diff --git a/src/x11/colour.cpp b/src/x11/colour.cpp
index 6000924c83..2890656e0e 100644
--- a/src/x11/colour.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/colour.cpp
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ bool wxColour::FromString(const wxChar *name)
     Display *dpy = wxGlobalDisplay();
     WXColormap colormap = wxTheApp->GetMainColormap( dpy );
     XColor xcol;
-    if ( XParseColor( dpy, (Colormap)colormap, name , &xcol ) )
+    if ( XParseColor( dpy, (Colormap)colormap, wxConvertWX2MB(name), &xcol ) )
     {
         UnRef();