"; export BG=dark'
+alias   darkbg='xtermcontrol --bg "#000" --fg "#FFF --highlight="#00F""; export BG=dark'
 alias   lightbg='xtermcontrol --bg "#EEE" --fg "#000" --highlight="#0FF"; export BG=light'
 alias   defaultbg='. ~/.zxtermcolors'
 alias   ag='ag --color-path "34;47"'