diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Minimap.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Minimap.cs
index 63b7c41af7..21031eb6e5 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Minimap.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Graphics/Minimap.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System.Drawing;
 using System.Linq;
 using OpenRa.Game.Traits;
+using OpenRa.FileFormats;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game.Graphics
 {
@@ -21,20 +22,25 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Graphics
 		}
 
 		// todo: extract these from the palette
-		static readonly Color[] terrainTypeColors = { 
-														Color.Green,
-														Color.Red,
-														Color.Blue,
-														Color.Yellow,
-														Color.Purple,
-														Color.Turquoise,
-														Color.Violet,
-														Color.Tomato,
-														Color.Teal,
-													};
+		Color[] terrainTypeColors;
 
 		public void Update()
 		{
+			if (terrainTypeColors == null)
+			{
+				var pal = new Palette(FileSystem.Open(Rules.Map.Theater + ".pal"));
+				terrainTypeColors = new[] {
+					pal.GetColor(0x1a),
+					pal.GetColor(0x63),
+					pal.GetColor(0x2f),
+					pal.GetColor(0x1f),
+					pal.GetColor(0x14),
+					pal.GetColor(0x64),
+					pal.GetColor(0x1f),
+					pal.GetColor(0x68),
+					pal.GetColor(0x6b),
+				};
+			}
 			if (terrain == null)
 			{
 				terrain = new Bitmap(128, 128);
@@ -52,7 +58,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Graphics
 				{
 					var b = Game.BuildingInfluence.GetBuildingAt(new int2(x, y));
 					if (b != null)
-						bitmap.SetPixel(x, y, b.Owner != null ? Chat.paletteColors[(int)b.Owner.Palette] : Color.Gray);
+						bitmap.SetPixel(x, y, b.Owner != null ? Chat.paletteColors[(int)b.Owner.Palette] : terrainTypeColors[4]);
 				}
 
 			foreach (var a in Game.world.Actors.Where(a => a.traits.Contains<Unit>()))