diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-default.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-default.c
index 38c160ca49..c6f33007f3 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-default.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-default.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ gimp_pick_button_pick (GimpPickButton *button,
   GdkScreen        *screen = gdk_event_get_screen (event);
   GimpColorProfile *monitor_profile;
   GdkMonitor       *monitor;
-  GeglColor        *rgb    = gegl_color_new ("none");
+  GeglColor        *rgb    = gegl_color_new ("black");
   const Babl       *space  = NULL;
   gint              x_root;
   gint              y_root;
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ gimp_pick_button_pick (GimpPickButton *button,
     HDC      hdc;
     RECT     rect;
     COLORREF win32_color;
+    guchar   temp_rgb[3];
 
     /* For MS Windows, use native GDI functions to get the pixel, as
      * cairo does not handle the case where you have multiple monitors
@@ -225,12 +226,12 @@ gimp_pick_button_pick (GimpPickButton *button,
     win32_color = GetPixel (hdc, x_root + rect.left, y_root + rect.top);
     ReleaseDC (HWND_DESKTOP, hdc);
 
-    gegl_color_set_rgba_with_space (rgb,
-                                    GetRValue (win32_color) / 255.0,
-                                    GetGValue (win32_color) / 255.0,
-                                    GetBValue (win32_color) / 255.0,
-                                    1.0,
-                                    space);
+    temp_rgb[0] = GetRValue (win32_color);
+    temp_rgb[1] = GetGValue (win32_color);
+    temp_rgb[2] = GetBValue (win32_color);
+
+    gegl_color_set_pixel (rgb, babl_format_with_space ("R'G'B' u8", space),
+                          temp_rgb);
   }
 
 #else
@@ -273,12 +274,8 @@ gimp_pick_button_pick (GimpPickButton *button,
 
     cairo_surface_destroy (image);
 
-    gegl_color_set_rgba_with_space (rgb,
-                                    color[0] / 255.0,
-                                    color[1] / 255.0,
-                                    color[2] / 255.0,
-                                    1.0,
-                                    space);
+    gegl_color_set_pixel (rgb, babl_format_with_space ("R'G'B' u8", space),
+                          color);
   }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-kwin.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-kwin.c
index e37462bcda..25280241e6 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-kwin.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-kwin.c
@@ -82,17 +82,19 @@ _gimp_pick_button_kwin_pick (GimpPickButton *button)
                                    -1, NULL, &error);
   if (retval)
     {
-      GeglColor *rgb = gegl_color_new ("none");
+      GeglColor *rgb = gegl_color_new ("black");
       guint32    color;
+      guchar     temp_rgba[4];
 
       g_variant_get (retval, "((u))", &color);
       g_variant_unref (retval);
       /* Returned value is ARGB stored in uint32. */
-      gegl_color_set_rgba (rgb,
-                           ((color >> 16) & 0xff) / 255.0,   /* Red                           */
-                           ((color >> 8) & 0xff) / 255.0,    /* Green                         */
-                           (color & 0xff) / 255.0,           /* Blue: least significant byte. */
-                           ((color >> 24) & 0xff) / 255.0);  /* Alpha: most significant byte. */
+      temp_rgba[0] = (color >> 16) & 0xff; /* Red                           */
+      temp_rgba[1] = (color >> 8) & 0xff;  /* Green                         */
+      temp_rgba[2] = color & 0xff;         /* Blue: least significant byte. */
+      temp_rgba[3] = (color >> 24) & 0xff; /* Alpha: most significant byte. */
+
+      gegl_color_set_pixel (rgb, babl_format ("R'G'B'A u8"), temp_rgba);
 
       g_signal_emit_by_name (button, "color-picked", rgb);
       g_object_unref (rgb);
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-quartz.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-quartz.c
index e948aa53e2..9981e575f6 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-quartz.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-quartz.c
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@
   CGImageRef        root_image_ref;
   CFDataRef         pixel_data;
   const guchar     *data;
-  GeglColor        *rgb         = gegl_color_new ("none");
+  GeglColor        *rgb         = gegl_color_new ("black");
+  guchar            temp_rgb[3];
   const Babl       *space       = NULL;
   NSPoint           point;
   GimpColorProfile *profile     = NULL;
@@ -212,12 +213,11 @@
       g_object_unref (profile);
     }
 
-  gegl_color_set_rgba_with_space (rgb,
-                                  data[2] / 255.0,
-                                  data[1] / 255.0,
-                                  data[0] / 255.0,
-                                  1.0,
-                                  space);
+  for (gint i = 0; i < 3; i++)
+    temp_rgb[i] = data[2 - i];
+
+  gegl_color_set_pixel (rgb, babl_format_with_space ("R'G'B' u8", space),
+                        temp_rgb);
 
   CGImageRelease (root_image_ref);
   CFRelease (pixel_data);
diff --git a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-win32.c b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-win32.c
index 367919a138..693d79a4a3 100644
--- a/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-win32.c
+++ b/libgimpwidgets/gimppickbutton-win32.c
@@ -1072,9 +1072,10 @@ remove_screen_tracking (void)
 static GeglColor *
 pick_color_with_gdi (POINT physical_point)
 {
-  GeglColor *rgb = gegl_color_new ("none");
+  GeglColor *rgb = gegl_color_new ("black");
   COLORREF   color;
   HDC        hdc;
+  guchar     temp_rgb[3];
 
   hdc = GetDC (HWND_DESKTOP);
 
@@ -1083,11 +1084,11 @@ pick_color_with_gdi (POINT physical_point)
 
   color = GetPixel (hdc, physical_point.x, physical_point.y);
 
-  gegl_color_set_rgba (rgb,
-                       GetRValue (color) / 255.0,
-                       GetGValue (color) / 255.0,
-                       GetBValue (color) / 255.0,
-                       1.0);
+  temp_rgb[0] = GetRValue (color);
+  temp_rgb[1] = GetGValue (color);
+  temp_rgb[2] = GetBValue (color);
+
+  gegl_color_set_pixel (rgb, babl_format ("R'G'B' u8"), temp_rgb);
 
   ReleaseDC (HWND_DESKTOP, hdc);
 
@@ -1099,7 +1100,7 @@ user_picked (MonitorData *monitor,
              POINT        physical_point)
 {
   GeglColor *rgb;
-  GList *l;
+  GList     *l;
 
   /* Currently unused */
   (void) monitor;