diff --git a/src/utils.lua b/src/utils.lua
index 0254f52..94f7f0e 100644
--- a/src/utils.lua
+++ b/src/utils.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 local native = require('codemp.loader').load()
 
+local available_colors = { -- TODO these are definitely not portable!
+	"ErrorMsg",
+	"WarningMsg",
+	"MatchParen",
+	"SpecialMode",
+	"CmpItemKindFunction",
+	"CmpItemKindValue",
+	"CmpItemKindInterface",
+}
+
+local function color(x)
+	return available_colors[ (native.hash(x) % #available_colors) + 1 ]
+end
+
 local function order_tuples(x) -- TODO send help...
 	if x[1][1] < x[2][1] then
 		return { { x[1][1], x[1][2] }, { x[2][1], x[2][2] } }
@@ -149,4 +163,6 @@ return {
 		replace_content = buffer_replace_content,
 	},
 	hash = native.hash,
+	available_colors = available_colors,
+	color = color,
 }
diff --git a/src/workspace.lua b/src/workspace.lua
index e4a3529..6630f88 100644
--- a/src/workspace.lua
+++ b/src/workspace.lua
@@ -7,15 +7,6 @@ local window = require('codemp.window')
 
 local user_hl = {}
 local tree_buf = nil
-local available_colors = { -- TODO these are definitely not portable!
-	"ErrorMsg",
-	"WarningMsg",
-	"MatchParen",
-	"SpecialMode",
-	"CmpItemKindFunction",
-	"CmpItemKindValue",
-	"CmpItemKindInterface",
-}
 
 local function register_cursor_callback(controller)
 	vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({"CursorMoved", "CursorMovedI", "ModeChanged"}, {
@@ -38,7 +29,7 @@ local function register_cursor_handler(controller)
 			if user_hl[event.user] == nil then
 				user_hl[event.user] = {
 					ns = vim.api.nvim_create_namespace("codemp-cursor-" .. event.user),
-					hi = available_colors[ math.random( #available_colors ) ],
+					hi = utils.color(event.user),
 				}
 			end
 			local old_buffer = buffers.users[event.user]