diff --git a/autoload/Colorizer.vim b/autoload/Colorizer.vim
index cd3de83..a40d258 100644
--- a/autoload/Colorizer.vim
+++ b/autoload/Colorizer.vim
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ function! s:PreviewColorHex(match) "{{{2
     " explicitly at the end (see #64)
     let color = matchstr(a:match, s:hex_pattern[1]."$")
     let pattern = color
-    if len(color) == 3
+    if len(color) == 3 || len(color) == 4
         let color = substitute(color, '.', '&&', 'g')
     endif
     if &t_Co == 8 && !s:HasGui()
@@ -1008,13 +1008,19 @@ function! s:PreviewColorHex(match) "{{{2
             let color = list[idx]
         endif
     endif
-    if len(split(pattern, '\zs')) == 8
+    if len(split(color, '\zs')) == 8
         " apply alpha value
-        let l = split(pattern, '..\zs')
+        let l = split(color, '..\zs')
         call map(l, 'printf("%2d", "0x".v:val)')
-        let l[3] = string(str2float(l[3])/255)  " normalize to 0-1
-        let l = s:ApplyAlphaValue(l)
-        let color = printf("%02X%02X%02X", l[0], l[1], l[2])
+        if get(g:, 'colorizer_alpha_first', 0)
+            let l[0] = string(str2float(l[0])/255)  " normalize to 0-1
+            let l = s:ApplyAlphaValue([l[1], l[2], l[3], l[0]])
+            let color = printf("%02X%02X%02X", l[0], l[1], l[2])
+        else
+            let l[3] = string(str2float(l[3])/255)  " normalize to 0-1
+            let l = s:ApplyAlphaValue(l)
+            let color = printf("%02X%02X%02X", l[0], l[1], l[2])
+        endif
     endif
     call s:SetMatcher(s:hex_pattern[0]. pattern. s:hex_pattern[2], {'bg': color})
     if s:use_virtual_text
@@ -1487,7 +1493,7 @@ function! s:ColorInit(...) "{{{1
     let s:conceal = [&l:cole, &l:cocu]
 
     let s:hex_pattern = get(g:, 'colorizer_hex_pattern',
-                \ ['#', '\%(\x\{3}\|\x\{6}\|\x\{8\}\)', '\%(\>\|[-_]\)\@='])
+                \ ['#', '\%(\x\{3}\|\x\{4}\|\x\{6}\|\x\{8\}\)', '\%(\>\|[-_]\)\@='])
 
     if s:HasGui() || &t_Co >= 8 || s:HasColorPattern()
         " The list of available match() patterns