diff --git a/code/hud/hudconfig.cpp b/code/hud/hudconfig.cpp
index e1855e614d1..32fd548cf51 100644
--- a/code/hud/hudconfig.cpp
+++ b/code/hud/hudconfig.cpp
@@ -1709,6 +1709,8 @@ void hud_config_color_load(const char *name)
 			HUD_config.set_gauge_color(gauge.first, clr);
 		}
 
+		SCP_vector<std::pair<SCP_string, color>> gauge_color_list;
+
 		// Now read in the color values for the gauges
 		int version = 1;
 		if (optional_string("+VERSION 2")) {
@@ -1732,12 +1734,12 @@ void hud_config_color_load(const char *name)
 				case 1: {
 					SCP_string gauge = gauge_map.get_string_id_from_hcf_id(str);
 					if (!gauge.empty()) {
-						HUD_config.set_gauge_color(gauge, clr);
+						gauge_color_list.emplace_back(gauge, clr);
 					}
 					break;
 				}
 				case 2: {
-					HUD_config.set_gauge_color(str, clr);
+					gauge_color_list.emplace_back(str, clr);
 					break;
 				}
 				default: {
@@ -1745,6 +1747,33 @@ void hud_config_color_load(const char *name)
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		auto is_builtin = [](auto const& p) {
+			return p.first.rfind("Builtin::", 0) == 0;
+		};
+
+		// Move all builtin:: items to the front, keeping original order
+		std::stable_partition(gauge_color_list.begin(), gauge_color_list.end(), is_builtin);
+
+		// Add the colors to the HUD_config
+		for (const auto& gauge_color : gauge_color_list) {
+			HUD_config.set_gauge_color(gauge_color.first, gauge_color.second);
+
+			// If this is a builtin gauge, we also need to set the color for all other gauges of the same type
+			// Builtin gauges are handled first so that any defintions for custom gauges will override the builtin ones later
+			if (is_builtin(gauge_color)) {
+				int type = gauge_map.get_numeric_id_from_string_id(gauge_color.first);
+
+				for (const auto& this_gauge : HC_gauge_map) {
+					if (this_gauge.first == gauge_color.first) {
+						continue;
+					}
+					if (this_gauge.second->getConfigType() == type) {
+						HUD_config.set_gauge_color(this_gauge.first, gauge_color.second);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	catch (const parse::ParseException& e)
 	{
diff --git a/code/hud/hudconfig.h b/code/hud/hudconfig.h
index e6cf7796ef3..56b80a5333d 100644
--- a/code/hud/hudconfig.h
+++ b/code/hud/hudconfig.h
@@ -182,13 +182,12 @@ typedef struct HUD_CONFIG_TYPE {
 	}
 
 	// Get the gauge color, the color based on its type, or white if the gauge is not found
-	color get_gauge_color(const SCP_string& gauge_id, bool check_exact_match = true) const
+	color get_gauge_color(const SCP_string& gauge_id) const
 	{
 		auto it = gauge_colors.find(gauge_id);
 
 		// Got a match? Return it
-		// but only if we are using the exact match
-		if (check_exact_match && it != gauge_colors.end()) {
+		if (it != gauge_colors.end()) {
 			return it->second;
 		}
 
diff --git a/code/pilotfile/plr_hudprefs.cpp b/code/pilotfile/plr_hudprefs.cpp
index edc51da6f81..a4c45a6f7c4 100644
--- a/code/pilotfile/plr_hudprefs.cpp
+++ b/code/pilotfile/plr_hudprefs.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void hud_config_save_player_prefs(const char* callsign)
 		if (HUD_config.is_gauge_shown_in_config(gauge_id)) {
 			clr = pair.second;
 		} else {
-			clr = HUD_config.get_gauge_color(gauge_id, false);
+			clr = HUD_config.get_gauge_color(gauge_id);
 			HUD_config.set_gauge_color(gauge_id, clr);
 		}