diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index e916fc48..1fc11e69 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
    plugins/filebrowser.c, plugins/splitwindow.c, plugins/htmlchars.c,
    plugins/classbuilder.c:
    Update to use geanyfunctions.h.
+ * data/filetypes.common:
+   Make whitespace setting not override background colour by default,
+   otherwise e.g. unterminated strings in C can have inconsistent
+   background colour when Show Whitespace is enabled.
 
 
 2008-12-03  Nick Treleaven  <nick(dot)treleaven(at)btinternet(dot)com>
diff --git a/data/filetypes.common b/data/filetypes.common
index 00e2cbf9..a40b452f 100644
--- a/data/filetypes.common
+++ b/data/filetypes.common
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ indent_guide=0xc0c0c0;0xffffff;false;false
 
 # third argument: if true, use this foreground color. If false, use the default value defined by the filetypes.
 # fourth argument: if true, use this background color. If false, use the default value defined by the filetypes.
-white_space=0xc0c0c0;0xffffff;true;true
+white_space=0xc0c0c0;0xffffff;true;false
 
 # style of folding icons, only first and second arguments are used, valid values are:
 # first argument:  1 for boxes, 2 for circles