diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Util.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Util.java
index d387cad56..53ee4b8f3 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Util.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Util.java
@@ -547,6 +547,14 @@ public class Util
 		{
 			message = Util.stripColor(input, VANILLA_COLOR_PATTERN);
 		}
+		if (user.isAuthorized(permBase + ".magic"))
+		{
+			message = Util.replaceColor(message, REPLACE_MAGIC_PATTERN);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			message = Util.stripColor(message, VANILLA_MAGIC_PATTERN);
+		}
 		if (user.isAuthorized(permBase + ".format"))
 		{
 			message = Util.replaceColor(message, REPLACE_FORMAT_PATTERN);
@@ -565,14 +573,6 @@ public class Util
 			return null;
 		}
 		String message = formatString(user, permBase, input);
-		if (user.isAuthorized(permBase + ".magic"))
-		{
-			message = Util.replaceColor(message, REPLACE_MAGIC_PATTERN);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			message = Util.stripColor(message, VANILLA_MAGIC_PATTERN);
-		}
 		if (!user.isAuthorized(permBase + ".url"))
 		{
 			message = Util.blockURL(message);
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
index fc020aa88..8acca9804 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignBlockListener.java
@@ -84,19 +84,10 @@ public class SignBlockListener implements Listener
 			return;
 		}
 		User user = ess.getUser(event.getPlayer());
-		if (user.isAuthorized("essentials.signs.color"))
+
+		for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
 		{
-			for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
-			{
-				event.setLine(i, Util.replaceFormat(event.getLine(i)));
-			}
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
-			{
-				event.setLine(i, Util.stripFormat(event.getLine(i)));
-			}
+			event.setLine(i, Util.formatString(user, "essentials.signs", event.getLine(i)));
 		}
 
 		for (Signs signs : Signs.values())