diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/confswitch.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/confswitch.cpp
index be02a35b109c9..cef090a564c96 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/confswitch.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/confswitch.cpp
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ void menu_confswitch::populate()
 				if (field.has_next_setting())
 					flags |= FLAG_RIGHT_ARROW;
 
+				if (field.live().value == field.defvalue())
+					flags |= FLAG_DEEMPHASIZE;
+
 				// add the menu item
 				item_append(field.name(), field.setting_name(), flags, &field);
 			}
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
index 241b0ab52d175..ae72ecd250246 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/menu.cpp
@@ -883,13 +883,11 @@ void menu::draw(uint32_t flags)
 
 					// customize subitem text color
 					if (!core_stricmp(pitem.subtext(), _("On")))
-						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0x00,0xff,0x00);
-
-					if (!core_stricmp(pitem.subtext(), _("Off")))
-						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0xff,0x00,0x00);
-
-					if (!core_stricmp(pitem.subtext(), _("Auto")))
-						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0xff,0xff,0x00);
+						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0x00, 0xff, 0x00);
+					else if (!core_stricmp(pitem.subtext(), _("Off")))
+						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0xff, 0x00, 0x00);
+					else if (!core_stricmp(pitem.subtext(), _("Auto")))
+						fgcolor2 = rgb_t(0xff, 0xff, 0x00);
 
 					// draw the subitem right-justified
 					ui().draw_text_full(
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/sliders.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/sliders.cpp
index d59757914ef4b..2aed19f7a75f2 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/sliders.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/sliders.cpp
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ void menu_sliders::populate()
 					flags |= FLAG_LEFT_ARROW;
 				if (curval < slider->maxval)
 					flags |= FLAG_RIGHT_ARROW;
+				if (curval == slider->defval)
+					flags |= FLAG_DEEMPHASIZE;
 				item_append(slider->description, tempstring, flags, (void *)slider, menu_item_type::SLIDER);
 			}
 		}
@@ -225,6 +227,8 @@ void menu_sliders::populate()
 				flags |= FLAG_LEFT_ARROW;
 			if (curval < slider->maxval)
 				flags |= FLAG_RIGHT_ARROW;
+			if (curval == slider->defval)
+				flags |= FLAG_DEEMPHASIZE;
 			item_append(slider->description, tempstring, flags, (void *)slider, menu_item_type::SLIDER);
 		}
 		else