diff --git a/panel-plugin/monitor-label.c b/panel-plugin/monitor-label.c
index bcdda15..032bc7f 100644
--- a/panel-plugin/monitor-label.c
+++ b/panel-plugin/monitor-label.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
+#include <libxfce4util/libxfce4util.h>
 
 #include "monitor-label.h"
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ struct _XnlpMonitorLabel
 {
         GtkLabel                parent;
         /*<private>*/
+        GtkCssProvider          *css_provider;
         gint                    count_width;
         gint                    count_height;
         gint                    width;
@@ -58,6 +60,11 @@ xnlp_monitor_label_init (XnlpMonitorLabel *label)
         label->count_height = 0;
         label->width = 0;
         label->height = 0;
+        label->css_provider = gtk_css_provider_new ();
+        gtk_style_context_add_provider (
+            GTK_STYLE_CONTEXT (gtk_widget_get_style_context (GTK_WIDGET (label))),
+            GTK_STYLE_PROVIDER (label->css_provider),
+            GTK_STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION);
 
         g_signal_connect (label, "notify::label", G_CALLBACK (cb_label_changed), NULL);
 }
@@ -125,6 +132,33 @@ xnlp_monitor_label_new (const gchar *str)
         return GTK_WIDGET (label);
 }
 
+void
+xnlp_monitor_label_set_color (XnlpMonitorLabel *label, GdkRGBA* color)
+{
+    gchar * css;
+    if (color != NULL)
+    {
+#if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 20, 0)
+        css = g_strdup_printf("label { color: %s; }",
+#else
+        css = g_strdup_printf(".label { color: %s; }",
+#endif
+                              gdk_rgba_to_string(color));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+#if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 20, 0)
+        css = g_strdup_printf("label { color: inherit; }");
+#else
+        css = g_strdup_printf(".label { color: inherit; }");
+#endif
+    }
+    DBG("setting label css: %s", gtk_css_provider_to_string (label->css_provider));
+    gtk_css_provider_load_from_data (label->css_provider, css, strlen(css), NULL);
+    g_free(css);
+
+}
+
 void
 xnlp_monitor_label_reinit_size_request (XnlpMonitorLabel *label)
 {
diff --git a/panel-plugin/monitor-label.h b/panel-plugin/monitor-label.h
index 4f8e267..bf495fd 100644
--- a/panel-plugin/monitor-label.h
+++ b/panel-plugin/monitor-label.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ typedef struct _XnlpMonitorLabel XnlpMonitorLabel;
 GType           xnlp_monitor_label_get_type                  (void);
 GtkWidget *     xnlp_monitor_label_new                       (const gchar *str);
 void            xnlp_monitor_label_reinit_size_request       (XnlpMonitorLabel *label);
+void            xnlp_monitor_label_set_color                 (XnlpMonitorLabel *label, GdkRGBA* color);
 
 #endif /* !MONITOR_LABEL_H */
 
diff --git a/panel-plugin/netload.c b/panel-plugin/netload.c
index fdc17ef..9424b98 100644
--- a/panel-plugin/netload.c
+++ b/panel-plugin/netload.c
@@ -536,40 +536,6 @@ static t_global_monitor * monitor_new(XfcePanelPlugin *plugin)
     return global;
 }
 
-/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-static void set_label_csscolor(GtkWidget* label, GdkRGBA* color)
-{
-    GtkCssProvider *css_provider;
-    gchar * css;
-    if (color != NULL)
-    {
-#if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 20, 0)
-        css = g_strdup_printf("label { color: %s; }",
-#else
-        css = g_strdup_printf(".label { color: %s; }",
-#endif
-                              gdk_rgba_to_string(color));
-    }
-    else
-    {
-#if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 20, 0)
-        css = g_strdup_printf("label { color: inherit; }");
-#else
-        css = g_strdup_printf(".label { color: inherit; }");
-#endif
-    }
-    css_provider = gtk_css_provider_new ();
-    gtk_css_provider_load_from_data (css_provider, css, strlen(css), NULL);
-    g_free(css);
-
-    DBG("setting label css: %s", gtk_css_provider_to_string (css_provider));
-    gtk_style_context_add_provider (
-        GTK_STYLE_CONTEXT (gtk_widget_get_style_context (GTK_WIDGET (label))),
-        GTK_STYLE_PROVIDER (css_provider),
-        GTK_STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION);
-
-}
-
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 static void set_progressbar_csscolor(GtkWidget* pbar, GdkRGBA* color)
 {
@@ -617,9 +583,9 @@ static void setup_monitor(t_global_monitor *global, gboolean supress_warnings)
     if (global->monitor->options.colorize_values)
     {
 #if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 16, 0)
-        set_label_csscolor(global->monitor->rcv_label,
+        xnlp_monitor_label_set_color(XNLP_MONITOR_LABEL(global->monitor->rcv_label),
                              &global->monitor->options.color[IN]);
-        set_label_csscolor(global->monitor->sent_label,
+        xnlp_monitor_label_set_color(XNLP_MONITOR_LABEL(global->monitor->sent_label),
                              &global->monitor->options.color[OUT]);
 #else
         gtk_widget_override_color(global->monitor->rcv_label, GTK_STATE_NORMAL,
@@ -632,8 +598,8 @@ static void setup_monitor(t_global_monitor *global, gboolean supress_warnings)
     {
         DBG("resetting label colors");
 #if GTK_CHECK_VERSION (3, 16, 0)
-        set_label_csscolor(global->monitor->rcv_label, NULL);
-        set_label_csscolor(global->monitor->sent_label, NULL);
+        xnlp_monitor_label_set_color(XNLP_MONITOR_LABEL(global->monitor->rcv_label), NULL);
+        xnlp_monitor_label_set_color(XNLP_MONITOR_LABEL(global->monitor->sent_label), NULL);
 #else
         gtk_widget_override_color(global->monitor->rcv_label, GTK_STATE_NORMAL, NULL);
         gtk_widget_override_color(global->monitor->sent_label, GTK_STATE_NORMAL, NULL);