diff --git a/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats-tests.factor b/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats-tests.factor
index 67690e4ab1..b22961e38d 100644
--- a/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats-tests.factor
@@ -1,14 +1,24 @@
-USING: specialized-arrays.instances.alien.c-types.int tools.test
+USING: alien.c-types literals specialized-arrays tools.test
 ui.pixel-formats ;
+SPECIALIZED-ARRAY: int
 IN: ui.pixel-formats.tests
 
 CONSTANT: attrib-table {
     { windowed { 99 } }
     { double-buffered { 7 } }
+    { samples { 100001 } }
 }
 
+SYMBOL: garbageword
+CONSTANT: garbageint 234
+
 ! pixel-format-attributes>int-array
-{ int-array{ 9 2 99 7 0 } } [
-    { windowed double-buffered } { 9 2 } attrib-table
+! it should ignore garbage, even the color-bits because it's not
+! in the table
+{ int-array{ 9 2 99 7 100001 2 0 } } [
+    {
+        windowed "garbage" $ garbageint double-buffered
+        garbageword T{ samples f 2 } T{ color-bits f 24 }
+    } { 9 2 } attrib-table
     pixel-format-attributes>int-array
 ] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats.factor b/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats.factor
index a67786eb35..eb719677c9 100644
--- a/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/pixel-formats/pixel-formats.factor
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-USING: accessors alien.c-types alien.data assocs destructors fry
-kernel math sequences specialized-arrays ui.backend ;
+USING: accessors alien.c-types alien.data assocs classes
+combinators destructors fry kernel math sequences
+specialized-arrays ui.backend words ;
 SPECIALIZED-ARRAY: int
 IN: ui.pixel-formats
 
@@ -57,8 +58,18 @@ TUPLE: pixel-format < disposable world handle ;
 M: pixel-format dispose*
     [ (free-pixel-format) ] [ f >>handle drop ] bi ;
 
+: (pixel-format-attribute) ( attribute table -- arr/f )
+    [ dup class-of ] dip at [ swap value>> suffix ] [ drop f ] if* ;
+
+: pixel-format-attribute>array ( obj table -- arr/f )
+    {
+        { [ over pixel-format-attribute? ] [ (pixel-format-attribute) ] }
+        { [ over word? ] [ at ] }
+        [ 2drop f ]
+    } cond ;
+
 : pixel-format-attributes>int-array ( attrs perm table -- arr )
-    swapd '[ _ at ] map sift concat append
+    swapd '[ _ pixel-format-attribute>array ] map sift concat append
     ! 0 happens to work as a sentinel value for all ui backends.
     0 suffix int >c-array ;