diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/amountedit.py b/electrum/gui/qt/amountedit.py
index d9e47ff28..efd768e5e 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/amountedit.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/amountedit.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSignal, Qt
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QPalette, QPainter
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import (QLineEdit, QStyle, QStyleOptionFrame)
 
-from .util import char_width_in_lineedit
+from .util import char_width_in_lineedit, ColorScheme
 
 from electrum.util import (format_satoshis_plain, decimal_point_to_base_unit_name,
                            FEERATE_PRECISION, quantize_feerate)
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ class AmountEdit(FreezableLineEdit):
         self.textChanged.connect(self.numbify)
         self.is_int = is_int
         self.is_shortcut = False
-        self.help_palette = QPalette()
         self.extra_precision = 0
 
     def decimal_point(self):
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ class AmountEdit(FreezableLineEdit):
             textRect = self.style().subElementRect(QStyle.SE_LineEditContents, panel, self)
             textRect.adjust(2, 0, -10, 0)
             painter = QPainter(self)
-            painter.setPen(self.help_palette.brush(QPalette.Disabled, QPalette.Text).color())
+            painter.setPen(ColorScheme.GRAY.as_color())
             painter.drawText(textRect, Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignVCenter, self.base_unit())
 
     def get_amount(self) -> Union[None, Decimal, int]:
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/locktimeedit.py b/electrum/gui/qt/locktimeedit.py
index 53232ac2a..525671f5e 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/locktimeedit.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/locktimeedit.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtWidgets import (QWidget, QLineEdit, QStyle, QStyleOptionFrame, QCom
 from electrum.i18n import _
 from electrum.bitcoin import NLOCKTIME_MIN, NLOCKTIME_MAX, NLOCKTIME_BLOCKHEIGHT_MAX
 
-from .util import char_width_in_lineedit
+from .util import char_width_in_lineedit, ColorScheme
 
 
 class LockTimeEdit(QWidget):
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ class LockTimeHeightEdit(LockTimeRawEdit):
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         LockTimeRawEdit.__init__(self, parent)
         self.setFixedWidth(20 * char_width_in_lineedit())
-        self.help_palette = QPalette()
 
     def paintEvent(self, event):
         super().paintEvent(event)
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ class LockTimeHeightEdit(LockTimeRawEdit):
         textRect = self.style().subElementRect(QStyle.SE_LineEditContents, panel, self)
         textRect.adjust(2, 0, -10, 0)
         painter = QPainter(self)
-        painter.setPen(self.help_palette.brush(QPalette.Disabled, QPalette.Text).color())
+        painter.setPen(ColorScheme.GRAY.as_color())
         painter.drawText(textRect, Qt.AlignRight | Qt.AlignVCenter, "height")
 
 
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/util.py b/electrum/gui/qt/util.py
index bdaed6a34..fcd445db4 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/util.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/util.py
@@ -870,6 +870,7 @@ class ColorScheme:
     RED = ColorSchemeItem("#7c1111", "#f18c8c")
     BLUE = ColorSchemeItem("#123b7c", "#8cb3f2")
     DEFAULT = ColorSchemeItem("black", "white")
+    GRAY = ColorSchemeItem("gray", "gray")
 
     @staticmethod
     def has_dark_background(widget):