diff --git a/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js b/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
index a9cf3b60e8..52d13874ab 100644
--- a/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
+++ b/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ define('admin/manage/categories', [
 				name: $('#inputName').val(),
 				description: $('#inputDescription').val(),
 				icon: $('#new-category-modal i').attr('value'),
-				bgColor: '#0059b2',
-				color: '#fff',
 				order: $('.admin-categories #entry-container').children().length + 1
 			};
 
diff --git a/src/categories/create.js b/src/categories/create.js
index a8bfaeb6fc..ce293d1c42 100644
--- a/src/categories/create.js
+++ b/src/categories/create.js
@@ -14,15 +14,16 @@ module.exports = function(Categories) {
 			}
 
 			var slug = cid + '/' + utils.slugify(data.name),
-				order = data.order || cid;	// If no order provided, place it at the end
+				order = data.order || cid,	// If no order provided, place it at the end
+				colours = Categories.assignColours();
 
 			var category = {
 				cid: cid,
 				name: data.name,
 				description: data.description,
 				icon: data.icon,
-				bgColor: data.bgColor,
-				color: data.color,
+				bgColor: data.bgColor || colours[0],
+				color: data.color || colours[1],
 				slug: slug,
 				parentCid: 0,
 				topic_count: 0,
@@ -52,4 +53,12 @@ module.exports = function(Categories) {
 			});
 		});
 	};
+
+	Categories.assignColours = function() {
+		var backgrounds = ['#AB4642', '#DC9656', '#F7CA88', '#A1B56C', '#86C1B9', '#7CAFC2', '#BA8BAF', '#A16946'],
+			text = ['#fff', '#fff', '#333', '#fff', '#333', '#fff', '#fff', '#fff'],
+			index = Math.floor(Math.random() * backgrounds.length);
+
+		return [backgrounds[index], text[index]];
+	};
 };