diff --git a/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/message_widget.vala b/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/message_widget.vala
index 2b5fd793..ead9a570 100644
--- a/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/message_widget.vala
+++ b/main/src/ui/conversation_content_view/message_widget.vala
@@ -198,9 +198,9 @@ public class MessageItemWidget : SizeRequestBin {
         }
 
         if (conversation.type_ == Conversation.Type.GROUPCHAT) {
-            markup_text = Util.parse_add_markup(markup_text, conversation.nickname, true, true);
+            markup_text = Util.parse_add_markup_theme(markup_text, conversation.nickname, true, true, Util.is_dark_theme(this), ref theme_dependent);
         } else {
-            markup_text = Util.parse_add_markup(markup_text, null, true, true);
+            markup_text = Util.parse_add_markup_theme(markup_text, null, true, true, Util.is_dark_theme(this), ref theme_dependent);
         }
 
         if (message.body.has_prefix("/me ")) {
@@ -216,8 +216,10 @@ public class MessageItemWidget : SizeRequestBin {
             markup_text = @"<span size=\'$size_str\'>" + markup_text + "</span>";
         }
 
+        string dim_color = Util.is_dark_theme(this) ? "#BDBDBD" : "#707070";
+
         if (message.edit_to != null) {
-            markup_text += "  <span size='small' alpha='70%'>(%s)</span>".printf(_("edited"));
+            markup_text += @"  <span size='small' color='$dim_color'>(%s)</span>".printf(_("edited"));
             theme_dependent = true;
         }
 
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ public class MessageItemWidget : SizeRequestBin {
         if (message.direction == Message.DIRECTION_SENT && (message.marked == Message.Marked.SENDING || message.marked == Message.Marked.UNSENT)) {
             // Append "pending..." iff message has not been sent yet
             if (message.time.compare(new DateTime.now_utc().add_seconds(-10)) < 0) {
-                markup_text += "  <span size='small' alpha='70%'>%s</span>".printf(_("pending…"));
+                markup_text += @"  <span size='small' color='$dim_color'>%s</span>".printf(_("pending…"));
                 theme_dependent = true;
                 additional_info = AdditionalInfo.PENDING;
             } else {
diff --git a/main/src/ui/util/helper.vala b/main/src/ui/util/helper.vala
index f533ffad..2e1dc023 100644
--- a/main/src/ui/util/helper.vala
+++ b/main/src/ui/util/helper.vala
@@ -237,7 +237,12 @@ public static Map<unichar, unichar> get_matching_chars() {
     return MATCHING_CHARS;
 }
 
-public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool parse_links, bool parse_text_markup, bool already_escaped_ = false) {
+public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool parse_links, bool parse_text_markup) {
+    bool ignore_out_var = false;
+    return parse_add_markup_theme(s_, highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, false, ref ignore_out_var);
+}
+
+public static string parse_add_markup_theme(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool parse_links, bool parse_text_markup, bool dark_theme, ref bool theme_dependent, bool already_escaped_ = false) {
     string s = s_;
     bool already_escaped = already_escaped_;
 
@@ -281,9 +286,11 @@ public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool pa
                     }
                 }
 
-                return parse_add_markup(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped) +
-                        "<a href=\"" + Markup.escape_text(link) + "\">" + parse_add_markup(link, highlight_word, false, false, already_escaped) + "</a>" +
-                        parse_add_markup(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped);
+                return parse_add_markup_theme(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) +
+                        "<a href=\"" + Markup.escape_text(link) + "\">" +
+                        parse_add_markup_theme(link, highlight_word, false, false, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) +
+                        "</a>" +
+                        parse_add_markup_theme(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped);
             }
             match_info.next();
         }
@@ -302,9 +309,9 @@ public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool pa
             if (match_info.matches()) {
                 int start, end;
                 match_info.fetch_pos(0, out start, out end);
-                return parse_add_markup(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped) +
+                return parse_add_markup_theme(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) +
                     "<b>" + s[start:end] + "</b>" +
-                    parse_add_markup(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped);
+                    parse_add_markup_theme(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped);
             }
         } catch (RegexError e) {
             assert_not_reached();
@@ -318,10 +325,13 @@ public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool pa
         if (quote_match_info.matches()) {
             int start, end;
 
+            string dim_color = dark_theme ? "#BDBDBD": "#707070";
+
+            theme_dependent = true;
             quote_match_info.fetch_pos(0, out start, out end);
-            return parse_add_markup(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped) +
-                    "<span fgalpha='70%'>" + s[start:end] + "</span>" +
-                    parse_add_markup(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped);
+            return parse_add_markup_theme(s[0:start], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) +
+                    @"<span color='$dim_color'>&gt; " + parse_add_markup_theme(s[start + "&gt; ".len():end], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) + "</span>" +
+                    parse_add_markup_theme(s[end:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped);
         }
 
         string[] markup_string = new string[]{"`", "_", "*", "~"};
@@ -336,11 +346,11 @@ public static string parse_add_markup(string s_, string? highlight_word, bool pa
                 if (match_info.matches()) {
                     int start, end;
                     match_info.fetch_pos(2, out start, out end);
-                    return parse_add_markup(s[0:start-1], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped) +
-                        "<span alpha='50%'>" +  s[start-1:start] + "</span>" +
+                    return parse_add_markup_theme(s[0:start-1], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped) +
+                        "<span color='#9E9E9E'>" +  s[start-1:start] + "</span>" +
                         @"<$(convenience_tag[i])>" + s[start:end] + @"</$(convenience_tag[i])>" +
-                        "<span alpha='50%'>" + s[end:end+1] + "</span>" +
-                        parse_add_markup(s[end+1:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, already_escaped);
+                        "<span color='#9E9E9E'>" + s[end:end+1] + "</span>" +
+                        parse_add_markup_theme(s[end+1:s.length], highlight_word, parse_links, parse_text_markup, dark_theme, ref theme_dependent, already_escaped);
                 }
             } catch (RegexError e) {
                 assert_not_reached();