diff --git a/debian/patches/1002_xterm-256color.patch b/debian/patches/1002_xterm-256color.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cb8702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/1002_xterm-256color.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Description: Enable 256 color support in terminals.
+Author: Mike Gabriel <mike.gabriel@das-netzwerkteam.de>
+
+--- a/src/terminal-screen.c
++++ b/src/terminal-screen.c
+@@ -1440,7 +1440,7 @@
+ 	g_hash_table_remove (env_table, "LINES");
+ 	g_hash_table_remove (env_table, "MATE_DESKTOP_ICON");
+ 
+-	g_hash_table_replace (env_table, g_strdup ("TERM"), g_strdup ("xterm")); /* FIXME configurable later? */
++	g_hash_table_replace (env_table, g_strdup ("TERM"), g_strdup ("xterm-256color")); /* FIXME configurable later? */
+ 
+ 	/* FIXME: moving the tab between windows, or the window between displays will make the next two invalid... */
+ 	g_hash_table_replace (env_table, g_strdup ("WINDOWID"), g_strdup_printf ("%ld", GDK_WINDOW_XID (gtk_widget_get_window (window))));
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index d54651e..8991b5f 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 0001_fix_setting_transparency.patch
 1001_add-keywords-to-desktop-files.patch
+1002_xterm-256color.patch