diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/alignment/BamView.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/alignment/BamView.java
index 602196b389abf3a777ba945ea57123b841309433..0228a8442e9bf018723f9732dd6a024d16878d53 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/alignment/BamView.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/alignment/BamView.java
@@ -1837,9 +1837,13 @@ public class BamView extends JPanel
       else
         g2.setColor(Color.blue);
 
+      Color c = g2.getColor();
       drawRead(g2, pr.sam1, pixPerBase, ypos, baseAtStartOfView, getSNPs(pr.sam1.sam), ydiff);
       if(pr.sam2 != null)
+      {
+        g2.setColor(c);
         drawRead(g2, pr.sam2, pixPerBase, ypos, baseAtStartOfView, getSNPs(pr.sam2.sam), ydiff);
+      }
     }
   }