diff --git a/src/register/basiccell.c b/src/register/basiccell.c
index 49c50a983c..88113e8196 100644
--- a/src/register/basiccell.c
+++ b/src/register/basiccell.c
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ BasicCell * xaccMallocBasicCell (void)
 void xaccInitBasicCell (BasicCell *cell)
 {
    cell->input_output = XACC_CELL_ALLOW_ALL;
-   cell->width = 0;
-   cell->alignment = 0;
    cell->bg_color = 0xffffff;  /* white */
    cell->fg_color = 0x0;       /* black */
+   cell->use_bg_color = 0;     /* ignore the color */
+   cell->use_fg_color = 0;     /* ignore the color */
    cell->value = 0x0;
    cell->changed = 0;
    cell->set_value = NULL;
diff --git a/src/register/basiccell.h b/src/register/basiccell.h
index 5184a21e9a..c6efa6529a 100644
--- a/src/register/basiccell.h
+++ b/src/register/basiccell.h
@@ -170,19 +170,21 @@ typedef unsigned int uint32;
 
 struct _BasicCell {
 
-  short  width;           /* column width, in chars, not pixels */
-  short  alignment;       /* column text alignment */
-  char   input_output;    /* zero if output-only */
-
-  /* hack alert -- may want to redesign color to used named color strings. */
+  /* cell attributes */
+  /* hack alert -- may want to redesign color to use named color strings. */
   uint32 bg_color;        /* background color, ARGB format */
   uint32 fg_color;        /* forground (text) color ARGB format */
+  short use_fg_color;     /* if 0, above is ignored */
+  short use_bg_color;     /* if 0, above is ignored */
 
   /* hack alert -- add support for e.g. bold fonts !?!?! italic fonts ?? */
 
+  /* ==================================================== */
   char * value;          /* current value */
   unsigned int changed;  /* 2^32-1 if value modified */
 
+  char   input_output;    /* zero if output-only */
+
   /* "virtual", overloaded set-value method */
   void         (*set_value)     (BasicCell *,
                                  const char * new_value);
diff --git a/src/register/cellblock.c b/src/register/cellblock.c
index 99c02377f4..a74da60c15 100644
--- a/src/register/cellblock.c
+++ b/src/register/cellblock.c
@@ -159,23 +159,6 @@ xaccDestroyCellBlock (CellBlock *arr)
 
 /* =================================================== */
 
-void        
-xaccAddCell (CellBlock *arr, BasicCell *cell, int row, int col) 
-{
-   if (!arr) return;
-   if (!cell) return;
-
-   /* avoid embarrasement if cell incorrectly specified */
-   if ((0 > row) || (0 > col)) return;
-   if ((row >= arr->numRows) || (col >= arr->numCols)) return;
-
-   arr->cells[row][col] = cell;
-   arr->widths[col] = cell->width;
-   arr->alignments[col] = cell->alignment;
-}
-
-/* =================================================== */
-
 void        
 xaccNextRight (CellBlock *arr, int row,      int col, 
                                int next_row, int next_col)
diff --git a/src/register/cellblock.h b/src/register/cellblock.h
index 3adff89a44..6954b491df 100644
--- a/src/register/cellblock.h
+++ b/src/register/cellblock.h
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ struct _CellBlock {
   uint32 active_bg_color;
   uint32 passive_bg_color;
 
+  /* other attributes */
+  short         *widths;        /* column widths */
+  unsigned char *alignments;    /* column text alignments */
+
   short     **right_traverse_r;
   short     **right_traverse_c;
   /* the above arrays have dimension of numRows*numCols.
@@ -104,10 +108,6 @@ struct _CellBlock {
    * wants it to be.  Handy for stuff.
    */
 
-  /* private, cached utility data */
-  short         *widths;        /* column widths */
-  unsigned char *alignments;    /* column text alignments */
-
 };
 
 typedef struct _CellBlock CellBlock;
@@ -116,9 +116,6 @@ CellBlock * xaccMallocCellBlock (int numrows, int numcols);
 void        xaccInitCellBlock (CellBlock *, int numrows, int numcols);
 void        xaccDestroyCellBlock (CellBlock *);
 
-/* add a cell to the array */
-void        xaccAddCell (CellBlock *, BasicCell *, int row, int col);
-
 /* define next cell to traverse to */
 void        xaccNextRight (CellBlock *, int row,      int col, 
                                         int next_row, int next_col);
diff --git a/src/register/pricecell.c b/src/register/pricecell.c
index 42bad5e95c..167acef8dc 100644
--- a/src/register/pricecell.c
+++ b/src/register/pricecell.c
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ xaccInitPriceCell (PriceCell *cell)
 
    SET ( &(cell->cell), "");
 
+   cell->cell.use_fg_color = 1;
    cell->cell.modify_verify = PriceMV;
    cell->cell.set_value = PriceSetValue;
 }
diff --git a/src/register/splitreg.c b/src/register/splitreg.c
index 3488bce596..aa18b8d2e3 100644
--- a/src/register/splitreg.c
+++ b/src/register/splitreg.c
@@ -448,13 +448,16 @@ SplitRegister * xaccMallocSplitRegister (int type)
 {								\
    BasicCell *hcell;						\
    hcell = xaccMallocTextCell();				\
-   hcell->width = NAME##_CELL_W;				\
-   if (1 == reg->num_header_rows) {				\
-      xaccAddCell (header, hcell, 0, NAME##_CELL_C);		\
-   } else {							\
-      xaccAddCell (header, hcell, NAME##_CELL_R, NAME##_CELL_C);	\
-   }								\
    xaccSetBasicCellValue (hcell, reg->labels[NAME##_CELL]);	\
+								\
+   if ((0<=NAME##_CELL_R) && (0<=NAME##_CELL_C)) {		\
+      header->widths[NAME##_CELL_C] = NAME##_CELL_W;		\
+      if (1 == reg->num_header_rows) {				\
+         header->cells[0][NAME##_CELL_C] = hcell;		\
+      } else {							\
+         header->cells[NAME##_CELL_R][NAME##_CELL_C] = hcell;	\
+      }								\
+   }								\
 }
    
 /* BASIC & FANCY macros initialize cells in the register */
@@ -465,15 +468,17 @@ SplitRegister * xaccMallocSplitRegister (int type)
 
 
 #define FANCY(CN,CT,CL) {					\
-   /* reg->CN##Cell = xaccMalloc##CT##Cell(); */		\
-   reg->CN##Cell->cell.width = CL##_CELL_W;			\
-   xaccAddCell (curs, &(reg->CN##Cell->cell), CL##_CELL_R, CL##_CELL_C); \
+   if ((0<=CL##_CELL_R) && (0<=CL##_CELL_C)) {			\
+      curs->widths[CL##_CELL_C] = CL##_CELL_W;			\
+      curs->cells [CL##_CELL_R][CL##_CELL_C] = &(reg->CN##Cell->cell);\
+   }								\
 }
 
 #define BASIC(CN,CT,CL) {					\
-   /* reg->CN##Cell = xaccMalloc##CT##Cell(); */	 	\
-   reg->CN##Cell->width = CL##_CELL_W;				\
-   xaccAddCell (curs, reg->CN##Cell, CL##_CELL_R, CL##_CELL_C);	\
+   if ((0<=CL##_CELL_R) && (0<=CL##_CELL_C)) {			\
+      curs->widths[CL##_CELL_C] = CL##_CELL_W;			\
+      curs->cells [CL##_CELL_R][CL##_CELL_C] = reg->CN##Cell;	\
+   }								\
 }
    
 /* ============================================== */
@@ -500,10 +505,9 @@ configCursors (SplitRegister *reg)
    */
 
    reg -> nullTransCell -> input_output = XACC_CELL_ALLOW_NONE;
-   reg -> nullTransCell -> width = 1;
    xaccSetBasicCellValue (reg->nullTransCell, "");
    for (i=0; i<reg->num_cols; i++) {
-      xaccAddCell (curs, reg->nullTransCell, 0, i);
+      curs->cells[0][i] = reg->nullTransCell;
    }
 
    FANCY (date,    Date,      DATE);
@@ -524,22 +528,6 @@ configCursors (SplitRegister *reg)
    curs->active_bg_color = 0xffdddd; /* pale red */
    curs->passive_bg_color = 0xccccff; /* pale blue */
 
-   /* Need to declare the cell backgrounds as well, otherwise, 
-    * the cell default will override ehte cursor
-    */
-   reg->dateCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->numCell ->        bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->xfrmTransCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->descCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->recnCell ->       bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->creditTransCell->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->debitTransCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->priceTransCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->valueTransCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->shrsCell ->  cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->balanceCell->cell.bg_color = 0xccccff;
-   reg->nullTransCell ->  bg_color = 0xccccff;
-
    /* --------------------------- */
    /* define the ledger cursor that handles splits */
    /* the cursor is 1 row tall */
@@ -551,10 +539,9 @@ configCursors (SplitRegister *reg)
    */
 
    reg -> nullSplitCell -> input_output = XACC_CELL_ALLOW_NONE;
-   reg -> nullSplitCell -> width = 1;
    xaccSetBasicCellValue (reg->nullSplitCell, "");
    for (i=0; i<reg->num_cols; i++) {
-      xaccAddCell (curs, reg->nullSplitCell, 0, i);
+      curs->cells[0][i] = reg->nullSplitCell;
    }
 
    FANCY (xfrm,    Combo,     XFRM);
diff --git a/src/register/table-allgui.c b/src/register/table-allgui.c
index 7e7300c9ee..9edf5b9707 100644
--- a/src/register/table-allgui.c
+++ b/src/register/table-allgui.c
@@ -354,8 +354,12 @@ doMoveCursor (Table *table, int new_phys_row, int new_phys_col, int do_move_gui)
             table->bg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = curs->passive_bg_color;
             cell = curs->cells[i][j];
             if (cell) {
-               table->bg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = cell->bg_color;
-               table->fg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = cell->fg_color;
+               if (cell->use_bg_color) {
+                  table->bg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = cell->bg_color;
+               }
+               if (cell->use_fg_color) {
+                  table->fg_colors[i+r_origin][j+c_origin] = cell->fg_color;
+               }
             }
          }
       }
@@ -469,12 +473,12 @@ doMoveCursor (Table *table, int new_phys_row, int new_phys_col, int do_move_gui)
                cell->changed = 0;
             }
 
-            /* umm, a right now, we'll let the active cursor color override the
-             * individual cell defaults, but for now this is an experiment.
-             *
-             * table->bg_colors[i+phys_row_origin][j+phys_col_origin] = cell->bg_color;
-             * table->fg_colors[i+phys_row_origin][j+phys_col_origin] = cell->fg_color;
-             */
+            if (cell->use_bg_color) {
+               table->bg_colors[i+phys_row_origin][j+phys_col_origin] = cell->bg_color;
+            }
+            if (cell->use_fg_color) {
+               table->fg_colors[i+phys_row_origin][j+phys_col_origin] = cell->fg_color;
+            }
          }
       }
    }