diff --git a/platform/core-ui/api-dump.txt b/platform/core-ui/api-dump.txt
index 01325b6be20c..ac87d7a8581b 100644
--- a/platform/core-ui/api-dump.txt
+++ b/platform/core-ui/api-dump.txt
@@ -441,10 +441,12 @@ f:com.intellij.util.IconUtil
 - sf:brighter(javax.swing.Icon,I):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:colorize(java.awt.Graphics2D,javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:colorize(java.awt.Graphics2D,javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z):javax.swing.Icon
+- sf:colorize(java.awt.Graphics2D,javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,Z):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:colorize(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:colorize(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z):javax.swing.Icon
-- bs:colorize$default(java.awt.Graphics2D,javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,I,java.lang.Object):javax.swing.Icon
-- bs:colorize$default(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,I,java.lang.Object):javax.swing.Icon
+- sf:colorize(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,Z):javax.swing.Icon
+- bs:colorize$default(java.awt.Graphics2D,javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,Z,I,java.lang.Object):javax.swing.Icon
+- bs:colorize$default(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Color,Z,Z,I,java.lang.Object):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:computeBaseFileIcon(com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:computeFileIcon(com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile,I,com.intellij.openapi.project.Project):javax.swing.Icon
 - sf:copy(javax.swing.Icon,java.awt.Component):javax.swing.Icon
diff --git a/platform/core-ui/src/util/IconUtil.kt b/platform/core-ui/src/util/IconUtil.kt
index 1b63e618fbaf..82ba3351dc73 100644
--- a/platform/core-ui/src/util/IconUtil.kt
+++ b/platform/core-ui/src/util/IconUtil.kt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import com.intellij.ui.scale.ScaleType
 import com.intellij.ui.svg.paintIconWithSelection
 import com.intellij.util.IconUtil.ICON_FLAG_IGNORE_MASK
 import com.intellij.util.IconUtil.computeFileIcon
+import com.intellij.util.IconUtil.scale
 import com.intellij.util.ui.*
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus.Internal
@@ -439,18 +440,23 @@ object IconUtil {
     return scaleByIcon(icon = icon, ancestor = ancestor, defaultIcon = defaultIcon) { it.iconWidth }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @param keepGray if false - the saturation is fully taken from [color]
+   * @param keepBrightness if false - the brightness is fully taken from [color].
+   *                       If left true - 'gray color + gray icon' will produce a nearly black resulting icon.
+   */
   @JvmOverloads
   @JvmStatic
-  fun colorize(source: Icon, color: Color, keepGray: Boolean = false): Icon {
+  fun colorize(source: Icon, color: Color, keepGray: Boolean = false, keepBrightness: Boolean = true): Icon {
     return filterIcon(icon = source, filterSupplier = object : RgbImageFilterSupplier {
-      override fun getFilter() = ColorFilter(color = color, keepGray = keepGray)
+      override fun getFilter() = ColorFilter(color = color, keepGray = keepGray, keepBrightness = keepBrightness)
     })
   }
 
   @JvmOverloads
   @JvmStatic
-  fun colorize(g: Graphics2D?, source: Icon, color: Color, keepGray: Boolean = false): Icon {
-    return filterIcon(g = g, source = source, filter = ColorFilter(color = color, keepGray = keepGray))
+  fun colorize(g: Graphics2D?, source: Icon, color: Color, keepGray: Boolean = false, keepBrightness: Boolean = true): Icon {
+    return filterIcon(g = g, source = source, filter = ColorFilter(color = color, keepGray = keepGray, keepBrightness = keepBrightness))
   }
 
   @JvmStatic
@@ -650,7 +656,7 @@ class CropIcon internal constructor(val sourceIcon: Icon, val crop: Rectangle) :
 }
 
 @Internal
-class ColorFilter(val color: Color, val keepGray: Boolean) : RGBImageFilter() {
+class ColorFilter(val color: Color, val keepGray: Boolean, val keepBrightness: Boolean) : RGBImageFilter() {
   private val base = Color.RGBtoHSB(color.red, color.green, color.blue, null)
 
   override fun filterRGB(x: Int, y: Int, rgba: Int): Int {
@@ -659,7 +665,9 @@ class ColorFilter(val color: Color, val keepGray: Boolean) : RGBImageFilter() {
     val b = rgba and 0xff
     val hsb = FloatArray(3)
     Color.RGBtoHSB(r, g, b, hsb)
-    val rgb = Color.HSBtoRGB(base[0], base[1] * if (keepGray) hsb[1] else 1.0f, base[2] * hsb[2])
+    val rgb = Color.HSBtoRGB(base[0],
+                             base[1] * if (keepGray) hsb[1] else 1.0f,
+                             base[2] * if (keepBrightness) hsb[2] else 1.0f)
     return rgba and -0x1000000 or (rgb and 0xffffff)
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/headertoolbar/ProjectToolbarWidgetAction.kt b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/headertoolbar/ProjectToolbarWidgetAction.kt
index 820b8a131675..487763a5aef0 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/headertoolbar/ProjectToolbarWidgetAction.kt
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/headertoolbar/ProjectToolbarWidgetAction.kt
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ private class ProjectWidgetRenderer : ListCellRenderer<PopupFactoryImpl.ActionIt
                 label(it)
                   .customize(rowGaps)
                   .applyToComponent {
-                    icon = AllIcons.Vcs.Branch
+                    icon = IconUtil.colorize(AllIcons.Vcs.Branch, UIUtil.getLabelInfoForeground(), keepGray = false, keepBrightness = false)
                     font = JBFont.smallOrNewUiMedium()
                     foreground = UIUtil.getLabelInfoForeground()
                   }.component
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/welcomeScreen/recentProjects/RecentProjectFilteringTree.kt b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/welcomeScreen/recentProjects/RecentProjectFilteringTree.kt
index f711d7241e2a..22e3e2acf9ce 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/welcomeScreen/recentProjects/RecentProjectFilteringTree.kt
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/wm/impl/welcomeScreen/recentProjects/RecentProjectFilteringTree.kt
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ class RecentProjectFilteringTree(
       }
       private val projectBranchNameLabel = ComponentPanelBuilder.createNonWrappingCommentComponent("").apply {
         foreground = NamedColorUtil.getInactiveTextColor()
-        icon = AllIcons.Vcs.Branch
+        icon = IconUtil.colorize(AllIcons.Vcs.Branch, UIUtil.getInactiveTextColor(), keepGray = false, keepBrightness = false)
       }
       private val projectIconLabel = JLabel()
       private val projectActions = ActionsButton().apply {