diff --git a/include/utils/color.hpp b/include/utils/color.hpp
index bdf46ec1..e48e19e1 100644
--- a/include/utils/color.hpp
+++ b/include/utils/color.hpp
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ class rgba {
   uint8_t blue_i() const;
 
   bool has_color() const;
-  rgba apply_alpha(rgba other) const;
-  rgba try_apply_alpha(rgba other) const;
+  rgba apply_alpha_to(rgba other) const;
+  rgba try_apply_alpha_to(rgba other) const;
 
  private:
   /**
diff --git a/src/components/bar.cpp b/src/components/bar.cpp
index 94d2bf07..4fdfbce5 100644
--- a/src/components/bar.cpp
+++ b/src/components/bar.cpp
@@ -205,11 +205,7 @@ bar::bar(connection& conn, signal_emitter& emitter, const config& config, const
        * These are the base colors of the bar and cannot be alpha only
        * In that case, we just use the alpha channel on the default value.
        */
-      if (color.type() == rgba::ALPHA_ONLY) {
-        return def.apply_alpha(color);
-      } else {
-        return color;
-      }
+      return color.try_apply_alpha_to(def);
     } catch (const exception& err) {
       throw application_error(sstream() << "Failed to set " << key << " (reason: " << err.what() << ")");
     }
diff --git a/src/components/builder.cpp b/src/components/builder.cpp
index df81685c..2ed7648e 100644
--- a/src/components/builder.cpp
+++ b/src/components/builder.cpp
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ void builder::font_close() {
  * Insert tag to alter the current background color
  */
 void builder::background(rgba color) {
-  color = m_bar.background.try_apply_alpha(color);
+  color = color.try_apply_alpha_to(m_bar.background);
 
   auto hex = color_util::simplify_hex(color);
   m_colors[syntaxtag::B] = hex;
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ void builder::background_close() {
  * Insert tag to alter the current foreground color
  */
 void builder::color(rgba color) {
-  color = m_bar.foreground.try_apply_alpha(color);
+  color = color.try_apply_alpha_to(m_bar.foreground);
 
   auto hex = color_util::simplify_hex(color);
   m_colors[syntaxtag::F] = hex;
diff --git a/src/utils/color.cpp b/src/utils/color.cpp
index 0abfda62..3123e2e5 100644
--- a/src/utils/color.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/color.cpp
@@ -140,21 +140,22 @@ bool rgba::has_color() const {
 }
 
 /**
- * Replaces the current alpha channel with the alpha channel of the other color
- *
- * Useful for ALPHA_ONLY colors
+ * Applies the alpha channel of this color to the given color.
  */
-rgba rgba::apply_alpha(rgba other) const {
-  uint32_t val = (m_value & 0x00FFFFFF) | (((uint32_t)other.alpha_i()) << 24);
+rgba rgba::apply_alpha_to(rgba other) const {
+  uint32_t val = (other.value() & 0x00FFFFFF) | (((uint32_t)alpha_i()) << 24);
   return rgba(val, m_type);
 }
 
 /**
- * Calls apply_alpha, if the given color is ALPHA_ONLY.
+ * If this is an ALPHA_ONLY color, applies this alpha channel to the other
+ * color, otherwise just returns this.
+ *
+ * \returns the new color if this is ALPHA_ONLY or a copy of this otherwise.
  */
-rgba rgba::try_apply_alpha(rgba other) const {
-  if (other.type() == ALPHA_ONLY) {
-    return apply_alpha(other);
+rgba rgba::try_apply_alpha_to(rgba other) const {
+  if (m_type == ALPHA_ONLY) {
+    return apply_alpha_to(other);
   }
 
   return *this;
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/utils/color.cpp b/tests/unit_tests/utils/color.cpp
index 8ce76e17..29c0e3f8 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/utils/color.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/utils/color.cpp
@@ -96,16 +96,26 @@ TEST(Rgba, channel) {
   EXPECT_EQ(0x99 / 255.0, rgba{0x88449933}.green_d());
 }
 
-TEST(Rgba, applyAlpha) {
-  rgba v{0xCC123456};
-  rgba modified = v.apply_alpha(rgba{0xAA000000, rgba::ALPHA_ONLY});
+TEST(Rgba, applyAlphaTo) {
+  rgba v{0xAA000000, rgba::ALPHA_ONLY};
+  rgba modified = v.apply_alpha_to(rgba{0xCC123456, rgba::ALPHA_ONLY});
   EXPECT_EQ(0xAA123456, modified.value());
 
-  v = rgba{0x00123456};
-  modified = v.apply_alpha(rgba{0xCC999999});
+  v = rgba{0xCC999999};
+  modified = v.apply_alpha_to(rgba{0x00123456});
   EXPECT_EQ(0xCC123456, modified.value());
 }
 
+TEST(Rgba, tryApplyAlphaTo) {
+  rgba v{0xAA000000, rgba::ALPHA_ONLY};
+  rgba modified = v.try_apply_alpha_to(rgba{0xCC123456, rgba::ALPHA_ONLY});
+  EXPECT_EQ(0xAA123456, modified.value());
+
+  v = rgba{0xCC999999};
+  modified = v.try_apply_alpha_to(rgba{0x00123456});
+  EXPECT_EQ(0xCC999999, modified.value());
+}
+
 TEST(ColorUtil, simplify) {
   EXPECT_EQ("#111", color_util::simplify_hex("#FF111111"));
   EXPECT_EQ("#234", color_util::simplify_hex("#ff223344"));