diff --git a/client/battle/BattleStacksController.cpp b/client/battle/BattleStacksController.cpp
index 74c4a0189..cfd69684a 100644
--- a/client/battle/BattleStacksController.cpp
+++ b/client/battle/BattleStacksController.cpp
@@ -88,16 +88,13 @@ BattleStacksController::BattleStacksController(BattleInterface & owner):
 	static const auto shifterNegative = ColorFilter::genRangeShifter( 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.0f, 0.2f, 0.2f );
 	static const auto shifterNeutral  = ColorFilter::genRangeShifter( 0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 0.2f );
 
-	amountNormal->adjustPalette(shifterNormal, 0);
-	amountPositive->adjustPalette(shifterPositive, 0);
-	amountNegative->adjustPalette(shifterNegative, 0);
-	amountEffNeutral->adjustPalette(shifterNeutral, 0);
+	// do not change border color
+	static const int32_t ignoredMask = 1 << 26;
 
-	//Restore border color {255, 231, 132, 255} to its original state
-	amountNormal->resetPalette(26);
-	amountPositive->resetPalette(26);
-	amountNegative->resetPalette(26);
-	amountEffNeutral->resetPalette(26);
+	amountNormal->adjustPalette(shifterNormal, ignoredMask);
+	amountPositive->adjustPalette(shifterPositive, ignoredMask);
+	amountNegative->adjustPalette(shifterNegative, ignoredMask);
+	amountEffNeutral->adjustPalette(shifterNeutral, ignoredMask);
 
 	std::vector<const CStack*> stacks = owner.curInt->cb->battleGetAllStacks(true);
 	for(const CStack * s : stacks)
diff --git a/client/battle/CreatureAnimation.cpp b/client/battle/CreatureAnimation.cpp
index e355b7d5b..d0c181483 100644
--- a/client/battle/CreatureAnimation.cpp
+++ b/client/battle/CreatureAnimation.cpp
@@ -343,13 +343,14 @@ static SDL_Color addColors(const SDL_Color & base, const SDL_Color & over)
 
 void CreatureAnimation::genSpecialPalette(IImage::SpecialPalette & target)
 {
-	target[0] = genShadow(shadowAlpha / 2);
+	target.resize(8);
+	target[0] = genShadow(0);
 	target[1] = genShadow(shadowAlpha / 2);
-	target[2] = genShadow(shadowAlpha);
-	target[3] = genShadow(shadowAlpha);
-	target[4] = genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border);
-	target[5] = addColors(genShadow(shadowAlpha),     genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border));
-	target[6] = addColors(genShadow(shadowAlpha / 2), genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border));
+	target[2] = genShadow(shadowAlpha / 2);
+	// colors 2 & 3 are not used in creatures
+	target[5] = genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border);
+	target[6] = addColors(genShadow(shadowAlpha),     genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border));
+	target[7] = addColors(genShadow(shadowAlpha / 2), genBorderColor(getBorderStrength(elapsedTime), border));
 }
 
 void CreatureAnimation::nextFrame(Canvas & canvas, const ColorFilter & shifter, bool facingRight)
@@ -371,8 +372,8 @@ void CreatureAnimation::nextFrame(Canvas & canvas, const ColorFilter & shifter,
 		IImage::SpecialPalette SpecialPalette;
 		genSpecialPalette(SpecialPalette);
 
-		image->setSpecialPallete(SpecialPalette);
-		image->adjustPalette(shifter, 8);
+		image->setSpecialPallete(SpecialPalette, IImage::SPECIAL_PALETTE_MASK_CREATURES);
+		image->adjustPalette(shifter, IImage::SPECIAL_PALETTE_MASK_CREATURES);
 
 		canvas.draw(image, pos.topLeft(), Rect(0, 0, pos.w, pos.h));
 
diff --git a/client/render/IImage.h b/client/render/IImage.h
index 0facf0ee9..8f53888ba 100644
--- a/client/render/IImage.h
+++ b/client/render/IImage.h
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ enum class EImageBlitMode : uint8_t
 class IImage
 {
 public:
-	using SpecialPalette = std::array<SDL_Color, 7>;
+	using SpecialPalette = std::vector<SDL_Color>;
+	static constexpr int32_t SPECIAL_PALETTE_MASK_CREATURES = 0b11110011;
 
 	//draws image on surface "where" at position
 	virtual void draw(SDL_Surface * where, int posX = 0, int posY = 0, const Rect * src = nullptr) const = 0;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ public:
 
 	//only indexed bitmaps, 16 colors maximum
 	virtual void shiftPalette(uint32_t firstColorID, uint32_t colorsToMove, uint32_t distanceToMove) = 0;
-	virtual void adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, size_t colorsToSkip) = 0;
+	virtual void adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask) = 0;
 	virtual void resetPalette(int colorID) = 0;
 	virtual void resetPalette() = 0;
 
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ public:
 	virtual void setBlitMode(EImageBlitMode mode) = 0;
 
 	//only indexed bitmaps with 7 special colors
-	virtual void setSpecialPallete(const SpecialPalette & SpecialPalette) = 0;
+	virtual void setSpecialPallete(const SpecialPalette & SpecialPalette, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask) = 0;
 
 	virtual void horizontalFlip() = 0;
 	virtual void verticalFlip() = 0;
diff --git a/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.cpp b/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.cpp
index e7c97a530..bd944dd40 100644
--- a/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.cpp
+++ b/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.cpp
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ void SDLImage::shiftPalette(uint32_t firstColorID, uint32_t colorsToMove, uint32
 	}
 }
 
-void SDLImage::adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, size_t colorsToSkip)
+void SDLImage::adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask)
 {
 	if(originalPalette == nullptr)
 		return;
@@ -316,8 +316,11 @@ void SDLImage::adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, size_t colorsToSkip)
 	SDL_Palette* palette = surf->format->palette;
 
 	// Note: here we skip first colors in the palette that are predefined in H3 images
-	for(int i = colorsToSkip; i < palette->ncolors; i++)
+	for(int i = 0; i < palette->ncolors; i++)
 	{
+		if(i < std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::digits && ((colorsToSkipMask >> i) & 1) == 1)
+			continue;
+
 		palette->colors[i] = shifter.shiftColor(originalPalette->colors[i]);
 	}
 }
@@ -340,11 +343,17 @@ void SDLImage::resetPalette( int colorID )
 	SDL_SetPaletteColors(surf->format->palette, originalPalette->colors + colorID, colorID, 1);
 }
 
-void SDLImage::setSpecialPallete(const IImage::SpecialPalette & SpecialPalette)
+void SDLImage::setSpecialPallete(const IImage::SpecialPalette & specialPalette, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask)
 {
 	if(surf->format->palette)
 	{
-		CSDL_Ext::setColors(surf, const_cast<SDL_Color *>(SpecialPalette.data()), 1, 7);
+		size_t last = std::min<size_t>(specialPalette.size(), surf->format->palette->ncolors);
+
+		for (size_t i = 0; i < last; ++i)
+		{
+			if(i < std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::digits && ((colorsToSkipMask >> i) & 1) == 1)
+				surf->format->palette->colors[i] = specialPalette[i];
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.h b/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.h
index 437daceab..5b7894c3a 100644
--- a/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.h
+++ b/client/renderSDL/SDLImage.h
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ public:
 	void verticalFlip() override;
 
 	void shiftPalette(uint32_t firstColorID, uint32_t colorsToMove, uint32_t distanceToMove) override;
-	void adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, size_t colorsToSkip) override;
+	void adjustPalette(const ColorFilter & shifter, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask) override;
 	void resetPalette(int colorID) override;
 	void resetPalette() override;
 
 	void setAlpha(uint8_t value) override;
 	void setBlitMode(EImageBlitMode mode) override;
 
-	void setSpecialPallete(const SpecialPalette & SpecialPalette) override;
+	void setSpecialPallete(const SpecialPalette & SpecialPalette, uint32_t colorsToSkipMask) override;
 
 	friend class SDLImageLoader;