diff --git a/display/simgraph16.cc b/display/simgraph16.cc
index 3f90f5d29..5f9691cae 100644
--- a/display/simgraph16.cc
+++ b/display/simgraph16.cc
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ uint8 display_day_lights[LIGHT_COUNT*3] = {
 	0xC1,	0xB1,	0xD1, // Windows, lit yellow
 	0x4D,	0x4D,	0x4D, // Windows, lit yellow
 	0xE1,	0x00,	0xE1, // purple light for signals
-	0x01, 0x01, 0xFF, // blue light
+	0x01,	0x01,	0xFF, // blue light
 };
 
 
@@ -446,13 +446,13 @@ uint8 display_night_lights[LIGHT_COUNT*3] = {
 	0xD3,	0xC3,	0x80, // Windows, lit yellow
 	0xD3,	0xC3,	0x80, // Windows, lit yellow
 	0xE1,	0x00,	0xE1, // purple light for signals
-	0x01, 0x01, 0xFF, // blue light
+	0x01,	0x01,	0xFF, // blue light
 };
 
 
 // the players colors and colors for simple drawing operations
-// each eight colors are corresponding to a player color
-static const uint8 special_pal[224*3]=
+// each three values correspond to a color, each 8 colors are a player color
+static const uint8 special_pal[SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT*3] =
 {
 	36, 75, 103,
 	57, 94, 124,
@@ -709,15 +709,17 @@ static sint32 zoom_den[MAX_ZOOM_FACTOR+1] = { 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 8, 2, 8, 4, 8 };
  */
 uint32 get_color_rgb(uint8 idx)
 {
-	// special_pal has 225 values
-	if (idx <= 224) {
+	// special_pal has 224 rgb colors
+	if (idx < SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT) {
 		return special_pal[idx*3 + 0]<<16 | special_pal[idx*3 + 1]<<8 | special_pal[idx*3 + 2];
 	}
-	// if it uses one of the special colours it's under display_day_lights
-	if (idx <= 224 + LIGHT_COUNT) {
-		uint8 lidx = idx - 224;
+
+	// if it uses one of the special light colours it's under display_day_lights
+	if (idx < SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT + LIGHT_COUNT) {
+		const uint8 lidx = idx - SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT;
 		return display_day_lights[lidx*3 + 0]<<16 | display_day_lights[lidx*3 + 1]<<8 | display_day_lights[lidx*3 + 2];
 	}
+
 	// Return black for anything else
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1961,23 +1963,25 @@ static void calc_base_pal_from_night_shift(const int night)
 		}
 	}
 
-
 	// player color map (and used for map display etc.)
-	for (i = 0; i < 224; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT; i++) {
 		const int R = (int)(special_pal[i*3 + 0] * RG_night_multiplier);
 		const int G = (int)(special_pal[i*3 + 1] * RG_night_multiplier);
 		const int B = (int)(special_pal[i*3 + 2] * B_night_multiplier);
 
 		specialcolormap_day_night[i] = get_system_color(R, G, B);
 	}
-	// special light colors (actually, only non-darkening greys should be used
+
+	// special light colors (actually, only non-darkening greys should be used)
 	for(i=0;  i<LIGHT_COUNT;  i++  ) {
-		specialcolormap_day_night[i+224] = get_system_color( display_day_lights[i*3 + 0], display_day_lights[i*3 + 1], 	display_day_lights[i*3 + 2] );
+		specialcolormap_day_night[SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT+i] = get_system_color( display_day_lights[i*3 + 0], display_day_lights[i*3 + 1], 	display_day_lights[i*3 + 2] );
 	}
+
 	// init with black for forbidden colors
-	for(i=224+LIGHT_COUNT;  i<256;  i++  ) {
+	for(i=SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT+LIGHT_COUNT;  i<256;  i++  ) {
 		specialcolormap_day_night[i] = 0;
 	}
+
 	// default player colors
 	for(i=0;  i<8;  i++  ) {
 		rgbmap_day_night[0x8000+i] = specialcolormap_day_night[player_offsets[0][0]+i];
diff --git a/simcolor.h b/simcolor.h
index 262a0396b..4eccee491 100644
--- a/simcolor.h
+++ b/simcolor.h
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #ifndef simcolor_h
 #define simcolor_h
 
-#define LIGHT_COUNT (15)
+#define LIGHT_COUNT         (15)
+#define SPECIAL_COLOR_COUNT (224)
 
 // this is a player color => use different table for conversion
 #define PLAYER_FLAG        (0x800000)