diff --git a/highlight.cpp b/highlight.cpp
index acc7f6886..3467f9b80 100644
--- a/highlight.cpp
+++ b/highlight.cpp
@@ -190,19 +190,24 @@ int highlight_get_color( int highlight )
 		}
 	}
 		
-	wchar_t *val = env_get( highlight_var[idx]);
+	wcstring val_wstr = env_get_string( highlight_var[idx]); 
+	const wchar_t *val = val_wstr.empty()?NULL:val_wstr.c_str();
 
 //	debug( 1, L"%d -> %d -> %ls", highlight, idx, val );	
 	
-	if( val == 0 )
-		val = env_get( highlight_var[0]);
+	if( val == 0 ) {
+		val_wstr = env_get_string( highlight_var[0]);
+		val = val_wstr.empty()?NULL:val_wstr.c_str();	
+	}
 	
 	if( val )
 		result = output_color_code( val );
 	
 	if( highlight & HIGHLIGHT_VALID_PATH )
 	{
-		wchar_t *val2 = env_get( L"fish_color_valid_path" );
+		wcstring val2_wstr =  env_get_string( L"fish_color_valid_path" );
+		const wchar_t *val2 = val2_wstr.empty()?NULL:val2_wstr.c_str(); 
+
 		int result2 = output_color_code( val2 );
 		if( result == FISH_COLOR_NORMAL )
 			result = result2;