diff --git a/src/nativeMain/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactory.kt b/src/nativeMain/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactory.kt
index 88a6f91a..3ce16723 100644
--- a/src/nativeMain/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactory.kt
+++ b/src/nativeMain/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactory.kt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class ColorFactory(private val drawApi: DrawApi, screen: Screen) {
 
     private val knownColors = mutableMapOf<Color, ULong>()
     private val knownGCs = mutableMapOf<Pair<Color, Drawable>, GC>()
+    private val knownXftColors = mutableMapOf<Color, XftColor>()
 
     init {
         closeWith(ColorFactory::cleanupColorMap)
@@ -47,10 +48,14 @@ class ColorFactory(private val drawApi: DrawApi, screen: Screen) {
     private fun cleanupColorMap() {
         val pixels = knownColors.values.toULongArray().toCValues()
         drawApi.freeColors(colorMapId, pixels, pixels.size)
-        knownGCs.values.forEach { drawApi.freeGC(it) }
         knownColors.clear()
+
+        knownGCs.values.forEach { drawApi.freeGC(it) }
         knownGCs.clear()
 
+        knownXftColors.values.forEach(nativeHeap::free)
+        knownXftColors.clear()
+
         drawApi.freeColors(colorMapId, colorPixels.toULongArray().toCValues(), colorPixels.size)
         drawApi.freeColormap(colorMapId)
     }
@@ -83,8 +88,8 @@ class ColorFactory(private val drawApi: DrawApi, screen: Screen) {
     fun createColorGC(drawable: Drawable, color: Color): GC? {
 
         val pixel = knownColors[color]
-            ?: color.let {
-                val xColor = it.toXColor()
+            ?: let {
+                val xColor = color.toXColor()
                 drawApi.allocColor(colorMapId, xColor.ptr)
                 val px = xColor.pixel
                 nativeHeap.free(xColor)
@@ -92,17 +97,15 @@ class ColorFactory(private val drawApi: DrawApi, screen: Screen) {
                 px
             }
 
-        val gc = knownGCs[Pair(color, drawable)]
-            ?: pixel.let {
-                val gcValues = createGcValues(it)
+        return knownGCs[Pair(color, drawable)]
+            ?: let {
+                val gcValues = createGcValues(pixel)
                 val mask = GCForeground or GCGraphicsExposures or GCArcMode
                 val gc = drawApi.createGC(drawable, mask.convert(), gcValues.ptr)!!
-                knownGCs[Pair(color, drawable)] = gc
                 nativeHeap.free(gcValues)
+                knownGCs[Pair(color, drawable)] = gc
                 gc
             }
-
-        return gc
     }
 
     private fun createGcValues(pixel: ULong): XGCValues {
@@ -112,4 +115,29 @@ class ColorFactory(private val drawApi: DrawApi, screen: Screen) {
         gcValues.arc_mode = ArcPieSlice
         return gcValues
     }
+
+    fun createXftColor(color: Color): XftColor {
+        val pixel = knownColors[color]
+            ?: let {
+                val xColor = color.toXColor()
+                drawApi.allocColor(colorMapId, xColor.ptr)
+                val px = xColor.pixel
+                nativeHeap.free(xColor)
+                knownColors[color] = px
+                px
+            }
+
+        return knownXftColors[color]
+            ?: let {
+                val xftColor = nativeHeap.alloc<XftColor>()
+                xftColor.color.red = color.red.convert()
+                xftColor.color.green = color.green.convert()
+                xftColor.color.blue = color.blue.convert()
+                xftColor.color.alpha = 0xffff.convert()
+                xftColor.pixel = pixel
+                knownXftColors[color] = xftColor
+
+                xftColor
+            }
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/nativeTest/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactoryTest.kt b/src/nativeTest/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactoryTest.kt
index 0687f334..71a83e71 100644
--- a/src/nativeTest/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactoryTest.kt
+++ b/src/nativeTest/kotlin/de/atennert/lcarswm/drawing/ColorFactoryTest.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package de.atennert.lcarswm.drawing
 
 import de.atennert.lcarswm.system.DrawApiDummy
-import de.atennert.lcarswm.system.api.DrawApi
 import kotlinx.cinterop.*
 import xlib.*
 import kotlin.test.*
@@ -19,8 +18,11 @@ class ColorFactoryTest {
         val color = Color(0xFFFF, 0x9999, 0)
 
         val gc = colorFactory.createColorGC(1.convert(), color)
+
         assertNotNull(gc)
         assertEquals(1.toULong(), drawApi.pixel)
+
+        nativeHeap.free(gc)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -35,6 +37,9 @@ class ColorFactoryTest {
         assertNotNull(gc1)
         assertNotNull(gc2)
         assertEquals(2.toULong(), drawApi.pixel)
+
+        nativeHeap.free(gc1)
+        nativeHeap.free(gc2)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -48,6 +53,8 @@ class ColorFactoryTest {
         assertNotNull(gc1)
         assertEquals(gc1, gc2)
         assertEquals(1.toULong(), drawApi.pixel)
+
+        nativeHeap.free(gc1)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -60,19 +67,46 @@ class ColorFactoryTest {
 
         assertNotNull(gc1)
         assertNotNull(gc2)
-        assertNotEquals(gc1, gc2)
+        assertNotSame(gc1, gc2)
         assertEquals(1.toULong(), drawApi.pixel)
+
+        nativeHeap.free(gc1)
+        nativeHeap.free(gc2)
     }
 
-    private val drawApi = object : DrawApiDummy() {
-        val gcs = mutableListOf<GC>()
+    @Test
+    fun `create XFT color by color`() {
+        val colorFactory = ColorFactory(drawApi, screen)
+        val color = Color(0xFFFF, 0x9999, 0)
+
+        val xftColor = colorFactory.createXftColor(color)
+
+        assertEquals(color.red, xftColor.color.red.toInt())
+        assertEquals(color.green, xftColor.color.green.toInt())
+        assertEquals(color.blue, xftColor.color.blue.toInt())
+        assertEquals(drawApi.pixel, xftColor.pixel)
 
+        nativeHeap.free(xftColor)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `get same XFT color twice`() {
+        val colorFactory = ColorFactory(drawApi, screen)
+        val color = Color(0xFFFF, 0x9999, 0)
+
+        val xftColor1 = colorFactory.createXftColor(color)
+        val xftColor2 = colorFactory.createXftColor(color)
+
+        assertEquals(xftColor1.rawPtr, xftColor2.rawPtr)
+
+        nativeHeap.free(xftColor1)
+    }
+
+    private val drawApi = object : DrawApiDummy() {
         var pixel = 0.toULong()
 
         fun clear() {
             pixel = 0.convert()
-            gcs.forEach { nativeHeap.free(it) }
-            gcs.clear()
         }
 
         override fun createColormap(window: Window, visual: CValuesRef<Visual>, alloc: Int): Colormap {
@@ -87,9 +121,7 @@ class ColorFactoryTest {
         }
 
         override fun createGC(drawable: Drawable, mask: ULong, gcValues: CValuesRef<XGCValues>?): GC? {
-            val gc: GC = nativeHeap.alloc<GCVar>().ptr.reinterpret()
-            gcs.add(gc)
-            return gc
+            return nativeHeap.alloc<GCVar>().ptr.reinterpret()
         }
     }