diff --git a/cuburn/genome/convert.py b/cuburn/genome/convert.py
index 5868268..7cf6d62 100644
--- a/cuburn/genome/convert.py
+++ b/cuburn/genome/convert.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python2
 
 import base64
+import binascii
 import warnings
 import xml.parsers.expat
 import numpy as np
@@ -28,9 +29,17 @@ class XMLGenomeParser(object):
             assert self._flame is None
             self._flame = dict(attrs)
             self._flame['xforms'] = []
-            self._flame['palette'] = np.ones((256, 4), dtype=np.float32)
+            if attrs.get('palette'):
+                pal = XMLPaletteParser.lookup(int(attrs['palette']))
+            else:
+                pal = np.ones((256, 4), dtype=np.float32)
+            self._flame['palette'] = pal
         elif name == 'xform':
+            if 'color' in attrs:
+                # Color sometimes has an extra param that is unused by flam3
+                attrs['color'] = attrs['color'].strip().split()[0]
             self._flame['xforms'].append(dict(attrs))
+            self._flame['xforms']
         elif name == 'finalxform':
             self._flame['finalxform'] = dict(attrs)
         elif name == 'color':
@@ -50,6 +59,58 @@ class XMLGenomeParser(object):
         parser.parser.Parse(src, True)
         return parser.flames
 
+class XMLPaletteParser(object):
+    _names, _numbers = None, None
+
+    _locations = [
+            '/usr/local/share/flam3/flam3-palettes.xml',
+            '/usr/share/flam3/flam3-palettes.xml',
+        ]
+
+    def __init__(self, src):
+        self.names, self.numbers = {}, {}
+        self.parser = xml.parsers.expat.ParserCreate()
+        self.parser.StartElementHandler = self.start_element
+        self.parser.EndElementHandler = self.end_element
+        self.parser.Parse(src, True)
+
+    def start_element(self, name, attrs):
+        if name == 'palette':
+            data = binascii.a2b_hex(
+                    attrs['data'].replace('\n', '').replace(' ', ''))
+            pal = np.fromstring(data, 'u1').reshape((256, 4)) / 255.0
+            if 'number' in attrs:
+                self.numbers[int(attrs['number'])] = pal
+            if 'name' in attrs:
+                self.names[attrs['name']] = pal
+
+    def end_element(self, name):
+        pass
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _load(cls):
+        src = None
+        for loc in cls._locations:
+            try:
+                with open(loc) as fp:
+                    src = fp.read()
+                break
+            except:
+                pass
+        if not src:
+            raise IOError("Couldn't find a palettes XML file")
+        parser = cls(src)
+        cls._names, cls._numbers = parser.names, parser.numbers
+
+    @classmethod
+    def lookup(cls, key, isname=False):
+        if not cls._names:
+            cls._load()
+        if isname:
+            return np.array(cls._names[key])
+        else:
+            return np.array(cls._numbers[key])
+
 def convert_affine(aff, animate=False):
     xx, yx, xy, yy, xo, yo = vals = map(float, aff.split())
     if vals == [1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0]: return None
diff --git a/cuburn/genome/tests/__init__.py b/cuburn/genome/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/cuburn/genome/tests/test_convert.py b/cuburn/genome/tests/test_convert.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9e2da4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cuburn/genome/tests/test_convert.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import unittest
+
+import binascii
+import numpy as np
+
+from cuburn.genome import convert
+
+def _make_palette_src():
+    values = np.zeros((256,4), 'u1')
+    values[:,0] = range(256)
+    values[:,1] = 1
+    values[:,2] = 2
+    values[:,3] = 3
+    # leave a newline in to make sure those get stripped
+    return """<palettes><palette number="0" name="synthetic" data="%s
+"/></palettes>""" % binascii.b2a_hex(values.tostring())
+
+def _make_genome_src(palette=False):
+    src = """
+<flame time="0" size="1280 960" center="0.01 0.02" scale="40" oversample="2"
+    filter="1" quality="500" batches="50" brightness="4" gamma="4"
+    url="test.com" nick="strobe" {paletteidx}>
+    {color}
+    <xform weight="0.1" color="0" hyperbolic="0.1"
+        coefs="01 0.2 -0.3 0.4 -0.5 0.6"/>
+</flame>"""
+    args = {'paletteidx': '', 'color': ''}
+    if palette:
+        args['paletteidx'] = 'palette="0"'
+    else:
+        args['color'] = '<color index="0" rgb="1 2 3"/>'
+    return src.format(**args)
+
+class XMLPaletteParserTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_parse(self):
+        parser = convert.XMLPaletteParser(_make_palette_src())
+        self.assertIn('synthetic', parser.names)
+        self.assertIn(0, parser.numbers)
+        self.assertEquals([0,1/255.,2/255.,3/255.], list(parser.numbers[0][0]))
+        self.assertEquals([1,1/255.,2/255.,3/255.], list(parser.numbers[0][255]))
+
+class ConversionTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_parse(self):
+        parsed = convert.XMLGenomeParser.parse(_make_genome_src())
+        converted = convert.flam3_to_node(parsed[0])
+        palette = converted.pop('palette')
+        self.maxDiff = None
+        self.assertEquals(dict(
+            type='node',
+            author=dict(url='http://test.com', name='strobe'),
+            camera=dict(dither_width=1.0, scale=0.03125,
+                        center=dict(x=0.01, y=0.02)),
+            filters=dict(
+                logscale=dict(brightness=4.0),
+                colorclip=dict(gamma=4.0)),
+            xforms={
+                '0': dict(
+                    color=0.0,
+                    variations=dict(hyperbolic=dict(weight=0.1)),
+                    pre_affine=dict(
+                        spread=32.220017414088105,
+                        angle=[20.91008494006789, -360],
+                        magnitude=dict(x=1.019803902718557, y=0.5),
+                        offset=dict(x=-0.5, y=-0.6)),
+                    weight=0.1)
+            }), converted)
+        self.assertEquals('rgb8', palette[0])
+        self.assertEquals('AQID////', palette[1][:8])
+
+    def test_parse_stock_palette(self):
+        try:
+            convert.XMLPaletteParser.lookup(0)
+        except:
+            # No system palettes installed, just skip the test
+            raise
+        parsed = convert.XMLGenomeParser.parse(_make_genome_src(True))
+        converted = convert.flam3_to_node(parsed[0])
+        palette = converted['palette']
+        self.assertEquals('rgb8', palette[0])
+        self.assertEquals('ALnqAMHu', palette[1][:8])
+