diff --git a/src/notification.c b/src/notification.c
index 7ae2254..5250375 100644
--- a/src/notification.c
+++ b/src/notification.c
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ void notification_free(notification *n)
         g_free(n->category);
         g_free(n->text_to_render);
         g_free(n->urls);
+        g_free(n->colors[ColFG]);
+        g_free(n->colors[ColBG]);
+        g_free(n->colors[ColFrame]);
 
         actions_free(n->actions);
         rawimage_free(n->raw_icon);
@@ -312,11 +315,11 @@ void notification_init(notification *n)
 
         /* Color hints */
         if (!n->colors[ColFG])
-                n->colors[ColFG] = xctx.colors[ColFG][n->urgency];
+                n->colors[ColFG] = g_strdup(xctx.colors[ColFG][n->urgency]);
         if (!n->colors[ColBG])
-                n->colors[ColBG] = xctx.colors[ColBG][n->urgency];
+                n->colors[ColBG] = g_strdup(xctx.colors[ColBG][n->urgency]);
         if (!n->colors[ColFrame])
-                n->colors[ColFrame] = xctx.colors[ColFrame][n->urgency];
+                n->colors[ColFrame] = g_strdup(xctx.colors[ColFrame][n->urgency]);
 
         /* Sanitize misc hints */
         if (n->progress < 0 || n->progress > 100)
diff --git a/src/notification.h b/src/notification.h
index c83077a..5b05e8a 100644
--- a/src/notification.h
+++ b/src/notification.h
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ typedef struct _notification {
 
         enum markup_mode markup;
         const char *format;
-        const char *colors[3];
         const char *script;
+        char *colors[3];
 
         /* Hints */
         bool transient;     /* timeout albeit user is idle */
diff --git a/src/rules.c b/src/rules.c
index da64f9b..7be1abb 100644
--- a/src/rules.c
+++ b/src/rules.c
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ void rule_apply(rule_t *r, notification *n)
                 rawimage_free(n->raw_icon);
                 n->raw_icon = NULL;
         }
-        if (r->fg)
-                n->colors[ColFG] = r->fg;
-        if (r->bg)
-                n->colors[ColBG] = r->bg;
+        if (r->fg) {
+                g_free(n->colors[ColFG]);
+                n->colors[ColFG] = g_strdup(r->fg);
+        }
+        if (r->bg) {
+                g_free(n->colors[ColBG]);
+                n->colors[ColBG] = g_strdup(r->bg);
+        }
         if (r->format)
                 n->format = r->format;
         if (r->script)