diff --git a/source/src/main.cpp b/source/src/main.cpp
index 4c687cdd..3fcd887d 100644
--- a/source/src/main.cpp
+++ b/source/src/main.cpp
@@ -146,15 +146,14 @@ const char *screenshotpath(const char *imagepath, const char *suffix)
             s_sprintf(buf)("screenshots/%s.%s", timestring(), suffix);
     }
     path(buf);
-    return imagepath;
+    return buf;
 }
 
-void jpeg_screenshot(char *imagepath)
+void jpeg_screenshot(const char *imagepath)
 {
     const char *found = findfile(screenshotpath(imagepath, "jpg"), "wb");
-    conoutf("writing to file: %s", found);
     FILE *jpegfile = fopen(found, "wb");
-    if(!jpegfile) return;
+    if(!jpegfile) { conoutf("failed to create: %s", found); return; }
 
     struct jpeg_compress_struct cinfo;
     struct jpeg_error_mgr jerr;
@@ -190,10 +189,11 @@ void jpeg_screenshot(char *imagepath)
     jpeg_destroy_compress(&cinfo);
 
     delete[] pixels;
+    conoutf("writing to file: %s", found);
     fclose(jpegfile);
 }
 
-void bmp_screenshot(char *imagepath)
+void bmp_screenshot(const char *imagepath)
 {
     SDL_Surface *image = SDL_CreateRGBSurface(SDL_SWSURFACE, screen->w, screen->h, 24, 0x0000FF, 0x00FF00, 0xFF0000, 0);
     if(!image) return;
@@ -209,12 +209,12 @@ void bmp_screenshot(char *imagepath)
     }
     delete[] tmp;
     const char *found = findfile(screenshotpath(imagepath, "bmp"), "wb");
-    conoutf("writing to file: %s", found);
     SDL_SaveBMP(image, found);
+    conoutf("writing to file: %s", found);
     SDL_FreeSurface(image);
 }
 
-void screenshot(char *imagepath)
+void screenshot(const char *imagepath)
 {
     switch(screenshottype)
     {
diff --git a/source/src/menus.cpp b/source/src/menus.cpp
index e0580465..dfe2eb43 100644
--- a/source/src/menus.cpp
+++ b/source/src/menus.cpp
@@ -695,16 +695,23 @@ void chmenumdl(char *menu, char *mdl, char *anim, char *rotspeed, char *scale)
     m.scale = max(0, min(atoi(scale), 100));
 }
 
+bool parsecolor(color *col, const char *r, const char *g, const char *b, const char *a)
+{
+    if(!r[0] || !col) return false;    // four possible parameter schemes:
+    if(!g[0]) g = b = r;               // grey
+    if(!b[0]) { a = g; g = b = r; }    // grey alpha
+    col->r = ((float) atoi(r)) / 100;  // red green blue
+    col->g = ((float) atoi(g)) / 100;  // red green blue alpha
+    col->b = ((float) atoi(b)) / 100;
+    col->alpha = a[0] ? ((float) atoi(a)) / 100 : 1.0;
+    return true;
+}
+
 void menuselectionbgcolor(char *r, char *g, char *b, char *a)
 {
     if(!menuselbgcolor) menuselbgcolor = new color;
     if(!r[0]) { DELETEA(menuselbgcolor); return; }
-    if(!g[0]) g = b = r;
-    if(!b[0]) { a = g; g = b = r; }
-    menuselbgcolor->r = ((float) atoi(r)) / 100;
-    menuselbgcolor->g = ((float) atoi(g)) / 100;
-    menuselbgcolor->b = ((float) atoi(b)) / 100;
-    menuselbgcolor->alpha = a[0] ? ((float) atoi(a)) / 100 : 1.0;
+    parsecolor(menuselbgcolor, r, g, b, a);
 }
 
 COMMAND(newmenu, ARG_3STR);
@@ -784,6 +791,13 @@ bool menukey(int code, bool isdown, int unicode, SDLMod mod)
                     }
                     return true;
                 }
+            case SDLK_F12:
+            {
+                extern void screenshot(const char *imagepath);
+                if(!curmenu->allowinput) return false;
+                screenshot(NULL);
+                break;
+            }
             default:
             {
                 if(!curmenu->allowinput) return false;