diff --git a/usermods/audioreactive/audio_reactive.h b/usermods/audioreactive/audio_reactive.h
index 63fdd733..eb1f5d2b 100644
--- a/usermods/audioreactive/audio_reactive.h
+++ b/usermods/audioreactive/audio_reactive.h
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ class AudioReactive : public Usermod {
     bool     enabled = false;
     bool     initDone = false;
     bool     addPalettes = false;
-    CRGBPalette16 *palette[MAX_PALETTES];
+    int8_t   palettes = 0;
 
     // variables  for UDP sound sync
     WiFiUDP fftUdp;               // UDP object for sound sync (from WiFi UDP, not Async UDP!) 
@@ -1632,8 +1632,18 @@ class AudioReactive : public Usermod {
           inputLevel = min(255,max(0,usermod[FPSTR(_inputLvl)].as<int>()));
         }
       }
+      if (root.containsKey(F("rmcpal")) && root[F("rmcpal")].as<bool>()) {
+        // handle removal of custom palettes from JSON call so we don't break things
+        removeAudioPalettes();
+      }
     }
 
+    void onStateChange(uint8_t callMode) {
+      if (initDone && enabled && addPalettes && palettes==0 && strip.customPalettes.size()<10) {
+        // if palettes were removed during JSON call re-add them
+        createAudioPalettes();
+      }
+    }
 
     /*
      * addToConfig() can be used to add custom persistent settings to the cfg.json file in the "um" (usermod) object.
@@ -1846,20 +1856,24 @@ class AudioReactive : public Usermod {
 };
 
 void AudioReactive::removeAudioPalettes(void) {
-  for (int i=MAX_PALETTES-1; i>=0; i--) {
-    if (palette[i]) strip.customPalettes.pop_back();
-    palette[i] = nullptr;
+  DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Removing audio palettes."));
+  while (palettes) {
+    strip.customPalettes.pop_back();
+    DEBUG_PRINTLN(palettes);
+    palettes--;
   }
+  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Total # of palettes: ")); DEBUG_PRINTLN(strip.customPalettes.size());
 }
 
 void AudioReactive::createAudioPalettes(void) {
+  DEBUG_PRINT(F("Total # of palettes: ")); DEBUG_PRINTLN(strip.customPalettes.size());
+  DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Adding audio palettes."));
   for (int i=0; i<MAX_PALETTES; i++)
     if (strip.customPalettes.size() < 10) {
       strip.customPalettes.push_back(CRGBPalette16(CRGB(BLACK)));
-      palette[i] = &strip.customPalettes.back();
-    } else {
-      palette[i] = nullptr;
-    }
+      palettes++;
+      DEBUG_PRINTLN(palettes);
+    } else break;
 }
 
 // credit @netmindz ar palette, adapted for usermod @blazoncek
@@ -1892,7 +1906,7 @@ CRGB AudioReactive::getCRGBForBand(int x, int pal) {
 }
 
 void AudioReactive::fillAudioPalette(int pal) {
-  if (pal>=MAX_PALETTES || !palette[pal]) return; // palette does not exist
+  if (pal>=palettes) return; // palette does not exist
 
   uint8_t tcp[16];  // Needs to be 4 times however many colors are being used.
                     // 3 colors = 12, 4 colors = 16, etc.
@@ -1920,7 +1934,7 @@ void AudioReactive::fillAudioPalette(int pal) {
   tcp[14] = rgb.g;
   tcp[15] = rgb.b;
 
-  palette[pal]->loadDynamicGradientPalette(tcp);
+  strip.customPalettes[strip.customPalettes.size()-1-palettes+pal].loadDynamicGradientPalette(tcp);
 }
 
 // strings to reduce flash memory usage (used more than twice)
diff --git a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
index 6b9d144b..0017112e 100644
--- a/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
+++ b/wled00/FX_fcn.cpp
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ void WS2812FX::loadCustomPalettes() {
 
       if (readObjectFromFile(fileName, nullptr, &pDoc)) {
         JsonArray pal = pDoc[F("palette")];
-        if (!pal.isNull() && pal.size()>4) { // not an empty palette (at least 2 entries)
+        if (!pal.isNull() && pal.size()>3) { // not an empty palette (at least 2 entries)
           if (pal[0].is<int>() && pal[1].is<const char *>()) {
             // we have an array of index & hex strings
             size_t palSize = MIN(pal.size(), 36);
@@ -1761,7 +1761,7 @@ void WS2812FX::loadCustomPalettes() {
               uint8_t rgbw[] = {0,0,0,0};
               tcp[ j ] = (uint8_t) pal[ i ].as<int>(); // index
               colorFromHexString(rgbw, pal[i+1].as<const char *>()); // will catch non-string entires
-              for (size_t c=0; c<3; c++) tcp[j+1+c] = rgbw[c]; // only use RGB component
+              for (size_t c=0; c<3; c++) tcp[j+1+c] = gamma8(rgbw[c]); // only use RGB component
               DEBUG_PRINTF("%d(%d) : %d %d %d\n", i, int(tcp[j]), int(tcp[j+1]), int(tcp[j+2]), int(tcp[j+3]));
             }
           } else {
@@ -1769,13 +1769,15 @@ void WS2812FX::loadCustomPalettes() {
             palSize -= palSize % 4; // make sure size is multiple of 4
             for (size_t i=0; i<palSize && pal[i].as<int>()<256; i+=4) {
               tcp[ i ] = (uint8_t) pal[ i ].as<int>(); // index
-              tcp[i+1] = (uint8_t) pal[i+1].as<int>(); // R
-              tcp[i+2] = (uint8_t) pal[i+2].as<int>(); // G
-              tcp[i+3] = (uint8_t) pal[i+3].as<int>(); // B
+              tcp[i+1] = gamma8((uint8_t) pal[i+1].as<int>()); // R
+              tcp[i+2] = gamma8((uint8_t) pal[i+2].as<int>()); // G
+              tcp[i+3] = gamma8((uint8_t) pal[i+3].as<int>()); // B
               DEBUG_PRINTF("%d(%d) : %d %d %d\n", i, int(tcp[i]), int(tcp[i+1]), int(tcp[i+2]), int(tcp[i+3]));
             }
           }
           customPalettes.push_back(targetPalette.loadDynamicGradientPalette(tcp));
+        } else {
+          DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Wrong palette format."));
         }
       }
     } else {