diff --git a/dlls/msi/dialog.c b/dlls/msi/dialog.c
index 917d961b03f..9720acbc667 100644
--- a/dlls/msi/dialog.c
+++ b/dlls/msi/dialog.c
@@ -1973,7 +1973,7 @@ BOOL msi_dialog_register_class( void )
     cls.hInstance     = NULL;
     cls.hIcon         = LoadIconW(0, (LPWSTR)IDI_APPLICATION);
     cls.hCursor       = LoadCursorW(0, (LPWSTR)IDC_ARROW);
-    cls.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW);
+    cls.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1);
     cls.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
     cls.lpszClassName = szMsiDialogClass;
 
diff --git a/dlls/shlwapi/ordinal.c b/dlls/shlwapi/ordinal.c
index 6321be3b184..384c2ee98f9 100644
--- a/dlls/shlwapi/ordinal.c
+++ b/dlls/shlwapi/ordinal.c
@@ -2593,7 +2593,7 @@ HWND WINAPI SHCreateWorkerWindowA(LONG wndProc, HWND hWndParent, DWORD dwExStyle
   wc.hInstance     = shlwapi_hInstance;
   wc.hIcon         = NULL;
   wc.hCursor       = LoadCursorA(NULL, (LPSTR)IDC_ARROW);
-  wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_BTNSHADOW;
+  wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_BTNFACE + 1);
   wc.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
   wc.lpszClassName = szClass;
 
@@ -2880,7 +2880,7 @@ HWND WINAPI SHCreateWorkerWindowW(LONG wndProc, HWND hWndParent, DWORD dwExStyle
   wc.hInstance     = shlwapi_hInstance;
   wc.hIcon         = NULL;
   wc.hCursor       = LoadCursorW(NULL, (LPWSTR)IDC_ARROW);
-  wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_BTNSHADOW;
+  wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_BTNFACE + 1);
   wc.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
   wc.lpszClassName = szClass;
 
diff --git a/programs/notepad/main.c b/programs/notepad/main.c
index 063ccac8061..031ede38025 100644
--- a/programs/notepad/main.c
+++ b/programs/notepad/main.c
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ int PASCAL WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE prev, LPSTR cmdline, int show)
     class.hInstance     = Globals.hInstance;
     class.hIcon         = LoadIcon(0, IDI_APPLICATION);
     class.hCursor       = LoadCursor(0, IDC_ARROW);
-    class.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW);
+    class.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1);
     class.lpszMenuName  = MAKEINTRESOURCE(MAIN_MENU);
     class.lpszClassName = className;