diff --git a/src/renderer/BaseRenderLayer.ts b/src/renderer/BaseRenderLayer.ts
index a46bc391..5bc4f33b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/BaseRenderLayer.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/BaseRenderLayer.ts
@@ -243,23 +243,19 @@ export abstract class BaseRenderLayer implements IRenderLayer {
    * @param bold Whether the text is bold.
    */
   protected drawChar(terminal: ITerminal, char: string, code: number, width: number, x: number, y: number, fg: number, bg: number, bold: boolean, dim: boolean, italic: boolean): void {
-    let colorIndex = 0;
-    if (fg < 256) {
-      colorIndex = fg + 2 + (bold && terminal.options.enableBold ? 16 : 0);
-    } else {
-      // If default color and bold
-      if (bold && terminal.options.enableBold) {
-        colorIndex = 1;
-      }
-    }
     const isAscii = code < 256;
-    // A color is basic if it is one of the standard normal or bold weight
-    // colors of the characters held in the char atlas. Note that this excludes
-    // the normal weight _light_ color characters.
-    const isBasicColor = (colorIndex > 1 && fg < 16) && (fg < 8 || bold);
+    // A color is basic if it is one of the 4 bit ANSI colors.
+    const isBasicColor = fg < 16;
     const isDefaultColor = fg >= 256;
     const isDefaultBackground = bg >= 256;
     if (this._charAtlas && isAscii && (isBasicColor || isDefaultColor) && isDefaultBackground && !italic) {
+      let colorIndex: number;
+      if (isDefaultColor) {
+        colorIndex = (bold && terminal.options.enableBold ? 1 : 0);
+      } else {
+        colorIndex = 2 + fg + (bold && terminal.options.enableBold ? 16 : 0);
+      }
+
       // ImageBitmap's draw about twice as fast as from a canvas
       const charAtlasCellWidth = this._scaledCharWidth + CHAR_ATLAS_CELL_SPACING;
       const charAtlasCellHeight = this._scaledCharHeight + CHAR_ATLAS_CELL_SPACING;
@@ -269,14 +265,6 @@ export abstract class BaseRenderLayer implements IRenderLayer {
         this._ctx.globalAlpha = DIM_OPACITY;
       }
 
-      // Draw the non-bold version of the same color if bold is not enabled
-      if (bold && !terminal.options.enableBold) {
-        // Ignore default color as it's not touched above
-        if (colorIndex > 1) {
-          colorIndex -= 16;
-        }
-      }
-
       this._ctx.drawImage(this._charAtlas,
           code * charAtlasCellWidth,
           colorIndex * charAtlasCellHeight,