diff --git a/mutt-1.5.24/color.c b/mutt-1.5.24/color.c
--- a/mutt-1.5.24/color.c
+++ b/mutt-1.5.24/color.c
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ static const struct mapping_t Fields[] =
   { "index",		MT_COLOR_INDEX },
   { "sidebar_new",	MT_COLOR_NEW },
   { "sidebar_flagged",	MT_COLOR_FLAGGED },
+  { "sidebar",		MT_COLOR_SIDEBAR },
   { "prompt",		MT_COLOR_PROMPT },
   { NULL,		0 }
 };
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ void ci_start_color (void)
 
   /* set some defaults */
   ColorDefs[MT_COLOR_STATUS] = A_REVERSE;
+  ColorDefs[MT_COLOR_SIDEBAR] = A_REVERSE;
   ColorDefs[MT_COLOR_INDICATOR] = A_REVERSE;
   ColorDefs[MT_COLOR_SEARCH] = A_REVERSE;
   ColorDefs[MT_COLOR_MARKERS] = A_REVERSE;
diff --git a/mutt-1.5.24/mutt_curses.h b/mutt-1.5.24/mutt_curses.h
--- a/mutt-1.5.24/mutt_curses.h
+++ b/mutt-1.5.24/mutt_curses.h
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ enum
   MT_COLOR_ATTACHMENT,
   MT_COLOR_SEARCH,
   MT_COLOR_BOLD,
+  MT_COLOR_SIDEBAR,
   MT_COLOR_UNDERLINE,
   MT_COLOR_INDEX,
   MT_COLOR_NEW,
diff --git a/mutt-1.5.24/sidebar.c b/mutt-1.5.24/sidebar.c
--- a/mutt-1.5.24/sidebar.c
+++ b/mutt-1.5.24/sidebar.c
@@ -250,13 +250,14 @@ int draw_sidebar(int menu) {
     }
 
         /* get attributes for divider */
-	SETCOLOR(MT_COLOR_STATUS);
+	SETCOLOR(MT_COLOR_SIDEBAR);
 #ifndef USE_SLANG_CURSES
         attr_get(&attrs, &color_pair, 0);
 #else
         color_pair = attr_get();
 #endif
 	SETCOLOR(MT_COLOR_NORMAL);
+  /* SETCOLOR(MT_COLOR_SIDEBAR); */
 
 	/* draw the divider */
 
@@ -266,10 +267,14 @@ int draw_sidebar(int menu) {
 
 	for ( ; lines < SidebarHeight; lines++ ) {
 		move(lines, SidebarWidth - delim_len);
-		addstr(NONULL(SidebarDelim));
-#ifndef USE_SLANG_CURSES
-                mvchgat(lines, SidebarWidth - delim_len, delim_len, 0, color_pair, NULL);
-#endif
+        if (option (OPTASCIICHARS))
+	      addstr (NONULL (SidebarDelim));
+	    else if (!option (OPTASCIICHARS) && !strcmp (NONULL(SidebarDelim), "|"))
+	      addch (ACS_VLINE);
+	    else if ((Charset_is_utf8) && !strcmp (NONULL(SidebarDelim), "|"))
+	      addstr ("\342\224\202");
+      	    else
+              addstr (NONULL (SidebarDelim));
 	}
 
 	if ( Incoming == 0 ) return 0;