diff --git a/app/models/color_scheme.rb b/app/models/color_scheme.rb
index ccd8d92e933..f1099a10d87 100644
--- a/app/models/color_scheme.rb
+++ b/app/models/color_scheme.rb
@@ -409,13 +409,13 @@ class ColorScheme < ActiveRecord::Base
   def self.lookup_hex_for_name(name, scheme_id = nil)
     enabled_color_scheme = find_by(id: scheme_id) if scheme_id
     enabled_color_scheme ||= Theme.where(id: SiteSetting.default_theme_id).first&.color_scheme
-    (enabled_color_scheme || base).colors.find { |c| c.name == name }.try(:hex) || "nil"
+    (enabled_color_scheme || base).colors.find { |c| c.name == name }.try(:hex)
   end
 
   def self.hex_for_name(name, scheme_id = nil)
-    cache_key = scheme_id ? name + "_#{scheme_id}" : name
-    hex_cache[cache_key] ||= lookup_hex_for_name(name, scheme_id)
-    hex_cache[cache_key] == "nil" ? nil : hex_cache[cache_key]
+    hex_cache.defer_get_set(scheme_id ? name + "_#{scheme_id}" : name) do
+      lookup_hex_for_name(name, scheme_id)
+    end
   end
 
   def colors=(arr)