diff --git a/rust/notcurses/src/channels.rs b/rust/notcurses/src/channels.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8db9182f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/notcurses/src/channels.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,472 @@
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+
+extern crate libnotcurses_sys as ffi;
+
+// NOTE: There are several differences from the original functions in C:
+//
+// - The channel components are u8 instead of u32. Because of type enforcing by the
+//   compiler, some runtime checks are now unnecessary.
+//
+// - Some functions now can't fail and doesn't have to return an error:
+//   - `channel_set_rgb()`
+//   - `channels_set_fg_rgb()`
+//   - `channels_set_bg_rgb()`
+//
+// - These other functions don't seem to be necessary to reimplement:
+//    - `channel_set_rgb_clipped()`
+//    - `channels_set_fg_rgb_clipped()`
+//    - `channels_set_bg_rgb_clipped()`
+//
+// - These functions are under consideration:
+//    - `channel_set()`
+//    - `channels_set_fg()`
+//    - `channels_set_bg()`
+//
+// TODO: choose an implementation of alpha functions (search for alpha2)
+//       see issue: https://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses/issues/861
+//
+
+pub type Channel = u32;
+pub type ChannelPair = u64;
+pub type Color = u8;
+pub type Alpha = u32;
+pub type Alpha2 = u8;
+pub type IntResult = i32; // -1 == err
+
+/// Extract the 8-bit red component from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_r(channel: Channel) -> Color {
+    ((channel & 0xff0000) >> 16) as Color
+}
+
+/// Extract the 8-bit green component from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_g(channel: Channel) -> Color {
+    ((channel & 0x00ff00) >> 8) as Color
+}
+
+/// Extract the 8-bit blue component from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_b(channel: Channel) -> Color {
+    (channel & 0x0000ff) as Color
+}
+
+/// Extract the three 8-bit R/G/B components from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_rgb(channel: Channel, r: &mut Color, g: &mut Color, b: &mut Color) -> Channel {
+    *r = channel_r(channel);
+    *g = channel_g(channel);
+    *b = channel_b(channel);
+    channel
+}
+
+/// Set the three 8-bit components of a 32-bit channel, and mark it as not using
+/// the default color. Retain the other bits unchanged.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_set_rgb(channel: &mut Channel, r: Color, g: Color, b: Color) {
+    let c: Channel = (r as Channel) << 16 | (g as Channel) << 8 | (b as Channel);
+    *channel = (*channel & !ffi::CELL_BG_RGB_MASK) | ffi::CELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK | c;
+}
+
+/// Extract the 2-bit alpha component from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_alpha(channel: Channel) -> Alpha {
+    channel & ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK
+}
+/// Extract the 2-bit alpha component from a 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_alpha2(channel: Channel) -> Alpha2 {
+    ((channel & ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK) >> 28) as Alpha2
+}
+
+
+/// Set the 2-bit alpha component of the 32-bit channel.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_set_alpha(channel: &mut Channel, alpha: Alpha) -> IntResult {
+    if (alpha & !ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK) != 0 {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    *channel = alpha | (*channel & !ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK);
+    if alpha != ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE {
+        // indicate that we are *not* using the default background color
+        *channel |= ffi::CELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK;
+    }
+    0
+}
+/// Set the 2-bit alpha component of the 32-bit channel.
+// TODO: test
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_set_alpha2(channel: &mut Channel, alpha: Alpha2) {
+    let mut a = alpha;
+    if alpha > (ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK >> 28) as u8 {
+        a = ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE as u8;
+    }
+    *channel = (a as u32) << 28 | (*channel & !ffi::NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK);
+    if a != ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE as u8 {
+        *channel |= ffi::CELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK;
+    }
+}
+
+/// Is this channel using the "default color" rather than RGB/palette-indexed?
+// FIXME: test
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_default_p(channel: Channel) -> bool {
+    (channel & ffi::CELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK) == 0
+}
+
+/// Is this channel using palette-indexed color rather than RGB?
+// TODO: test
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_palindex_p(channel: Channel) -> bool {
+    !channel_default_p(channel) && (channel & ffi::CELL_BG_PALETTE) == 0
+}
+
+/// Mark the channel as using its default color, which also marks it opaque.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channel_set_default(channel: &mut Channel) -> Channel {
+    *channel &= !(ffi::CELL_BGDEFAULT_MASK | ffi::CELL_ALPHA_HIGHCONTRAST); // < NOTE shouldn't be better NCCHANNEL_ALPHA_MASK?
+    *channel
+}
+
+/// Extract the 32-bit background channel from a channel pair.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bchannel(channels: ChannelPair) -> Channel {
+    (channels & 0xffffffff_u64) as Channel
+}
+
+/// Extract the 32-bit foreground channel from a channel pair.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fchannel(channels: ChannelPair) -> Channel {
+    channels_bchannel(channels >> 32)
+}
+
+/// Set the 32-bit background channel of a channel pair.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_bchannel(channels: &mut ChannelPair, bchannel: Channel) -> ChannelPair {
+    *channels = (*channels & 0xffffffff00000000_u64) | bchannel as u64;
+    *channels
+}
+
+/// Set the 32-bit foreground channel of a channel pair.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_fchannel(channels: &mut ChannelPair, fchannel: Channel) -> ChannelPair {
+    *channels = (*channels & 0xffffffff_u64) | (fchannel as u64) << 32;
+    *channels
+}
+
+/// Combine two channels into a channel pair.
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_combine(fchannel: Channel, bchannel: Channel) -> ChannelPair {
+    let mut channels: ChannelPair = 0;
+    channels_set_fchannel(&mut channels, fchannel);
+    channels_set_bchannel(&mut channels, bchannel);
+    channels
+}
+
+/// Extract 24 bits of foreground RGB from 'channels', shifted to LSBs.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fg(channels: ChannelPair) -> Channel {
+    channels_fchannel(channels) & ffi::CELL_BG_RGB_MASK
+}
+
+/// Extract 24 bits of background RGB from 'channels', shifted to LSBs.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bg(channels: ChannelPair) -> Channel {
+    channels_bchannel(channels) & ffi::CELL_BG_RGB_MASK
+}
+
+/// Extract 2 bits of foreground alpha from 'channels', shifted to LSBs.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fg_alpha(channels: ChannelPair) -> Alpha {
+    channel_alpha(channels_fchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Extract 2 bits of background alpha from 'channels', shifted to LSBs.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bg_alpha(channels: ChannelPair) -> Alpha {
+    channel_alpha(channels_bchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Extract 24 bits of foreground RGB from 'channels', split into subchannels.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fg_rgb(
+    channels: ChannelPair,
+    r: &mut Color,
+    g: &mut Color,
+    b: &mut Color,
+) -> Channel {
+    channel_rgb(channels_fchannel(channels), r, g, b)
+}
+
+/// Extract 24 bits of background RGB from 'channels', split into subchannels.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bg_rgb(
+    channels: ChannelPair,
+    r: &mut Color,
+    g: &mut Color,
+    b: &mut Color,
+) -> Channel {
+    channel_rgb(channels_bchannel(channels), r, g, b)
+}
+
+/// Set the r, g, and b channels for the foreground component of this 64-bit
+/// 'channels' variable, and mark it as not using the default color.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_fg_rgb(channels: &mut ChannelPair, r: Color, g: Color, b: Color) {
+    let mut channel = channels_fchannel(*channels);
+    channel_set_rgb(&mut channel, r, g, b);
+    *channels = (channel as u64) << 32 | *channels & 0xffffffff as u64;
+}
+
+// // Same, but set an assembled 24 bit channel at once.
+// static inline int
+// channels_set_fg(uint64_t* channels, unsigned rgb){
+//   unsigned channel = channels_fchannel(*channels);
+//   if(channel_set(&channel, rgb) < 0){
+//     return -1;
+//   }
+//   *channels = ((uint64_t)channel << 32llu) | (*channels & 0xffffffffllu);
+//   return 0;
+// }
+
+/// Set the r, g, and b channels for the background component of this 64-bit
+/// 'channels' variable, and mark it as not using the default color.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_bg_rgb(channels: &mut ChannelPair, r: Color, g: Color, b: Color) {
+    let mut channel = channels_bchannel(*channels);
+    channel_set_rgb(&mut channel, r, g, b);
+    channels_set_bchannel(channels, channel);
+}
+// // Same, but set an assembled 24 bit channel at once.
+// static inline int
+// channels_set_bg(uint64_t* channels, unsigned rgb){
+//   unsigned channel = channels_bchannel(*channels);
+//   if(channel_set(&channel, rgb) < 0){
+//     return -1;
+//   }
+//   channels_set_bchannel(channels, channel);
+//   return 0;
+// }
+
+// /// Set the 2-bit alpha component of the foreground channel.
+// TODO:
+// #[inline]
+// pub fn channels_set_fg_alpha(channels: &mut ChannelPair, alpha: Alpha) {
+//     let mut channel = channels_fchannel(*channels);
+//
+// }
+// static inline int
+// channels_set_fg_alpha(uint64_t* channels, unsigned alpha){
+//   unsigned channel = channels_fchannel(*channels);
+//   if(channel_set_alpha(&channel, alpha) < 0){
+//     return -1;
+//   }
+//   *channels = ((uint64_t)channel << 32llu) | (*channels & 0xffffffffllu);
+//   return 0;
+// }
+// TODO: and the background channel
+// /// Set the 2-bit alpha component of the background channel.
+// static inline int
+// channels_set_bg_alpha(uint64_t* channels, unsigned alpha){
+//   if(alpha == CELL_ALPHA_HIGHCONTRAST){ // forbidden for background alpha
+//     return -1;
+//   }
+//   unsigned channel = channels_bchannel(*channels);
+//   if(channel_set_alpha(&channel, alpha) < 0){
+//     return -1;
+//   }
+//   channels_set_bchannel(channels, channel);
+//   return 0;
+// }
+
+
+/// Is the foreground using the "default foreground color"?
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fg_default_p(channels: ChannelPair) -> bool {
+    channel_default_p(channels_fchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Is the foreground using indexed palette color?
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_fg_palindex_p(channels: ChannelPair) -> bool {
+    channel_palindex_p(channels_fchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Is the background using the "default background color"? The "default
+/// background color" must generally be used to take advantage of
+/// terminal-effected transparency.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bg_default_p(channels: ChannelPair) -> bool {
+    channel_default_p(channels_bchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Is the background using indexed palette color?
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_bg_palindex_p(channels: ChannelPair) -> bool {
+    channel_palindex_p(channels_bchannel(channels))
+}
+
+/// Mark the foreground channel as using its default color.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_fg_default(channels: &mut ChannelPair) -> ChannelPair {
+    let mut channel = channels_fchannel(*channels);
+    channel_set_default(&mut channel);
+    *channels = (channel as u64) << 32 | *channels & 0xffffffff as u64;
+    *channels
+}
+ 
+/// Mark the background channel as using its default color.
+// TODO: TEST
+#[inline]
+pub fn channels_set_bg_default(channels: &mut ChannelPair) -> ChannelPair {
+    let mut channel = channels_bchannel(*channels);
+    channel_set_default(&mut channel);
+    channels_set_bchannel(channels, channel);
+    *channels
+}
+ 
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::{Channel, ChannelPair};
+    use serial_test::serial;
+
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_r() {
+        let c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_r(c), 0x11);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_g() {
+        let c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_g(c), 0x22);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_b() {
+        let c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_b(c), 0x33);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_rgb() {
+        let c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        let mut r = 0;
+        let mut g = 0;
+        let mut b = 0;
+        super::channel_rgb(c, &mut r, &mut g, &mut b);
+        assert_eq!(r, 0x11);
+        assert_eq!(g, 0x22);
+        assert_eq!(b, 0x33);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_set_rgb() {
+        let mut c: Channel = 0x000000;
+        super::channel_set_rgb(&mut c, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33);
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_r(c), 0x11);
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_g(c), 0x22);
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_b(c), 0x33);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_alpha() {
+        let c: Channel = 0x112233 | ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT;
+        assert_eq!(super::channel_alpha(c), ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_set_alpha() {
+        let mut c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        assert_eq!(
+            0,
+            super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_HIGHCONTRAST)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(ffi::CELL_ALPHA_HIGHCONTRAST, super::channel_alpha(c));
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            0,
+            super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT, super::channel_alpha(c));
+
+        assert_eq!(0, super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_BLEND));
+        assert_eq!(ffi::CELL_ALPHA_BLEND, super::channel_alpha(c));
+
+        assert_eq!(0, super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE));
+        assert_eq!(ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE, super::channel_alpha(c));
+
+        assert_eq!(-1, super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, 12345));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_set_default() {
+        const DEFAULT: Channel = 0x112233;
+
+        let mut c: Channel = DEFAULT | ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT;
+        assert!(c != DEFAULT);
+
+        super::channel_set_default(&mut c);
+        assert_eq!(c, DEFAULT);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channel_default_p() {
+        let mut c: Channel = 0x112233;
+        assert_eq!(true, super::channel_default_p(c));
+
+        // TODO FIXME: succesfully test for the false result
+        // let _ = super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_TRANSPARENT);
+        // assert_eq!(false, super::channel_default_p(c));
+
+        let _ = super::channel_set_alpha(&mut c, ffi::CELL_ALPHA_OPAQUE);
+        assert_eq!(true, super::channel_default_p(c));
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+    fn channels_set_fchannel__channels_fchannel() {
+        let fc: Channel = 0x112233;
+        let mut cp: ChannelPair = 0;
+        super::channels_set_fchannel(&mut cp, fc);
+        assert_eq!(super::channels_fchannel(cp), fc);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+    fn channels_set_bchannel__channels_bchannel() {
+        let bc: Channel = 0x112233;
+        let mut cp: ChannelPair = 0;
+        super::channels_set_bchannel(&mut cp, bc);
+        assert_eq!(super::channels_bchannel(cp), bc);
+    }
+    #[test]
+    #[serial]
+    fn channels_combine() {
+        let bc: Channel = 0x112233;
+        let fc: Channel = 0x445566;
+        let mut cp1: ChannelPair = 0;
+        let mut _cp2: ChannelPair = 0;
+        super::channels_set_bchannel(&mut cp1, bc);
+        super::channels_set_fchannel(&mut cp1, fc);
+        _cp2 = super::channels_combine(fc, bc);
+        assert_eq!(cp1, _cp2);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/notcurses/src/lib.rs b/rust/notcurses/src/lib.rs
index 88bd18cdc..6620cd5de 100644
--- a/rust/notcurses/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/notcurses/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+mod channels;
+
 extern crate libnotcurses_sys as ffi;
 
 pub fn getc_blocking(_n: *mut ffi::notcurses, _ni: &mut ffi::ncinput) -> u32 {