diff --git a/src/gradient.cc b/src/gradient.cc
index 1050356d..1781f430 100644
--- a/src/gradient.cc
+++ b/src/gradient.cc
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ Colour gradient_factory::convert_to_rgb(long *const array) {
   c.red = scaled_rgb[0] / SCALE;
   c.green = scaled_rgb[1] / SCALE;
   c.blue = scaled_rgb[2] / SCALE;
+  c.alpha = 255;
 
   return c;
 }
diff --git a/tests/test-gradient.cc b/tests/test-gradient.cc
index 7b9950f9..f4d5399d 100644
--- a/tests/test-gradient.cc
+++ b/tests/test-gradient.cc
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@
 #include <conky.h>
 #include <gradient.h>
 
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <iostream>
+
 const int width = 4;
-const Colour colour = Colour::from_argb32(0x996633);  // brown
+const Colour colour = Colour::from_argb32(0xff996633);  // brown
 const long expected_hue = 256;
 const long expected_value = 0x99;   // max(0x99, 0x66, 0x33)
 const long expected_chroma = 0x66;  // (0x99 - 0x33)
@@ -45,6 +48,15 @@ const long expected_blue = 0x33;
 
 const long full_scale = conky::gradient_factory::SCALE360;
 
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& s, const Colour& c) {
+  s << '#';
+  s << std::setfill('0');
+  s << std::setw(2);
+  s << std::setbase(16);
+  s << (int)c.alpha << (int)c.red << (int)c.green << (int)c.blue;
+  return s;
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("gradient_factory::convert_from_rgb returns correct value") {
 #ifdef BUILD_X11
   state = nullptr;