diff --git a/grade/report/grader/lib.php b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
index 948fb50f21f..0c6e692fe3f 100644
--- a/grade/report/grader/lib.php
+++ b/grade/report/grader/lib.php
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@ class grade_report_grader extends grade_report {
 
                 $hidden = '';
                 if ($grade->is_hidden()) {
-                    $hidden = ' hidden ';
+                    $hidden = ' dimmed_text ';
                 }
 
                 $gradepass = ' gradefail ';
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ class grade_report_grader extends grade_report {
 
                 $hidden = '';
                 if ($item->is_hidden()) {
-                    $hidden = ' hidden ';
+                    $hidden = ' dimmed_text ';
                 }
 
                 $formattedrange = $item->get_formatted_range($rangesdisplaytype, $rangesdecimalpoints);
diff --git a/grade/report/user/lib.php b/grade/report/user/lib.php
index 29eb8b6d477..966951b65cf 100644
--- a/grade/report/user/lib.php
+++ b/grade/report/user/lib.php
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ class grade_report_user extends grade_report {
 
             /// Hidden Items
             if ($grade_grade->grade_item->is_hidden()) {
-                $hidden = ' hidden';
+                $hidden = ' dimmed_text';
             }
 
             $hide = false;
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ class grade_report_user extends grade_report {
                         $data['grade']['content'] = get_string('submittedon', 'grades', userdate($grade_grade->get_datesubmitted(), get_string('strftimedatetimeshort')));
 
                     } elseif ($grade_grade->is_hidden()) {
-                            $data['grade']['class'] = $class.' hidden';
+                            $data['grade']['class'] = $class.' dimmed_text';
                             $data['grade']['content'] = '-';
                     } else {
                         $data['grade']['class'] = $class;
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ class grade_report_user extends grade_report {
                         $data['percentage']['class'] = $class.' gradingerror';
                         $data['percentage']['content'] = get_string('error');
                     } else if ($grade_grade->is_hidden()) {
-                        $data['percentage']['class'] = $class.' hidden';
+                        $data['percentage']['class'] = $class.' dimmed_text';
                         $data['percentage']['content'] = '-';
                     } else {
                         $data['percentage']['class'] = $class;
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ class grade_report_user extends grade_report {
                         $data['lettergrade']['class'] = $class.' gradingerror';
                         $data['lettergrade']['content'] = get_string('error');
                     } else if ($grade_grade->is_hidden()) {
-                        $data['lettergrade']['class'] = $class.' hidden';
+                        $data['lettergrade']['class'] = $class.' dimmed_text';
                         if (!$this->canviewhidden) {
                             $data['lettergrade']['content'] = '-';
                         } else {
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ class grade_report_user extends grade_report {
                         $data['rank']['class'] = $class.' gradingerror';
                         $data['rank']['content'] = get_string('error');
                         } elseif ($grade_grade->is_hidden()) {
-                            $data['rank']['class'] = $class.' hidden';
+                            $data['rank']['class'] = $class.' dimmed_text';
                             $data['rank']['content'] = '-';
                     } else if (is_null($gradeval)) {
                         // no grade, no rank
diff --git a/grade/report/user/styles.css b/grade/report/user/styles.css
index 2a958d34190..c15f1364192 100644
--- a/grade/report/user/styles.css
+++ b/grade/report/user/styles.css
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 #graded_users_selector {float: right;text-align: right;}
 
 /* this must be last if we want to override other category and course item colors */
-.path-grade-report-user .user-grade .hidden,
-.path-grade-report-user .user-grade .hidden a {color:#aaaaaa;}
 .user-grade {border: 1px solid black;margin: auto;padding: 0.25em;font-size: 0.8em;}
 .user-grade td {margin: 1px;padding: 0.25em;min-width: 2em;vertical-align: top;}
 .user-grade thead {border-bottom: 3px double black;}
@@ -53,7 +51,6 @@
 .user-grade td.item,
 .user-grade th.item {border-left: 1px solid gray;border-right: 1px solid gray}
 .user-grade td.excluded {background-color: #666;}
-.user-grade td.hidden {color: #aaa;}
 .user-grade td.feedbacktext {max-width:600px;padding:2px 2px;}
 .pagelayout-report .user-grade .feedbacktext .no-overflow {overflow:auto;padding:0.25em;}