diff --git a/java/res/layout/emoji_palettes_view.xml b/java/res/layout/emoji_palettes_view.xml
index b252859..4fb744e 100644
--- a/java/res/layout/emoji_palettes_view.xml
+++ b/java/res/layout/emoji_palettes_view.xml
@@ -89,22 +89,22 @@
         android:layout_height="0dip"
         android:layout_weight="1"
     >
-        <ImageButton
-            android:id="@+id/emoji_keyboard_alphabet"
+        <TextView
+            android:id="@+id/emoji_keyboard_alphabet_left"
             android:layout_width="0dip"
             android:layout_weight="0.15"
-            android:layout_height="match_parent"
-            android:src="@drawable/ic_ime_switcher_dark" />
+            android:gravity="center"
+            android:layout_height="match_parent" />
         <ImageButton
             android:id="@+id/emoji_keyboard_space"
             android:layout_width="0dip"
             android:layout_weight="0.70"
             android:layout_height="match_parent" />
-        <ImageButton
-            android:id="@+id/emoji_keyboard_alphabet2"
+        <TextView
+            android:id="@+id/emoji_keyboard_alphabet_right"
             android:layout_width="0dip"
             android:layout_weight="0.15"
-            android:layout_height="match_parent"
-            android:src="@drawable/ic_ime_switcher_dark" />
+            android:gravity="center"
+            android:layout_height="match_parent" />
     </LinearLayout>
 </com.android.inputmethod.keyboard.EmojiPalettesView>
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/EmojiPalettesView.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/EmojiPalettesView.java
index c344643..4c53b52 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/EmojiPalettesView.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/EmojiPalettesView.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import android.content.res.TypedArray;
 import android.graphics.Color;
 import android.graphics.Rect;
+import android.graphics.Typeface;
 import android.os.Build;
 import android.os.CountDownTimer;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.util.Pair;
 import android.util.SparseArray;
+import android.util.TypedValue;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.MotionEvent;
 import android.view.View;
@@ -84,6 +86,8 @@
     private EmojiPalettesAdapter mEmojiPalettesAdapter;
     private final EmojiLayoutParams mEmojiLayoutParams;
 
+    private TextView mAlphabetKeyLeft;
+    private TextView mAlphabetKeyRight;
     private TabHost mTabHost;
     private ViewPager mEmojiPager;
     private int mCurrentPagerPosition = 0;
@@ -487,20 +491,23 @@
         deleteKey.setTag(Constants.CODE_DELETE);
         deleteKey.setOnTouchListener(mDeleteKeyOnTouchListener);
 
-        // alphabetKey, alphabetKey2, and spaceKey depend on {@link View.OnClickListener} as well as
-        // {@link View.OnTouchListener}. {@link View.OnTouchListener} is used as the trigger of
-        // key-press, while {@link View.OnClickListener} is used as the trigger of key-release which
-        // does not occur if the event is canceled by moving off the finger from the view.
-        final ImageView alphabetKey = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.emoji_keyboard_alphabet);
-        alphabetKey.setBackgroundResource(mEmojiFunctionalKeyBackgroundId);
-        alphabetKey.setTag(Constants.CODE_ALPHA_FROM_EMOJI);
-        alphabetKey.setOnTouchListener(this);
-        alphabetKey.setOnClickListener(this);
-        final ImageView alphabetKey2 = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.emoji_keyboard_alphabet2);
-        alphabetKey2.setBackgroundResource(mEmojiFunctionalKeyBackgroundId);
-        alphabetKey2.setTag(Constants.CODE_ALPHA_FROM_EMOJI);
-        alphabetKey2.setOnTouchListener(this);
-        alphabetKey2.setOnClickListener(this);
+        // {@link #mAlphabetKeyLeft}, {@link #mAlphabetKeyRight, and spaceKey depend on
+        // {@link View.OnClickListener} as well as {@link View.OnTouchListener}.
+        // {@link View.OnTouchListener} is used as the trigger of key-press, while
+        // {@link View.OnClickListener} is used as the trigger of key-release which does not occur
+        // if the event is canceled by moving off the finger from the view.
+        // The text on alphabet keys are set at
+        // {@link #startEmojiPalettes(String,int,float,Typeface)}.
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.emoji_keyboard_alphabet_left);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setBackgroundResource(mEmojiFunctionalKeyBackgroundId);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setTag(Constants.CODE_ALPHA_FROM_EMOJI);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setOnTouchListener(this);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setOnClickListener(this);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.emoji_keyboard_alphabet_right);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setBackgroundResource(mEmojiFunctionalKeyBackgroundId);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setTag(Constants.CODE_ALPHA_FROM_EMOJI);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setOnTouchListener(this);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setOnClickListener(this);
         final ImageView spaceKey = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.emoji_keyboard_space);
         spaceKey.setBackgroundResource(mKeyBackgroundId);
         spaceKey.setTag(Constants.CODE_SPACE);
@@ -627,10 +634,20 @@
         // TODO:
     }
 
-    public void startEmojiPalettes() {
+    // Hack: These parameters are hacky.
+    public void startEmojiPalettes(final String switchToAlphaLabel, final int switchToAlphaColor,
+            final float switchToAlphaSize, final Typeface switchToAlphaTypeface) {
         if (DEBUG_PAGER) {
             Log.d(TAG, "allocate emoji palettes memory " + mCurrentPagerPosition);
         }
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setText(switchToAlphaLabel);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setTextColor(switchToAlphaColor);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setTextSize(TypedValue.COMPLEX_UNIT_PX, switchToAlphaSize);
+        mAlphabetKeyLeft.setTypeface(switchToAlphaTypeface);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setText(switchToAlphaLabel);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setTextColor(switchToAlphaColor);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setTextSize(TypedValue.COMPLEX_UNIT_PX, switchToAlphaSize);
+        mAlphabetKeyRight.setTypeface(switchToAlphaTypeface);
         mEmojiPager.setAdapter(mEmojiPalettesAdapter);
         mEmojiPager.setCurrentItem(mCurrentPagerPosition);
     }
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardSwitcher.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardSwitcher.java
index aebba60..6215e27 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardSwitcher.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardSwitcher.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.content.res.Resources;
+import android.graphics.Paint;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.ContextThemeWrapper;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
 import com.android.inputmethod.compat.InputMethodServiceCompatUtils;
 import com.android.inputmethod.keyboard.KeyboardLayoutSet.KeyboardLayoutSetException;
 import com.android.inputmethod.keyboard.internal.KeyboardState;
+import com.android.inputmethod.latin.Constants;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.InputView;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.LatinIME;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.LatinImeLogger;
@@ -74,13 +76,13 @@
     private MainKeyboardView mKeyboardView;
     private EmojiPalettesView mEmojiPalettesView;
     private LatinIME mLatinIME;
-    private Resources mResources;
     private boolean mIsHardwareAcceleratedDrawingEnabled;
 
     private KeyboardState mState;
 
     private KeyboardLayoutSet mKeyboardLayoutSet;
     private SettingsValues mCurrentSettingsValues;
+    private Key mSwitchToAlphaKey;
 
     /** mIsAutoCorrectionActive indicates that auto corrected word will be input instead of
      * what user actually typed. */
@@ -106,7 +108,6 @@
 
     private void initInternal(final LatinIME latinIme, final SharedPreferences prefs) {
         mLatinIME = latinIme;
-        mResources = latinIme.getResources();
         mPrefs = prefs;
         mSubtypeSwitcher = SubtypeSwitcher.getInstance();
         mState = new KeyboardState(this);
@@ -162,6 +163,8 @@
         mCurrentSettingsValues = settingsValues;
         try {
             mState.onLoadKeyboard();
+            final Keyboard symbols = mKeyboardLayoutSet.getKeyboard(KeyboardId.ELEMENT_SYMBOLS);
+            mSwitchToAlphaKey = symbols.getKey(Constants.CODE_SWITCH_ALPHA_SYMBOL);
         } catch (KeyboardLayoutSetException e) {
             Log.w(TAG, "loading keyboard failed: " + e.mKeyboardId, e.getCause());
             LatinImeLogger.logOnException(e.mKeyboardId.toString(), e.getCause());
@@ -287,7 +290,10 @@
     @Override
     public void setEmojiKeyboard() {
         mMainKeyboardFrame.setVisibility(View.GONE);
-        mEmojiPalettesView.startEmojiPalettes();
+        final Paint paint = mKeyboardView.newLabelPaint(mSwitchToAlphaKey);
+        mEmojiPalettesView.startEmojiPalettes(
+                mSwitchToAlphaKey.getLabel(), paint.getColor(), paint.getTextSize(),
+                paint.getTypeface());
         mEmojiPalettesView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
     }
 
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardView.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardView.java
index 422bd12..dd3ab9c 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardView.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/KeyboardView.java
@@ -582,6 +582,7 @@
             paint.setTypeface(mKeyDrawParams.mTypeface);
             paint.setTextSize(mKeyDrawParams.mLabelSize);
         } else {
+            paint.setColor(key.selectTextColor(mKeyDrawParams));
             paint.setTypeface(key.selectTypeface(mKeyDrawParams));
             paint.setTextSize(key.selectTextSize(mKeyDrawParams));
         }