diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 849aa6b3e5e..f11ce8c997e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -961,6 +961,7 @@ add_executable(mixxx-test
   src/test/readaheadmanager_test.cpp
   src/test/replaygaintest.cpp
   src/test/rescalertest.cpp
+  src/test/rgbcolor_test.cpp
   src/test/samplebuffertest.cpp
   src/test/sampleutiltest.cpp
   src/test/schemamanager_test.cpp
diff --git a/src/mixxxapplication.cpp b/src/mixxxapplication.cpp
index b167df2c31a..91cc0586c96 100644
--- a/src/mixxxapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/mixxxapplication.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "soundio/soundmanagerutil.h"
 #include "track/track.h"
 #include "track/trackref.h"
+#include "util/color/rgbcolor.h"
 #include "util/math.h"
 
 // When linking Qt statically on Windows we have to Q_IMPORT_PLUGIN all the
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ void MixxxApplication::registerMetaTypes() {
     qRegisterMetaType<mixxx::ReplayGain>("mixxx::ReplayGain");
     qRegisterMetaType<mixxx::Bpm>("mixxx::Bpm");
     qRegisterMetaType<mixxx::Duration>("mixxx::Duration");
+    qRegisterMetaType<std::optional<mixxx::RgbColor>>("std::optional<mixxx::RgbColor>");
     qRegisterMetaType<SoundDeviceId>("SoundDeviceId");
     QMetaType::registerComparators<SoundDeviceId>();
 }
diff --git a/src/test/rgbcolor_test.cpp b/src/test/rgbcolor_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..92b6ff0a4d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rgbcolor_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#include "util/color/rgbcolor.h"
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "test/mixxxtest.h"
+
+namespace mixxx {
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, OptionalRgbColorFromInvalidQColor) {
+    EXPECT_FALSE(RgbColor::optional(QColor()));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::nullopt(), RgbColor::optional(QColor()));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, OptionalRgbColorFromQColorWithoutAlpha) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x000000)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(0x000000, *RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x000000)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0xFF0000)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0xFF0000), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0xFF0000)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x00FF00)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0x00FF00), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x00FF00)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x0000FF)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0x0000FF), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0x0000FF)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0xFFFFFF)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0xFFFFFF), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgb(0xFFFFFF)));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, OptionalRgbColorFromQColorWithAlpha) {
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA000000)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0x000000), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA000000)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAAFF0000)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0xFF0000), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAAFF0000)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA00FF00)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0x00FF00), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA00FF00)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA0000FF)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0x0000FF), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA0000FF)));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAAFFFFFF)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(RgbColor::optional(0xFFFFFF), RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAAFFFFFF)));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest,RgbColorToQColor) {
+    EXPECT_EQ(QColor::fromRgb(0x123456), toQColor(RgbColor(0x123456)));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, OptionalRgbColorToQColor) {
+    EXPECT_EQ(QColor(), toQColor(RgbColor::nullopt()));
+    EXPECT_EQ(QColor::fromRgba(0xAABBCCDD),
+            toQColor(RgbColor::nullopt(), QColor::fromRgba(0xAABBCCDD)));
+    EXPECT_EQ(QColor::fromRgb(0x123456),
+            toQColor(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA123456))));
+    EXPECT_EQ(QColor::fromRgb(0x123456),
+            toQColor(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA123456)), QColor::fromRgba(0xAABBCCDD)));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, RgbColorToQVariant) {
+    EXPECT_EQ(QVariant(), toQVariant(RgbColor::nullopt()));
+    EXPECT_EQ(QVariant(0x123456), toQVariant(RgbColor(0x123456)));
+}
+
+TEST(RgbColorTest, OptionalRgbColorToQVariant) {
+    EXPECT_EQ(QVariant(), toQVariant(RgbColor::nullopt()));
+    EXPECT_EQ(QVariant(0x123456),
+            toQVariant(RgbColor::optional(QColor::fromRgba(0xAA123456))));
+}
+
+} // namespace mixxx
diff --git a/src/util/color/rgbcolor.h b/src/util/color/rgbcolor.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f7f79b4367c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/color/rgbcolor.h
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <QColor>
+#include <QVariant>
+#include <QtDebug>
+#include <QtGlobal>
+
+#include "util/assert.h"
+#include "util/optional.h"
+
+namespace mixxx {
+
+// Type-safe wrapper for 24-bit RGB color codes without an alpha
+// channel. Code values are implicitly validated upon construction.
+//
+// Apart from the assignment operator this type is immutable.
+class RgbColor {
+  public:
+    // A pure 24-bit 0xxRRGGBB color code with 8-bit per channel
+    // without an an alpha channel.
+    // We are using a separate typedef, because QRgb implicitly
+    // includes an alpha channel whereas this type does not!
+    typedef quint32 code_t;
+
+    static constexpr code_t validateCode(code_t code) {
+        return code & kRgbCodeMask;
+    }
+    static bool isValidCode(code_t code) {
+        return code == validateCode(code);
+    }
+
+    // The default constructor is not available, because there is
+    // no common default value that fits all possible use cases!
+    RgbColor() = delete;
+    // Explicit conversion from code_t with implicit validation.
+    explicit constexpr RgbColor(code_t code)
+            : m_code(validateCode(code)) {
+    }
+    // Explicit conversion from QColor.
+    RgbColor(QColor anyColor, code_t codeIfInvalid)
+            : m_code(anyColorToCode(anyColor, codeIfInvalid)) {
+    }
+
+    // Implicit conversion to a color code.
+    constexpr operator code_t() const {
+        return m_code;
+    }
+
+    friend bool operator==(RgbColor lhs, RgbColor rhs) {
+        return lhs.m_code == rhs.m_code;
+    }
+
+    typedef std::optional<RgbColor> optional_t;
+
+    static constexpr optional_t nullopt() {
+        return std::nullopt;
+    }
+
+    // Overloaded conversion functions for conveniently creating
+    // std::optional<RgbColor>.
+    static constexpr optional_t optional(code_t code) {
+        return optional(RgbColor(code));
+    }
+    static constexpr optional_t optional(RgbColor color) {
+        return std::make_optional(color);
+    }
+    static optional_t optional(QColor color) {
+        if (color.isValid()) {
+            return optional(validateCode(color.rgb()));
+        } else {
+            return nullopt();
+        }
+    }
+    static optional_t optional(const QVariant& varCode) {
+        if (varCode.isNull()) {
+            return nullopt();
+        } else {
+            DEBUG_ASSERT(varCode.canConvert(QMetaType::UInt));
+            bool ok = false;
+            const auto code = varCode.toUInt(&ok);
+            VERIFY_OR_DEBUG_ASSERT(ok) {
+                return nullopt();
+            }
+            return optional(static_cast<code_t>(code));
+        }
+    }
+
+  protected:
+    // Bitmask of valid codes = 0x00RRGGBB
+    static constexpr code_t kRgbCodeMask = 0x00FFFFFF;
+
+    static code_t anyColorToCode(QColor anyColor, code_t codeIfInvalid) {
+        if (anyColor.isValid()) {
+            // Strip alpha channel bits!
+            return validateCode(anyColor.rgb());
+        } else {
+            return codeIfInvalid;
+        }
+    }
+
+    code_t m_code;
+};
+
+inline bool operator!=(RgbColor lhs, RgbColor rhs) {
+    return !(lhs == rhs);
+}
+
+// Explicit conversion of both non-optional and optional
+// RgbColor values to QColor as overloaded free functions.
+
+inline QColor toQColor(RgbColor color) {
+    return QColor::fromRgb(color);
+}
+
+inline QColor toQColor(RgbColor::optional_t optional, QColor defaultColor = QColor()) {
+    if (optional) {
+        return toQColor(*optional);
+    } else {
+        return defaultColor;
+    }
+}
+
+// Explicit conversion of both non-optional and optional
+// RgbColor values to QVariant as overloaded free functions.
+
+inline QVariant toQVariant(RgbColor color) {
+    return QVariant(static_cast<RgbColor::code_t>(color));
+}
+
+inline QVariant toQVariant(RgbColor::optional_t optional) {
+    if (optional) {
+        return toQVariant(*optional);
+    } else {
+        return QVariant();
+    }
+}
+
+// Debug output stream operators
+
+inline QDebug operator<<(QDebug dbg, RgbColor color) {
+    return dbg << toQColor(color);
+}
+
+inline QDebug operator<<(QDebug dbg, RgbColor::optional_t optional) {
+    return dbg << toQColor(optional);
+}
+
+} // namespace mixxx
+
+// Assumption: A primitive type wrapped into std::optional is
+// still a primitive type.
+Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO(std::optional<mixxx::RgbColor>, Q_PRIMITIVE_TYPE);
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(std::optional<mixxx::RgbColor>)
diff --git a/src/util/optional.h b/src/util/optional.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5767794f366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/optional.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#if __has_include(<optional>) || \
+    (defined(__cpp_lib_optional) && __cpp_lib_optional >= 201606L)
+
+#include <optional>
+
+#else
+
+#include <experimental/optional>
+
+namespace std {
+
+using std::experimental::make_optional;
+using std::experimental::nullopt;
+using std::experimental::optional;
+
+// Workarounds for missing member functions:
+// option::has_value() -> explicit operator bool()
+// option::value() -> operator*()
+
+} // namespace std
+
+#endif