diff --git a/scumm/dialogs.cpp b/scumm/dialogs.cpp
index b2a252c8f89..be722c4bd02 100644
--- a/scumm/dialogs.cpp
+++ b/scumm/dialogs.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "sound/mididrv.h"
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "imuse.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 
 #include "gui/newgui.h"
 #include "gui/ListWidget.h"
diff --git a/scumm/gfx.cpp b/scumm/gfx.cpp
index 71dbe9e03b8..6451c3f7e38 100644
--- a/scumm/gfx.cpp
+++ b/scumm/gfx.cpp
@@ -1756,8 +1756,6 @@ void Gdi::unkDecode11()
 
 void Scumm::restoreCharsetBg()
 {
-	_bkColor = 0;
-
 	if (gdi._mask_left != -1) {
 		restoreBG(gdi._mask_left, gdi._mask_top, gdi._mask_right, gdi._mask_bottom);
 		charset._hasMask = false;
@@ -1770,7 +1768,7 @@ void Scumm::restoreCharsetBg()
 	charset._ypos2 = _string[0].ypos;
 }
 
-void Scumm::restoreBG(int left, int top, int right, int bottom)
+void Scumm::restoreBG(int left, int top, int right, int bottom, byte backColor)
 {
 	VirtScreen *vs;
 	int topline, height, width;
@@ -1832,7 +1830,7 @@ void Scumm::restoreBG(int left, int top, int right, int bottom)
 		}
 	} else {
 		while (height--) {
-			memset(backbuff, _bkColor, width);
+			memset(backbuff, backColor, width);
 			backbuff += _realWidth;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/scumm/resource.cpp b/scumm/resource.cpp
index 31c86c81a41..24cf0df85d4 100644
--- a/scumm/resource.cpp
+++ b/scumm/resource.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "stdafx.h"
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "resource.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 #include "scumm/sound.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/scumm/saveload.cpp b/scumm/saveload.cpp
index 83917078c60..bedb3eebb98 100644
--- a/scumm/saveload.cpp
+++ b/scumm/saveload.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "config-file.h"
 #include "resource.h"
 #include "saveload.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 
 struct SaveGameHeader {
 	uint32 type;
diff --git a/scumm/script_v1.cpp b/scumm/script_v1.cpp
index 09958af3efd..6a6146d9cb0 100644
--- a/scumm/script_v1.cpp
+++ b/scumm/script_v1.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "stdafx.h"
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "actor.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 #include "scumm/sound.h"
 
 #define OPCODE(x)	{ &Scumm::x, #x }
diff --git a/scumm/script_v2.cpp b/scumm/script_v2.cpp
index 048a809edf2..9f53e85386a 100644
--- a/scumm/script_v2.cpp
+++ b/scumm/script_v2.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "stdafx.h"
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "actor.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 #include "smush/player.h"
 #include "smush/scumm_renderer.h"
 
diff --git a/scumm/scumm.h b/scumm/scumm.h
index f1458183bac..620e398f78a 100644
--- a/scumm/scumm.h
+++ b/scumm/scumm.h
@@ -72,19 +72,7 @@ struct MemBlkHeader {
 	uint32 size;
 };
 
-struct VerbSlot {
-	int16 x, y;
-	int16 right, bottom;
-	int16 oldleft, oldtop, oldright, oldbottom;
-	uint8 verbid;
-	uint8 color, hicolor, dimcolor, bkcolor, type;
-	uint8 charset_nr, curmode;
-	uint8 saveid;
-	uint8 key;
-	bool center;
-	uint8 field_1B;
-	uint16 imgindex;
-};
+struct VerbSlot;
 
 class ObjectData {
 public:
@@ -733,7 +721,7 @@ public:
 	void drawRoomObject(int i, int arg);
 	void drawBox(int x, int y, int x2, int y2, int color);
 
-	void restoreBG(int left, int top, int right, int bottom);
+	void restoreBG(int left, int top, int right, int bottom, byte backColor = 0);
 	void redrawBGStrip(int start, int num);	
 	void redrawBGAreas();	
 	
@@ -850,7 +838,6 @@ public:
 
 	byte _proc_special_palette[256];
 	int _palDirtyMin, _palDirtyMax;
-	byte _bkColor;
 	uint16 _lastXstart;
 
 	byte _haveMsg;
diff --git a/scumm/scummvm.cpp b/scumm/scummvm.cpp
index b674c6556e1..322f976d74e 100644
--- a/scumm/scummvm.cpp
+++ b/scumm/scummvm.cpp
@@ -22,21 +22,22 @@
 
 #include "stdafx.h"
 #include "scumm.h"
-#include "sound/mixer.h"
-#include "sound/mididrv.h"
-#include "scumm/sound.h"
-#include "scumm/imuse.h"
-#include "scumm/bundle.h"
 #include "actor.h"
+#include "bundle.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "dialogs.h"
-#include "gameDetector.h"
-#include "gui/newgui.h"
-#include "gui/message.h"
+#include "imuse.h"
 #include "object.h"
 #include "resource.h"
+#include "sound.h"
 #include "string.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
+#include "common/gameDetector.h"
 #include "common/config-file.h"
+#include "gui/newgui.h"
+#include "gui/message.h"
+#include "sound/mixer.h"
+#include "sound/mididrv.h"
 
 #ifdef _WIN32_WCE
 extern void drawError(char*);
diff --git a/scumm/string.cpp b/scumm/string.cpp
index 2ac6f4cfc65..89dd4b97212 100644
--- a/scumm/string.cpp
+++ b/scumm/string.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "actor.h"
 #include "dialogs.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 #include "scumm/sound.h"
 
 int CharsetRenderer::getStringWidth(int arg, byte *text, int pos)
@@ -42,9 +43,7 @@ int CharsetRenderer::getStringWidth(int arg, byte *text, int pos)
 			break;
 		if (chr == '@')
 			continue;
-		if (chr == 254)
-			chr = 255;
-		if (chr == 255) {
+		if (chr == 254 || chr == 255) {
 			chr = text[pos++];
 			if (chr == 3)	// 'WAIT'
 				break;
@@ -252,7 +251,6 @@ void Scumm::CHARSET_1()
 	charset._center = _string[0].center;
 	charset._right = _string[0].right;
 	charset._color = _charsetColor;
-	_bkColor = 0;
 
 	if (!(_features & GF_OLD256))	// FIXME
 		for (i = 0; i < 4; i++)
@@ -485,7 +483,6 @@ void Scumm::description()
 	charset._curId = 3;
 	charset._center = false;
 	charset._color = 15;
-	_bkColor = 0;
 	// FIXME: _talkdelay = 1 - display description, not correct ego actor talking,
 	// 0 - no display, correct ego actor talking
 	_talkDelay = 0;
@@ -540,7 +537,6 @@ void Scumm::drawDescString(byte *msg)
 		charset._xpos2 = 0;
 
 	charset._disableOffsX = charset._firstChar = true;
-	_bkColor = 0;
 	_talkDelay = 1;
 
 	restoreCharsetBg();
@@ -584,7 +580,6 @@ void Scumm::drawString(int a)
 	charset._center = _string[a].center;
 	charset._right = _string[a].right;
 	charset._color = _string[a].color;
-	_bkColor = 0;
 	charset._disableOffsX = charset._firstChar = true;
 
 	if (!(_features & GF_OLD256)) {
diff --git a/scumm/verbs.cpp b/scumm/verbs.cpp
index 0be0ac59dc4..bd81c22eb7a 100644
--- a/scumm/verbs.cpp
+++ b/scumm/verbs.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "scumm.h"
 #include "object.h"
 #include "resource.h"
+#include "verbs.h"
 
 void Scumm::redrawVerbs()
 {
@@ -81,6 +82,8 @@ void Scumm::verbMouseOver(int verb)
 	if (_verbMouseOver == verb)
 		return;
 
+printf("verbMouseOver: verb = %d, type = %d\n", verb, _verbs[verb].type);
+
 	if (_verbs[_verbMouseOver].type != 1) {
 		drawVerb(_verbMouseOver, 0);
 		_verbMouseOver = verb;
@@ -179,8 +182,7 @@ void Scumm::restoreVerbBG(int verb)
 	vs = &_verbs[verb];
 
 	if (vs->oldleft != -1) {
-		_bkColor = vs->bkcolor;
-		restoreBG(vs->oldleft, vs->oldtop, vs->oldright, vs->oldbottom);
+		restoreBG(vs->oldleft, vs->oldtop, vs->oldright, vs->oldbottom, vs->bkcolor);
 		vs->oldleft = -1;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/scumm/verbs.h b/scumm/verbs.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..50570ffd73a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scumm/verbs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/* ScummVM - Scumm Interpreter
+ * Copyright (C) 2002 The ScummVM project
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+ *
+ * $Header$
+ */
+
+#ifndef VERBS_H
+#define VERBS_H
+
+#include "scummsys.h"
+
+struct VerbSlot {
+	int16 x, y;
+	int16 right, bottom;
+	int16 oldleft, oldtop, oldright, oldbottom;
+	uint8 verbid;
+	uint8 color, hicolor, dimcolor, bkcolor, type;
+	uint8 charset_nr, curmode;
+	uint8 saveid;
+	uint8 key;
+	bool center;
+	uint8 field_1B;
+	uint16 imgindex;
+};
+
+#endif