diff --git a/data/templates/default.ms b/data/templates/default.ms
index acffb5f6a..f8175e97d 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.ms
+++ b/data/templates/default.ms
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
.nr FL \n[LL]
.\" footnote point size
.nr FPS (\n[PS] - 2000)
+.\" color used for strikeout
+.defcolor strikecolor rgb 0.7 0.7 0.7
.\" ***************************************************************
.\" PDF metadata
.mso pdfmark.tmac
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
index 7d0c278a6..d5f323b5e 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
@@ -425,7 +425,9 @@ inlineToMs opts (Strong lst) =
withFontFeature 'B' (inlineListToMs opts lst)
inlineToMs opts (Strikeout lst) = do
contents <- inlineListToMs opts lst
- return $ text "[STRIKEOUT:" <> contents <> char ']'
+ -- we use grey color instead of strikeout, which seems quite
+ -- hard to do in groff for arbitrary bits of text
+ return $ text "\\m[strikecolor]" <> contents <> text "\\m[]"
inlineToMs opts (Superscript lst) = do
contents <- inlineListToMs opts lst
return $ text "\\*{" <> contents <> text "\\*}"
diff --git a/test/writer.ms b/test/writer.ms
index 03512cbb4..0ce199fba 100644
--- a/test/writer.ms
+++ b/test/writer.ms
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
.nr FL \n[LL]
.\" footnote point size
.nr FPS (\n[PS] - 2000)
+.\" color used for strikeout
+.defcolor strikecolor rgb 0.2 0.2 0.2
.\" ***************************************************************
.\" PDF metadata
.mso pdfmark.tmac
@@ -588,7 +590,7 @@ So is \f[B]\f[BI]this\f[B]\f[] word.
This is code: \f[C]>\f[], \f[C]$\f[], \f[C]\\\f[], \f[C]\\$\f[],
\f[C]<html>\f[].
.PP
-[STRIKEOUT:This is \f[I]strikeout\f[].]
+\m[strikecolor]This is \f[I]strikeout\f[].\m[]
.PP
Superscripts: a\*{bc\*}d a\*{\f[I]hello\f[]\*} a\*{hello\ there\*}.
.PP