diff --git a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/ColorUtils.ts b/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/ColorUtils.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 80372e65..00000000
--- a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/ColorUtils.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @license MIT
- * Copyright (c) 2018 The xterm.js authors. All rights reserved.
- */
-
-import { IColor } from 'browser/Types';
-
-export function getLuminance(color: IColor): number {
-  // Coefficients taken from: https://www.w3.org/TR/AERT/#color-contrast
-  const r = color.rgba >> 24 & 0xff;
-  const g = color.rgba >> 16 & 0xff;
-  const b = color.rgba >> 8 & 0xff;
-  return (0.299 * r + 0.587 * g + 0.114 * b) / 255;
-}
diff --git a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/GlyphRenderer.ts b/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/GlyphRenderer.ts
index 7ec80907..3ee9cdb5 100644
--- a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/GlyphRenderer.ts
+++ b/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/GlyphRenderer.ts
@@ -6,11 +6,10 @@
 import { createProgram, PROJECTION_MATRIX, throwIfFalsy } from './WebglUtils';
 import { WebglCharAtlas } from './atlas/WebglCharAtlas';
 import { IWebGL2RenderingContext, IWebGLVertexArrayObject, IRenderModel, IRasterizedGlyph } from './Types';
-import { COMBINED_CHAR_BIT_MASK, RENDER_MODEL_INDICIES_PER_CELL } from './RenderModel';
+import { COMBINED_CHAR_BIT_MASK, RENDER_MODEL_INDICIES_PER_CELL, RENDER_MODEL_FG_OFFSET } from './RenderModel';
 import { fill } from 'common/TypedArrayUtils';
 import { slice } from './TypedArray';
 import { NULL_CELL_CODE, WHITESPACE_CELL_CODE, Attributes } from 'common/buffer/Constants';
-import { getLuminance } from './ColorUtils';
 import { Terminal, IBufferLine } from 'xterm';
 import { IColorSet } from 'browser/Types';
 import { IRenderDimensions } from 'browser/renderer/Types';
@@ -219,41 +218,37 @@ export class GlyphRenderer {
 
     this._vertices.selectionAttributes = slice(this._vertices.attributes, 0);
 
-    // TODO: Make fg and bg configurable, currently since the buffer doesn't
-    // support truecolor the char atlas cannot store it.
-    const lumi = getLuminance(this._colors.background);
-    const fg = (lumi > 0.5 ? 7 : 0) | Attributes.CM_P16;
-    const bg = (lumi > 0.5 ? 0 : 7) | Attributes.CM_P16;
+    const bg = (this._colors.selection.rgba >>> 8) | Attributes.CM_RGB;
 
     if (columnSelectMode) {
       const startCol = model.selection.startCol;
       const width = model.selection.endCol - startCol;
       const height = model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow - model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow + 1;
       for (let y = model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow; y < model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow + height; y++) {
-        this._updateSelectionRange(startCol, startCol + width, y, model, bg, fg);
+        this._updateSelectionRange(startCol, startCol + width, y, model, bg);
       }
     } else {
       // Draw first row
       const startCol = model.selection.viewportStartRow === model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow ? model.selection.startCol : 0;
       const startRowEndCol = model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow === model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow ? model.selection.endCol : terminal.cols;
-      this._updateSelectionRange(startCol, startRowEndCol, model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow, model, bg, fg);
+      this._updateSelectionRange(startCol, startRowEndCol, model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow, model, bg);
 
       // Draw middle rows
       const middleRowsCount = Math.max(model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow - model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow - 1, 0);
       for (let y = model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow + 1; y <= model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow + middleRowsCount; y++) {
-        this._updateSelectionRange(0, startRowEndCol, y, model, bg, fg);
+        this._updateSelectionRange(0, startRowEndCol, y, model, bg);
       }
 
       // Draw final row
       if (model.selection.viewportCappedStartRow !== model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow) {
         // Only draw viewportEndRow if it's not the same as viewportStartRow
         const endCol = model.selection.viewportEndRow === model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow ? model.selection.endCol : terminal.cols;
-        this._updateSelectionRange(0, endCol, model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow, model, bg, fg);
+        this._updateSelectionRange(0, endCol, model.selection.viewportCappedEndRow, model, bg);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  private _updateSelectionRange(startCol: number, endCol: number, y: number, model: IRenderModel, bg: number, fg: number): void {
+  private _updateSelectionRange(startCol: number, endCol: number, y: number, model: IRenderModel, bg: number): void {
     const terminal = this._terminal;
     const row = y + terminal.buffer.viewportY;
     let line: IBufferLine | undefined;
@@ -265,9 +260,9 @@ export class GlyphRenderer {
           line = terminal.buffer.getLine(row);
         }
         const chars = line!.getCell(x)!.char;
-        this._updateCell(this._vertices.selectionAttributes, x, y, model.cells[offset], bg, fg, chars);
+        this._updateCell(this._vertices.selectionAttributes, x, y, model.cells[offset], bg, model.cells[offset + RENDER_MODEL_FG_OFFSET], chars);
       } else {
-        this._updateCell(this._vertices.selectionAttributes, x, y, model.cells[offset], bg, fg);
+        this._updateCell(this._vertices.selectionAttributes, x, y, model.cells[offset], bg, model.cells[offset + RENDER_MODEL_FG_OFFSET]);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/WebglRenderer.ts b/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/WebglRenderer.ts
index 4d6428f5..5eae61db 100644
--- a/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/WebglRenderer.ts
+++ b/addons/xterm-addon-webgl/src/WebglRenderer.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import { RenderModel, COMBINED_CHAR_BIT_MASK, RENDER_MODEL_BG_OFFSET, RENDER_MOD
 import { Disposable } from 'common/Lifecycle';
 import { DEFAULT_COLOR, NULL_CELL_CODE, FgFlags } from 'common/buffer/Constants';
 import { Terminal, IEvent } from 'xterm';
-import { getLuminance } from './ColorUtils';
 import { IRenderLayer } from './renderLayer/Types';
 import { IRenderDimensions, IRenderer, IRequestRefreshRowsEvent } from 'browser/renderer/Types';
 import { IColorSet } from 'browser/Types';
@@ -52,8 +51,6 @@ export class WebglRenderer extends Disposable implements IRenderer {
 
     this._core = (<any>this._terminal)._core;
 
-    this._applyBgLuminanceBasedSelection();
-
     this._renderLayers = [
       new LinkRenderLayer(this._core.screenElement, 2, this._colors, this._core),
       new CursorRenderLayer(this._core.screenElement, 3, this._colors, this._onRequestRefreshRows)
@@ -101,20 +98,9 @@ export class WebglRenderer extends Disposable implements IRenderer {
     super.dispose();
   }
 
-  private _applyBgLuminanceBasedSelection(): void {
-    // HACK: This is needed until webgl renderer adds support for selection colors
-    if (getLuminance(this._colors.background) > 0.5) {
-      this._colors.selection = { css: '#000', rgba: 255 };
-    } else {
-      this._colors.selection = { css: '#fff', rgba: 4294967295 };
-    }
-  }
-
   public setColors(colors: IColorSet): void {
     this._colors = colors;
 
-    this._applyBgLuminanceBasedSelection();
-
     // Clear layers and force a full render
     this._renderLayers.forEach(l => {
       l.setColors(this._terminal, this._colors);