diff --git a/vim/colors/darkcloud.vim b/vim/colors/darkcloud.vim
index 8c89794..55816bc 100644
--- a/vim/colors/darkcloud.vim
+++ b/vim/colors/darkcloud.vim
@@ -279,14 +279,14 @@ call s:X("PmenuSel","87d7ff","4e4e4e","bold","White","Black")
 call s:X("CursorLine","","303030","","",s:termBlack)
 call s:X("CursorLineNr","000000","87d7ff","bold",s:termBlack,"Blue")
 call s:X("CursorColumn","","303030","","",s:termBlack)
-call s:X("MatchParen","","000000","standout","","000000")
+call s:X("MatchParen","000000","87d7ff","bold",s:termBlack,"Blue")
 
 call s:X("TabLine","","000000","","",s:termBlack)
 call s:X("TabLineFill","","000000","","",s:termBlack)
 call s:X("TabLineSel","000000","ffffff","",s:termBlack,"White")
 
 call s:X("Visual","","000000","standout","",s:termBlack)
-call s:X("Cursor","000000","ffff00","underline",s:termBlack,"Yellow")
+call s:X("Cursor","000000","87d7ff","underline",s:termBlack,"Blue")
 
 call s:X("LineNr","ffaf00","","","Red","")
 call s:X("Comment","626262","","","Grey","")
diff --git a/vim/config/settings.vim b/vim/config/settings.vim
index d2735cf..eba6246 100644
--- a/vim/config/settings.vim
+++ b/vim/config/settings.vim
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     set smarttab expandtab autoindent tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 "configure tabs
     set laststatus=2 showcmd statusline=%F%m%r%h%w[%L][%{&ff}]%y[%p%%][%04l,%04v] "statusline init and config
     set hlsearch incsearch ignorecase smartcase "configure search
+    set guicursor+=a:blinkon0 "disable the blinking cursor
 
     "load the system version of matchit if another hasn't already been
     if !exists('g:loaded_matchit') && findfile('plugin/matchit.vim', &rtp) ==# ''