diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_groups.php b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_groups.php
index beb7aefee5..3b0d53d52c 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_groups.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acp/acp_groups.php
@@ -422,6 +422,13 @@ class acp_groups
 						$error = array_merge($error, array_map(array(&$user, 'lang'), $max_recipients_error));
 					}
 
+					// Validate submitted colour value
+					if ($colour_error = validate_data($submit_ary, array('colour'	=> array('match', true, '/^([0-9a-fA-F]{6}|[0-9a-fA-F]{3})\b/'))))
+					{
+						// Replace "error" string with its real, localised form
+						$error = array_merge($error, array_map(array(&$user, 'lang'), $colour_error));
+					}
+
 					if (!sizeof($error))
 					{
 						// Only set the rank, colour, etc. if it's changed or if we're adding a new
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/ucp/ucp_groups.php b/phpBB/includes/ucp/ucp_groups.php
index 8ff76eac42..bf6af8b6f1 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/ucp/ucp_groups.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/ucp/ucp_groups.php
@@ -595,18 +595,11 @@ class ucp_groups
 								$error[] = $user->lang['FORM_INVALID'];
 							}
 
-							if (!empty($submit_ary['colour']))
+							// Validate submitted colour value
+							if ($colour_error = validate_data($submit_ary, array('colour'	=> array('match', true, '/^([0-9a-fA-F]{6}|[0-9a-fA-F]{3})\b/'))))
 							{
-								preg_match('/^#?(?:[0-9a-fA-F]{6}|[0-9a-fA-F]{3})\b/', $submit_ary['colour'], $group_colour);
-
-								if (sizeof($group_colour))
-								{
-									$submit_ary['colour'] = (strpos($group_colour[0], '#') !== false) ? str_replace('#', '', $group_colour[0]) : $group_colour[0];
-								}
-								else
-								{
-									$error[] = $user->lang['COLOUR_INVALID'];
-								}
+								// Replace "error" string with its real, localised form
+								$error = array_merge($error, array_map(array(&$user, 'lang'), $colour_error));
 							}
 
 							if (!sizeof($error))
diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/common.php b/phpBB/language/en/common.php
index 129deb551c..c986e8213d 100644
--- a/phpBB/language/en/common.php
+++ b/phpBB/language/en/common.php
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	'CLICK_VIEW_PRIVMSG'	=> '%sGo to your inbox%s',
 	'COLLAPSE_VIEW'			=> 'Collapse view',
 	'CLOSE_WINDOW'			=> 'Close window',
-	'COLOUR_INVALID'		=> 'The colour value you entered is invalid.',
 	'COLOUR_SWATCH'			=> 'Colour swatch',
 	'COMMA_SEPARATOR'		=> ', ',	// Used in pagination of ACP & prosilver, use localised comma if appropriate, eg: Ideographic or Arabic
 	'CONFIRM'				=> 'Confirm',
@@ -723,6 +722,7 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	'WHO_IS_ONLINE'		=> 'Who is online',
 	'WRONG_PASSWORD'	=> 'You entered an incorrect password.',
 
+	'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'			=> 'The colour value you entered is invalid.',
 	'WRONG_DATA_ICQ'			=> 'The number you entered is not a valid ICQ number.',
 	'WRONG_DATA_JABBER'			=> 'The name you entered is not a valid Jabber account name.',
 	'WRONG_DATA_LANG'			=> 'The language you specified is not valid.',
diff --git a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/ucp_groups_manage.html b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/ucp_groups_manage.html
index 87b548c23b..d15cca8ee8 100644
--- a/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/ucp_groups_manage.html
+++ b/phpBB/styles/prosilver/template/ucp_groups_manage.html
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 	<fieldset>
 	<dl>
 		<dt><label for="group_colour">{L_GROUP_COLOR}:</label><br /><span>{L_GROUP_COLOR_EXPLAIN}</span></dt>
-		<dd><input name="group_colour" type="text" id="group_colour" value="{GROUP_COLOUR}" size="7" maxlength="7" class="inputbox narrow" /> <span style="background-color: {GROUP_COLOUR};">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [ <a href="{U_SWATCH}" onclick="popup(this.href, 636, 150, '_swatch'); return false;">{L_COLOUR_SWATCH}</a> ]</dd>
+		<dd><input name="group_colour" type="text" id="group_colour" value="{GROUP_COLOUR}" size="6" maxlength="6" class="inputbox narrow" /> <span style="background-color: {GROUP_COLOUR};">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span> [ <a href="{U_SWATCH}" onclick="popup(this.href, 636, 150, '_swatch'); return false;">{L_COLOUR_SWATCH}</a> ]</dd>
 	</dl>
 	<dl>
 		<dt><label for="group_rank">{L_GROUP_RANK}:</label></dt>
diff --git a/tests/functional/ucp_groups_test.php b/tests/functional/ucp_groups_test.php
index d5ac6f697e..7a315c2018 100644
--- a/tests/functional/ucp_groups_test.php
+++ b/tests/functional/ucp_groups_test.php
@@ -15,15 +15,14 @@ class phpbb_functional_ucp_groups_test extends phpbb_functional_test_case
 	public function groups_manage_test_data()
 	{
 		return array(
-			array('#AA0000', 'GROUP_UPDATED'),
+			array('#AA0000', 'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
 			array('AA0000', 'GROUP_UPDATED'),
-			array('AA0000v', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
-			array('vAA0000', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
-			array('AAG000', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
-			array('#a00', 'GROUP_UPDATED'),
-			array('ag0', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
-			array('#ag0', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
-			array('##bcc', 'COLOUR_INVALID'),
+			array('AA0000v', 'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
+			array('vAA0000', 'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
+			array('AAG000','WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
+			array('a00', 'GROUP_UPDATED'),
+			array('ag0', 'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
+			array('#aa0', 'WRONG_DATA_COLOUR'),
 		);
 	}