diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/history/history-item-li.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/history/history-item-li.js
index 316da595826..b57ef7135c3 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/history/history-item-li.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/history/history-item-li.js
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
+import Utils from "utils/utils";
+
 function _templateNametag(tag) {
-    return `<span style="background-color: ${generateTagColor(tag.slice(5))}" class="badge badge-primary badge-tags">${_.escape(tag.slice(5))}</span>`;
-}
-
-function generateTagColor(tagValue) {
-    var hash = hashFnv32a(tagValue);
-    var r = ((hash & 0xf) % 10),
-        g = (((hash & 0xf0) >> 4) % 10),
-        b = (((hash & 0xf00) >> 8) % 10);
-
-    return `#${r}${g}${b}`;
+    return `<span style="background-color: ${Utils.generateTagColor(tag.slice(5))}" class="badge badge-primary badge-tags">${_.escape(tag.slice(5))}</span>`;
 }
 
 function nametagTemplate(historyItem) {
@@ -23,23 +16,3 @@ function nametagTemplate(historyItem) {
 export default {
     nametagTemplate: nametagTemplate
 };
-
-/**
- * Calculate a 32 bit FNV-1a hash
- * Found here: https://gist.github.com/vaiorabbit/5657561
- * Ref.: http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/fnv/
- *
- * @param {string} str the input value
- * @returns {integer}
- */
-function hashFnv32a(str) {
-    /*jshint bitwise:false */
-    var i, l,
-        hval = 0x811c9dc5;
-
-    for (i = 0, l = str.length; i < l; i++) {
-        hval ^= str.charCodeAt(i);
-        hval += (hval << 1) + (hval << 4) + (hval << 7) + (hval << 8) + (hval << 24);
-    }
-    return hval >>> 0;
-}
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/ui/ui-select-default.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/ui/ui-select-default.js
index 67e3370b415..95f867d97fc 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/ui/ui-select-default.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/mvc/ui/ui-select-default.js
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ var View = Backbone.View.extend({
                         ${_.reduce(
                             filteredTags.slice(0, 5),
                             (memo, tag) => {
-                                return `${memo}&nbsp;<div class="badge badge-primary badge-tags">${_.escape(
+                                return `${memo}&nbsp;<div style="background-color: ${Utils.generateTagColor(tag.slice(5))}" class="badge badge-primary badge-tags">${_.escape(
                                     tag
                                 )}</div>`;
                             },
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/utils.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/utils.js
index e9c45c4e952..6b98e520aec 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/utils.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/utils.js
@@ -349,6 +349,40 @@ export function setWindowTitle(title) {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Calculate a 32 bit FNV-1a hash
+ * Found here: https://gist.github.com/vaiorabbit/5657561
+ * Ref.: http://isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/fnv/
+ *
+ * @param {string} str the input value
+ * @returns {integer}
+ */
+function hashFnv32a(str) {
+    /*jshint bitwise:false */
+    var i, l,
+        hval = 0x811c9dc5;
+
+    for (i = 0, l = str.length; i < l; i++) {
+        hval ^= str.charCodeAt(i);
+        hval += (hval << 1) + (hval << 4) + (hval << 7) + (hval << 8) + (hval << 24);
+    }
+    return hval >>> 0;
+}
+
+export function generateTagColor(tagValue) {
+    //var r = (15 - ((hash & 0xf) % 6)).toString(16),
+        //g = (15 - (((hash & 0xf0) >> 4) % 6)).toString(16),
+        //b = (15 - (((hash & 0xf00) >> 8) % 6)).toString(16);
+
+    var hash = hashFnv32a(tagValue);
+    var r = (((hash & 0x00f) >> 0) % 10),
+        g = (((hash & 0x0f0) >> 4) % 10),
+        b = (((hash & 0xf00) >> 8) % 10);
+
+    return `#${r}${g}${b}`;
+}
+
+
 export default {
     cssLoadFile: cssLoadFile,
     cssGetAttribute: cssGetAttribute,
@@ -368,5 +402,6 @@ export default {
     linkify: linkify,
     appendScriptStyle: appendScriptStyle,
     getQueryString: getQueryString,
-    setWindowTitle: setWindowTitle
+    setWindowTitle: setWindowTitle,
+    generateTagColor: generateTagColor
 };