diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 464faa9f..0f6a9fb4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@ CHANGELOG
 
 0.62.0
 ------
+- Relaxed the `--color` option syntax to allow whitespace-separated entries (in addition to commas), making multi-line definitions easier to write and read
+  ```sh
+  # seoul256-light
+  fzf --style full --color='
+    fg:#616161 fg+:#616161
+    bg:#ffffff bg+:#e9e9e9 alt-bg:#f1f1f1
+    hl:#719872 hl+:#719899
+    pointer:#e12672 marker:#e17899
+    header:#719872
+    spinner:#719899 info:#727100
+    prompt:#0099bd query:#616161
+    border:#e1e1e1
+  '
+  ```
 - Added `alt-bg` color to create striped lines to visually separate rows
   ```sh
   fzf --color bg:237,alt-bg:238,current-bg:236 --highlight-line
diff --git a/man/man1/fzf.1 b/man/man1/fzf.1
index 2159cf36..e7a71c57 100644
--- a/man/man1/fzf.1
+++ b/man/man1/fzf.1
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ Apply a style preset [default|minimal|full[:BORDER_STYLE]]
 .TP
 .BI "\-\-color=" "[BASE_SCHEME][,COLOR_NAME[:ANSI_COLOR][:ANSI_ATTRIBUTES]]..."
 Color configuration. The name of the base color scheme is followed by custom
-color mappings.
+color mappings. Each entry is separated by a comma and/or whitespaces.
 
 .RS
 .B BASE SCHEME:
@@ -338,7 +338,19 @@ color mappings.
      # Seoul256 theme with 24-bit colors
      fzf \-\-color='bg:#4B4B4B,bg+:#3F3F3F,info:#BDBB72,border:#6B6B6B,spinner:#98BC99' \\
          \-\-color='hl:#719872,fg:#D9D9D9,header:#719872,fg+:#D9D9D9' \\
-         \-\-color='pointer:#E12672,marker:#E17899,prompt:#98BEDE,hl+:#98BC99'\fR
+         \-\-color='pointer:#E12672,marker:#E17899,prompt:#98BEDE,hl+:#98BC99'
+
+     # Seoul256 light theme with 24-bit colors, each entry separated by whitespaces
+     fzf \-\-style full \-\-color='
+       fg:#616161 fg+:#616161
+       bg:#ffffff bg+:#e9e9e9 alt-bg:#f1f1f1
+       hl:#719872 hl+:#719899
+       pointer:#e12672 marker:#e17899
+       header:#719872
+       spinner:#719899 info:#727100
+       prompt:#0099bd query:#616161
+       border:#e1e1e1
+     '\fR
 .RE
 .TP
 .B "\-\-no\-color"
diff --git a/src/options.go b/src/options.go
index 1e4c8904..030368fa 100644
--- a/src/options.go
+++ b/src/options.go
@@ -1184,7 +1184,12 @@ func parseTheme(defaultTheme *tui.ColorTheme, str string) (*tui.ColorTheme, erro
 	var err error
 	theme := dupeTheme(defaultTheme)
 	rrggbb := regexp.MustCompile("^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$")
-	for _, str := range strings.Split(strings.ToLower(str), ",") {
+	comma := regexp.MustCompile(`[\s,]+`)
+	for _, str := range comma.Split(strings.ToLower(str), -1) {
+		str = strings.TrimSpace(str)
+		if len(str) == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
 		switch str {
 		case "dark":
 			theme = dupeTheme(tui.Dark256)
diff --git a/src/options_test.go b/src/options_test.go
index 5c9a789a..2105322e 100644
--- a/src/options_test.go
+++ b/src/options_test.go
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ func TestColorSpec(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("colors should now be equivalent: %v, %v", tui.Dark256, customized)
 	}
 
-	customized, _ = parseTheme(theme, "fg:231,dark,bg:232")
+	customized, _ = parseTheme(theme, "fg:231,dark   bg:232")
 	if customized.Fg != tui.Dark256.Fg || customized.Bg == tui.Dark256.Bg {
 		t.Errorf("color not customized")
 	}