diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index 5ac833843b..e3590454d1 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+19990729-22:00 EDT Paul Tucker <ptucker@sympatico.ca>
+   * source/rtl/console.c
+      * HB_SHADOW/DBGSHADOW
+        5th param is optinal and defaults to 7  (w/n)
+
 19990729-19:40 EDT Paul Tucker <ptucker@sympatico.ca>
    * source/rtl/console.c
      source/rtl/gtapi.c
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/console.c b/harbour/source/rtl/console.c
index e66d09be8b..6be2bfa5b6 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/console.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/console.c
@@ -983,8 +983,15 @@ HARBOUR HB_NOSNOW (void)
 HARBOUR HB_SHADOW (void)
 {
 #ifdef HARBOUR_USE_GTAPI
-   if( hb_pcount() == 5 )
-      gtSetAttribute(hb_parni(1)+1,hb_parni(2)+1,hb_parni(3)+1,hb_parni(4)+1,hb_parni(5));
+  USHORT uiAttr;
+
+   if( hb_pcount() == 4 )
+      uiAttr = 7;
+   else if( hb_pcount() == 5 )
+      uiAttr = hb_parni(5);
+   
+   if( hb_pcount() > 3 )
+      gtSetAttribute(hb_parni(1)+1,hb_parni(2)+1,hb_parni(3)+1,hb_parni(4)+1,uiAttr);
 #endif
 }