diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 0a6fd4e948..2cf67b6b8c 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <ifaddrs.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <QColorDialog>
 #include <QDesktopWidget>
 #include <QGLWidget>
 #include <QKeyEvent>
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv) :
     QRect available = desktop()->availableGeometry();
     _window->resize(available.size());
     _window->setVisible(true);
+    _glWidget->setFocusPolicy(Qt::StrongFocus);
     _glWidget->setFocus();
     
     // enable mouse tracking; otherwise, we only get drag events
@@ -849,9 +851,10 @@ void Application::idle() {
             }
                 
             if (_mouseMode == COLOR_VOXEL_MODE) {
-                _mouseVoxel.red = 0;
-                _mouseVoxel.green = 255;
-                _mouseVoxel.blue = 0;
+                QColor paintColor = _voxelPaintColor->data().value<QColor>();
+                _mouseVoxel.red = paintColor.red();
+                _mouseVoxel.green = paintColor.green();
+                _mouseVoxel.blue = paintColor.blue();
                 
             } else if (_mouseMode == DELETE_VOXEL_MODE) {
                 // red indicates deletion
@@ -1041,9 +1044,27 @@ void Application::setWantsResIn(bool wantsResIn) {
     _myAvatar.setWantResIn(wantsResIn);
 }
 
+
 void Application::setWantsDelta(bool wantsDelta) {
     _myAvatar.setWantDelta(wantsDelta);
 }
+
+static QIcon createSwatchIcon(const QColor& color) {
+    QPixmap map(16, 16);
+    map.fill(color);
+    return QIcon(map);
+}
+
+void Application::chooseVoxelPaintColor() {
+    QColor selected = QColorDialog::getColor(_voxelPaintColor->data().value<QColor>(), _glWidget, "Voxel Paint Color");
+    if (selected.isValid()) {
+        _voxelPaintColor->setData(selected);
+        _voxelPaintColor->setIcon(createSwatchIcon(selected));
+    }
+    
+    // restore the main window's active state
+    _window->activateWindow();
+}
     
 void Application::initMenu() {
     QMenuBar* menuBar = new QMenuBar();
@@ -1080,6 +1101,10 @@ void Application::initMenu() {
     _renderStatsOn->setShortcut(Qt::Key_Slash);
     (_logOn = toolsMenu->addAction("Log"))->setCheckable(true);
     _logOn->setChecked(true);
+    _voxelPaintColor = toolsMenu->addAction("Voxel Paint Color", this, SLOT(chooseVoxelPaintColor()), Qt::Key_7);
+    QColor paintColor(128, 128, 128);
+    _voxelPaintColor->setData(paintColor);
+    _voxelPaintColor->setIcon(createSwatchIcon(paintColor));
     toolsMenu->addAction("Create Voxel is Destructive", this, SLOT(setDestructivePaint(bool)))->setCheckable(true);
     
     QMenu* frustumMenu = menuBar->addMenu("Frustum");
@@ -1879,9 +1904,10 @@ void Application::addVoxelInFrontOfAvatar() {
     detail.x = detail.s * floor(position.x / detail.s);
     detail.y = detail.s * floor(position.y / detail.s);
     detail.z = detail.s * floor(position.z / detail.s);
-    detail.red = 128;
-    detail.green = 128;
-    detail.blue = 128;
+    QColor paintColor = _voxelPaintColor->data().value<QColor>();
+    detail.red = paintColor.red();
+    detail.green = paintColor.green();
+    detail.blue = paintColor.blue();
     
     PACKET_HEADER message = (_destructiveAddVoxel ? PACKET_HEADER_SET_VOXEL_DESTRUCTIVE : PACKET_HEADER_SET_VOXEL);
     sendVoxelEditMessage(message, detail);
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index e22409a77b..5418d0740e 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ private slots:
     void setWantsMonochrome(bool wantsMonochrome);
     void setWantsResIn(bool wantsResIn);
     void setWantsDelta(bool wantsDelta);
+    void chooseVoxelPaintColor();
     
 private:
     
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@ private:
     QAction* _oculusOn;              // Whether to configure the display for the Oculus Rift 
     QAction* _renderStatsOn;         // Whether to show onscreen text overlay with stats 
     QAction* _logOn;                 // Whether to show on-screen log 
+    QAction* _voxelPaintColor;       // The color with which to paint voxels
     QAction* _frustumOn;             // Whether or not to display the debug view frustum 
     QAction* _viewFrustumFromOffset; // Whether or not to offset the view of the frustum
     QAction* _cameraFrustum;         // which frustum to look at 
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
index e3cf16b753..249a70212e 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,13 @@ VoxelNode* VoxelTree::createMissingNode(VoxelNode* lastParentNode, unsigned char
     int indexOfNewChild = branchIndexWithDescendant(lastParentNode->getOctalCode(), codeToReach);
     
     // we could be coming down a branch that was already created, so don't stomp on it.
-    if (!lastParentNode->getChildAtIndex(indexOfNewChild)) {
+    if (lastParentNode->isLeaf() && lastParentNode->isColored()) {
+        // for colored leaves, we must add *all* the children
+        for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
+            lastParentNode->addChildAtIndex(i);
+            lastParentNode->getChildAtIndex(i)->setColor(lastParentNode->getColor());
+        }
+    } else if (!lastParentNode->getChildAtIndex(indexOfNewChild)) {
         lastParentNode->addChildAtIndex(indexOfNewChild);
     }