diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 9bfed7cb..ebd2c2f7 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -1532,7 +1532,7 @@ function _add_defaults!(d::KW, plt::Plot, sp::Subplot, commandIndex::Int)
     elseif d[:markerstrokecolor] == :auto
         getSeriesRGBColor(plot_color(d[:markercolor], d[:markeralpha]), sp, plotIndex)
     else
-        getSeriesRGBColor(plot_color(d[:markerstrokecolor], d[:markerstrokealpha]), sp, plotIndex)
+        getSeriesRGBColor.(d[:markerstrokecolor], sp, plotIndex)
     end
 
     # if marker_z, fill_z or line_z are set, ensure we have a gradient
diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index b742eb15..76fd32b8 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -357,21 +357,15 @@ function gr_draw_markers(series::Series, x, y, msize, mz)
 
             # draw a filled in shape, slightly bigger, to estimate a stroke
             if series[:markerstrokewidth] > 0
-                cfunc(_cycle(series[:markerstrokecolor], i)) #, series[:markerstrokealpha])
+                cfunc(get_markerstrokecolor(series, i))
+                gr_set_transparency(get_markerstrokealpha(series, i))
                 gr_draw_marker(x[i], y[i], msi + series[:markerstrokewidth], shape)
             end
 
-            # draw the shape
-            if mz == nothing
-                cfunc(_cycle(series[:markercolor], i)) #, series[:markeralpha])
-            else
-                # pick a color from the pre-loaded gradient
-                ci = round(Int, 1000 + _cycle(mz, i) * 255)
-                cfuncind(ci)
-                gr_set_transparency(_gr_gradient_alpha[ci-999])
-            end
-            # don't draw filled area if marker shape is 1D
+            # draw the shape - don't draw filled area if marker shape is 1D
             if !(shape in (:hline, :vline, :+, :x))
+                cfunc(get_markercolor(series, i))
+                gr_set_transparency(get_markeralpha(series, i))
                 gr_draw_marker(x[i], y[i], msi, shape)
             end
         end
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 6153f4b4..08c85797 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -656,6 +656,31 @@ function get_fillalpha(series, i::Int = 1)
     _cycle(series[:fillalpha], i)
 end
 
+function get_markercolor(series, i::Int = 1)
+    mc = series[:markercolor]
+    mz = series[:marker_z]
+    if mz == nothing
+        isa(mc, ColorGradient) ? mc : _cycle(mc, i)
+    else
+        cmin, cmax = get_clims(series[:subplot])
+        grad = isa(mc, ColorGradient) ? mc : cgrad()
+        grad[clamp((_cycle(mz, i) - cmin) / (cmax - cmin), 0, 1)]
+    end
+end
+
+function get_markeralpha(series, i::Int = 1)
+    _cycle(series[:markeralpha], i)
+end
+
+function get_markerstrokecolor(series, i::Int = 1)
+    msc = series[:markerstrokecolor]
+    isa(msc, ColorGradient) ? msc : _cycle(msc, i)
+end
+
+function get_markerstrokealpha(series, i::Int = 1)
+    _cycle(series[:markerstrokealpha], i)
+end
+
 function has_attribute_segments(series::Series)
     # we want to check if a series needs to be split into segments just because
     # of its attributes