diff --git a/fontspec-code-keyval.dtx b/fontspec-code-keyval.dtx
index e4dc19f..84bb91a 100644
--- a/fontspec-code-keyval.dtx
+++ b/fontspec-code-keyval.dtx
@@ -697,30 +697,51 @@
 %    \end{macrocode}
 %
 % \paragraph{Color}
-% Hooks into pkg{xcolor}, which names its colours \texttt{\char`\\color@<name>}.
+% Test first if the color is a named l3color, then if it is a color from
+% \pkg{xcolor}, which names its colours \texttt{\char`\\color@<name>}.
+% If this fails the argument is assumed to be a hex color.
+%
 %    \begin{macrocode}
 \@@_keys_define_code:nnn {fontspec} {Color}
   {
 %<*XE>
-    \cs_if_exist:cTF { \token_to_str:N \color@ #1 }
+    \color_if_exist:nTF {#1}
       {
-        \convertcolorspec{named}{#1}{HTML}\l_@@_hexcol_tl
+        \color_export:nnN {#1} {HTML}\l_@@_hexcol_tl
       }
       {
-        \int_compare:nTF { \tl_count:n {#1} == 6 }
-          { \tl_set:Nn \l_@@_hexcol_tl {#1} }
+        \cs_if_exist:cTF { \token_to_str:N \color@ #1 }        
+          {
+            \convertcolorspec{named}{#1}{HTML}\l_@@_hexcol_tl
+          }
           {
-            \int_compare:nTF { \tl_count:n {#1} == 8 }
-              { \fontspec_parse_colour:viii #1 }
+            \int_compare:nTF { \tl_count:n {#1} == 6 }
+              { \tl_set:Nn \l_@@_hexcol_tl {#1} }
               {
-                \bool_if:NF \l_@@_firsttime_bool
-                  { \@@_warning:nx {bad-colour} {#1} }
+                \int_compare:nTF { \tl_count:n {#1} == 8 }
+                  { \fontspec_parse_colour:viii #1 }
+                  {
+                    \bool_if:NF \l_@@_firsttime_bool
+                      { \@@_warning:nx {bad-colour} {#1} }
+                  }
               }
           }
       }
 %</XE>
 %<*LU>
-    \tl_set:Nn \l_@@_hexcol_tl {#1}
+    \color_if_exist:nTF {#1}
+      {
+        \tl_set:Nn \l_@@_hexcol_tl {#1}
+      }
+      {
+        \cs_if_exist:cTF { \token_to_str:N \color@ #1 }        
+          {
+            \convertcolorspec{named}{#1}{HTML}\l_@@_hexcol_tl
+          }
+          {
+            \tl_set:Nn \l_@@_hexcol_tl {#1}
+          }
+      }      
 %</LU>
   }
 %    \end{macrocode}