diff --git a/common/gr_basic.cpp b/common/gr_basic.cpp
index 7eaef89d57..8c7f70131d 100644
--- a/common/gr_basic.cpp
+++ b/common/gr_basic.cpp
@@ -1488,12 +1488,12 @@ bool ColorIsLight( EDA_COLOR_T aColor )
 
 EDA_COLOR_T ColorFindNearest( const wxColour &aColor )
 {
-    EDA_COLOR_T candidate = BLACK;
+    return ColorFindNearest( aColor.Red(), aColor.Green(), aColor.Blue() );
+}
 
-    // These are ints because we will subtract them later
-    int r = aColor.Red();
-    int g = aColor.Green();
-    int b = aColor.Blue();
+EDA_COLOR_T ColorFindNearest( int aR, int aG, int aB )
+{
+    EDA_COLOR_T candidate = BLACK;
 
     /* Find the 'nearest' color in the palette. This is fun. There is
        a gazilion of metrics for the color space and no one of the
@@ -1511,11 +1511,11 @@ EDA_COLOR_T ColorFindNearest( const wxColour &aColor )
     for( EDA_COLOR_T trying = BLACK; trying < NBCOLORS; trying = NextColor(trying) )
     {
         const StructColors &c = g_ColorRefs[trying];
-        int distance = (r - c.m_Red) * (r - c.m_Red) +
-            (g - c.m_Green) * (g - c.m_Green) +
-            (b - c.m_Blue) * (b - c.m_Blue);
-        if( distance < nearest_distance && c.m_Red >= r &&
-            c.m_Green >= g && c.m_Blue >= b )
+        int distance = (aR - c.m_Red) * (aR - c.m_Red) +
+            (aG - c.m_Green) * (aG - c.m_Green) +
+            (aB - c.m_Blue) * (aB - c.m_Blue);
+        if( distance < nearest_distance && c.m_Red >= aR &&
+            c.m_Green >= aG && c.m_Blue >= aB )
         {
             nearest_distance = distance;
             candidate = trying;
diff --git a/include/colors.h b/include/colors.h
index 7074b68abb..4cca37efa9 100644
--- a/include/colors.h
+++ b/include/colors.h
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ EDA_COLOR_T ColorByName( const wxChar *aName );
 /// Find the nearest color match
 EDA_COLOR_T ColorFindNearest( const wxColour &aColor );
 
+/**
+ * Find the nearest color match
+ * @param aR is the red component of the color to be matched (in range 0-255)
+ * @param aG is the green component of the color to be matched (in range 0-255)
+ * @param aG is the blue component of the color to be matched (in range 0-255)
+ */
+EDA_COLOR_T ColorFindNearest( int aR, int aG, int aB );
+
 /**
  * Check if a color is light i.e. if black would be more readable than
  * white on it