diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/dialog-options.c b/src/gnome-utils/dialog-options.c
index a6bed1d473..a3ac41fe3c 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/dialog-options.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/dialog-options.c
@@ -680,6 +680,10 @@ gnc_set_default_gain_loss_account_widget(gnc_commodity *commodity)
                 g_object_set_data(G_OBJECT(col), DEFAULT_VISIBLE,
                     GINT_TO_POINTER(1));
 
+                // add the color background data function to the column
+                gnc_tree_view_account_column_add_color (GNC_TREE_VIEW_ACCOUNT(
+                         book_currency_data->default_gain_loss_account_widget), col);
+
                 col =
                     gnc_tree_view_add_toggle_column(GNC_TREE_VIEW(
                         book_currency_data->default_gain_loss_account_widget),
@@ -696,6 +700,10 @@ gnc_set_default_gain_loss_account_widget(gnc_commodity *commodity)
                 g_object_set_data(G_OBJECT(col), DEFAULT_VISIBLE,
                     GINT_TO_POINTER(1));
 
+                // add the color background data function to the column
+                gnc_tree_view_account_column_add_color (GNC_TREE_VIEW_ACCOUNT(
+                         book_currency_data->default_gain_loss_account_widget), col);
+
                 gnc_tree_view_configure_columns (GNC_TREE_VIEW(
                         book_currency_data->default_gain_loss_account_widget));
                 gnc_tree_view_set_show_column_menu(GNC_TREE_VIEW(
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.c b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.c
index 83fdf388f0..5914ce7eb5 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.c
@@ -659,6 +659,18 @@ gnc_tree_view_account_color_update (gpointer gsettings, gchar *key, gpointer use
         priv->show_account_color = gnc_prefs_get_bool(GNC_PREFS_GROUP_GENERAL, key);
 }
 
+/** Add the account color background data function to the GncTreeViewAccount column to 
+ *  show or not the column background in the account color.
+ */
+void
+gnc_tree_view_account_column_add_color (GncTreeViewAccount *view, GtkTreeViewColumn *col)
+{
+    GtkCellRenderer *renderer = gnc_tree_view_column_get_renderer(col);
+
+    gtk_tree_view_column_set_cell_data_func (col, renderer, acc_color_data_func,
+                                             GTK_TREE_VIEW(view), NULL);
+}
+
 /************************************************************/
 /*                    New View Creation                     */
 /************************************************************/
@@ -1743,6 +1755,7 @@ account_cell_property_data_func (GtkTreeViewColumn *tree_column,
 				 GtkTreeIter *s_iter,
 				 gpointer key)
 {
+    GncTreeViewAccount *view;
     Account *account;
     gchar *string = NULL;
 
@@ -1755,6 +1768,11 @@ account_cell_property_data_func (GtkTreeViewColumn *tree_column,
 	string = "";
 
     g_object_set (G_OBJECT (cell), "text", string, "xalign", 0.0, NULL);
+
+    view = g_object_get_data(G_OBJECT(tree_column), "tree-view");
+
+    if (GNC_IS_TREE_VIEW_ACCOUNT (view))
+        acc_color_data_func (tree_column, cell, s_model, s_iter, view);
 }
 
 
@@ -1778,6 +1796,9 @@ gnc_tree_view_account_add_property_column (GncTreeViewAccount *view,
     renderer = gnc_tree_view_column_get_renderer(column);
     g_object_set (G_OBJECT (renderer), "xalign", 1.0, NULL);
 
+    // add a pointer to the view to make it easier to access in data_func
+    g_object_set_data(G_OBJECT(column), "tree-view", (gpointer)view);
+
     gtk_tree_view_column_set_cell_data_func (column, renderer,
             account_cell_property_data_func,
             g_strdup(propname), g_free);
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.h b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.h
index 0ebfc97d58..b6381f2b15 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.h
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-tree-view-account.h
@@ -471,6 +471,11 @@ void gnc_tree_view_account_select_subaccounts (GncTreeViewAccount *view,
  */
 void gnc_tree_view_account_expand_to_account (GncTreeViewAccount *view, Account *account);
 
+/** Add the account color background data function to the GncTreeViewAccount column to 
+ *  show or not the column background in the account color.
+ */
+void gnc_tree_view_account_column_add_color (GncTreeViewAccount *view, GtkTreeViewColumn *col);
+
 /** @} */
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/src/import-export/import-account-matcher.c b/src/import-export/import-account-matcher.c
index 13c955761f..9d4034af51 100644
--- a/src/import-export/import-account-matcher.c
+++ b/src/import-export/import-account-matcher.c
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ build_acct_tree(AccountPickerDialog *picker)
             _("Account ID"), "online-id");
     g_object_set_data(G_OBJECT(col), DEFAULT_VISIBLE, GINT_TO_POINTER(1));
 
+    // the color background data function is part of the add_property_column
+    // function which will color the background based on preference setting
+
     gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(picker->account_tree_sw),
                       GTK_WIDGET(picker->account_tree));