diff --git a/api/api.lua b/api/api.lua
index d752ad30..6331768f 100644
--- a/api/api.lua
+++ b/api/api.lua
@@ -523,16 +523,15 @@ function pfUI.api.SetAutoPoint(frame, parent, spacing)
 end
 
 -- [ GetDefaultColors ]
--- Queries the pfUI settings to get the default colors
--- returns r,g,b,a,r,g,b,a (bg, border)
-local color_cache = false
-function pfUI.api.GetDefaultColors()
-    if not color_cache then
-      local br, bg, bb, ba = pfUI.api.strsplit(",", pfUI_config.appearance.border.background)
-      local er, eg, eb, ea = pfUI.api.strsplit(",", pfUI_config.appearance.border.color)
-      color_cache = { br, bg, bb, ba, er, eg, eb, ea }
-    end
-    return unpack(color_cache)
+-- Queries the pfUI setting strings and extract its color codes
+-- returns r,g,b,a
+local color_cache = {}
+function pfUI.api.GetStringColor(colorstr)
+  if not color_cache[colorstr] then
+    local r, g, b, a = pfUI.api.strsplit(",", colorstr)
+    color_cache[colorstr] = { r, g, b, a }
+  end
+  return unpack(color_cache[colorstr])
 end
 
 -- [ Create Backdrop ]
@@ -551,7 +550,9 @@ function pfUI.api.CreateBackdrop(f, inset, legacy, transp, backdropSetting)
     border = tonumber(pfUI_config.appearance.border.default)
   end
 
-  local br, bg, bb, ba, er, eg, eb, ea = pfUI.api.GetDefaultColors()
+  local br, bg, bb, ba = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(pfUI_config.appearance.border.background)
+  local er, eg, eb, ea = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(pfUI_config.appearance.border.color)
+
   if transp then ba = transp end
 
   -- use legacy backdrop handling
@@ -648,7 +649,7 @@ function pfUI.api.BarLayoutSize(bar,barsize,formfactor,iconsize,bordersize,visib
   if (visiblesize) and (visiblesize < barsize) then
     cols = math.min(cols,visiblesize)
     rows = math.min(math.ceil(visiblesize/cols),visiblesize)
-  end  
+  end
   local width = (iconsize + bordersize*3) * cols - bordersize
   local height = (iconsize + bordersize*3) * rows - bordersize
   bar._size = {width,height}
@@ -701,3 +702,28 @@ function pfUI.api.CreateAutohide(frame)
     end
   end)
 end
+
+-- [ GetColoredTime ] --
+-- 'remaining'   the time in seconds that should be converted
+-- return        a colored string including a time unit (m/h/d)
+function pfUI.api.GetColoredTimeString(remaining)
+  if not remaining then return "" end
+  if remaining > 99 * 60 * 60 then
+    local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.daycolor)
+    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60 / 24) .. "d"
+  elseif remaining > 99 * 60 then
+    local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.hourcolor)
+    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60) .. "h"
+  elseif remaining > 99 then
+    local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.minutecolor)
+    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60) .. "m"
+  elseif remaining <= 5 then
+    local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.lowcolor)
+    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining)
+  elseif remaining >= 0 then
+    local r, g, b, a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.normalcolor)
+    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining)
+  else
+    return ""
+  end
+end
diff --git a/api/ui-widgets.lua b/api/ui-widgets.lua
index 57ac9aad..fdae0551 100644
--- a/api/ui-widgets.lua
+++ b/api/ui-widgets.lua
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ end
 
 function pfUI.api.CreateScrollFrame(name, parent)
   local f = CreateFrame("ScrollFrame", name, parent)
-
-  local br, bg, bb, ba = GetDefaultColors()
+  local br, bg, bb, ba = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(pfUI_config.appearance.border.background)
   f.Scroll = function(self, step)
     local current = self:GetVerticalScroll()
     local new = current + step*-25
diff --git a/modules/cooldown.lua b/modules/cooldown.lua
index 038ba8c9..5a58103a 100644
--- a/modules/cooldown.lua
+++ b/modules/cooldown.lua
@@ -7,6 +7,31 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("cooldown", function ()
   local hourcolor   = {strsplit(",", C.appearance.cd.hourcolor)}
   local daycolor    = {strsplit(",", C.appearance.cd.daycolor)}
 
+  local function pfCooldownOnUpdate()
+    if not this:GetParent() then this:Hide()  end
+
+    -- avoid to set cooldowns on invalid frames
+    if this:GetParent() and this:GetParent():GetName() and _G[this:GetParent():GetName() .. "Cooldown"] then
+      if not _G[this:GetParent():GetName() .. "Cooldown"]:IsShown() then
+        this:Hide()
+      end
+    end
+
+    if not this.next then this.next = GetTime() + .1 end
+    if this.next > GetTime() then return end
+    this.next = GetTime() + .1
+
+    -- fix own alpha value (should be inherited, but somehow isn't always)
+    this:SetAlpha(this:GetParent():GetAlpha())
+
+    local remaining = this.duration - (GetTime() - this.start)
+    if remaining >= 0 then
+      this.text:SetText(GetColoredTimeString(remaining))
+    else
+      this:Hide()
+    end
+  end
+
   local function pfCreateCoolDown(cooldown, start, duration)
     cooldown.cd = CreateFrame("Frame", "pfCooldownFrame", cooldown:GetParent())
     cooldown.cd:SetAllPoints(cooldown:GetParent())
@@ -16,52 +41,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("cooldown", function ()
     cooldown.cd.text:SetFont(pfUI.font_unit, C.appearance.cd.font_size, "OUTLINE")
     cooldown.cd.text:SetPoint("CENTER", cooldown.cd, "CENTER", 0, 0)
 
-    cooldown.cd:SetScript("OnUpdate", function()
-      if not this:GetParent() then
-        this:Hide()
-      end
-
-      if this:GetParent() and this:GetParent():GetName() and _G[this:GetParent():GetName() .. "Cooldown"] then
-        if not _G[this:GetParent():GetName() .. "Cooldown"]:IsShown() then
-          this:Hide()
-        end
-      end
-
-      if not this.next then this.next = GetTime() + .1 end
-      if this.next > GetTime() then return end
-      this.next = GetTime() + .1
-
-      -- fix own alpha value (should be inherited, but isn't)
-      this:SetAlpha(this:GetParent():GetAlpha())
-
-      local remaining = this.duration - (GetTime() - this.start)
-      if remaining >= 0 then
-        local r, g, b, a = unpack(normalcolor)
-        local unit = ""
-        if remaining <= 3 then
-          r,g,b,a = unpack(lowcolor)
-        end
-        if remaining > 99 then
-          remaining = remaining / 60
-          unit = "m"
-          r,g,b,a = unpack(minutecolor)
-        end
-        if remaining > 99 then
-          remaining = remaining / 60
-          unit = "h"
-          r,g,b,a = unpack(hourcolor)
-        end
-        if remaining > 99 then
-          remaining = remaining / 24
-          unit = "d"
-          r,g,b,a = unpack(daycolor)
-        end
-        this.text:SetText(round(remaining) .. unit)
-        this.text:SetTextColor(r,g,b,a)
-      else
-        this:Hide()
-      end
-    end)
+    cooldown.cd:SetScript("OnUpdate", pfCooldownOnUpdate)
   end
 
   -- hook