diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/midtunit.c b/src/mame/drivers/midtunit.c
index 8834f0eac16..e96906f01d6 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/midtunit.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/midtunit.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ static ADDRESS_MAP_START( main_map, AS_PROGRAM, 16, midtunit_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0x01600010, 0x0160001f) AM_READ_PORT("IN1")
 	AM_RANGE(0x01600020, 0x0160002f) AM_READ_PORT("IN2")
 	AM_RANGE(0x01600030, 0x0160003f) AM_READ_PORT("DSW")
-	AM_RANGE(0x01800000, 0x0187ffff) AM_RAM_WRITE(midtunit_paletteram_w) AM_SHARE("paletteram")
+	AM_RANGE(0x01800000, 0x0187ffff) AM_RAM_DEVWRITE("palette", palette_device, write) AM_SHARE("palette")
 	AM_RANGE(0x01a80000, 0x01a800ff) AM_READWRITE(midtunit_dma_r, midtunit_dma_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x01b00000, 0x01b0001f) AM_WRITE(midtunit_control_w)
 /*  AM_RANGE(0x01c00060, 0x01c0007f) AM_WRITE(midtunit_cmos_enable_w) */
@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( tunit_core, midtunit_state )
 
 	/* video hardware */
 	MCFG_PALETTE_ADD("palette", 32768)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_FORMAT(xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB)
 
 	MCFG_SCREEN_ADD("screen", RASTER)
 	// from TMS340 registers
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/midwunit.c b/src/mame/drivers/midwunit.c
index e331ff6673d..47090af6b82 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/midwunit.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/midwunit.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static ADDRESS_MAP_START( main_map, AS_PROGRAM, 16, midwunit_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0x01600000, 0x0160001f) AM_READWRITE(midwunit_security_r, midwunit_security_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x01680000, 0x0168001f) AM_READWRITE(midwunit_sound_r, midwunit_sound_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x01800000, 0x0187ffff) AM_READWRITE(midwunit_io_r, midwunit_io_w)
-	AM_RANGE(0x01880000, 0x018fffff) AM_RAM_WRITE(midtunit_paletteram_w) AM_SHARE("paletteram")
+	AM_RANGE(0x01880000, 0x018fffff) AM_RAM_DEVWRITE("palette", palette_device, write) AM_SHARE("palette")
 	AM_RANGE(0x01a00000, 0x01a000ff) AM_MIRROR(0x00080000) AM_READWRITE(midtunit_dma_r, midtunit_dma_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x01b00000, 0x01b0001f) AM_READWRITE(midwunit_control_r, midwunit_control_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x02000000, 0x06ffffff) AM_READ(midwunit_gfxrom_r)
@@ -631,6 +631,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( wunit, midwunit_state )
 
 	/* video hardware */
 	MCFG_PALETTE_ADD("palette", 32768)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_FORMAT(xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB)
 
 	MCFG_SCREEN_ADD("screen", RASTER)
 	// from TMS340 registers
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/midxunit.c b/src/mame/drivers/midxunit.c
index 331c380a856..a519ee1c31a 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/midxunit.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/midxunit.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static ADDRESS_MAP_START( main_map, AS_PROGRAM, 16, midxunit_state )
 	AM_RANGE(0x80800000, 0x8080001f) AM_READWRITE(midxunit_analog_r, midxunit_analog_select_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0x80c00000, 0x80c000ff) AM_READWRITE(midxunit_uart_r, midxunit_uart_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0xa0440000, 0xa047ffff) AM_READWRITE(midxunit_cmos_r, midxunit_cmos_w) AM_SHARE("nvram")
-	AM_RANGE(0xa0800000, 0xa08fffff) AM_READWRITE(midxunit_paletteram_r, midxunit_paletteram_w) AM_SHARE("paletteram")
+	AM_RANGE(0xa0800000, 0xa08fffff) AM_READWRITE(midxunit_paletteram_r, midxunit_paletteram_w) AM_SHARE("palette")
 	AM_RANGE(0xc0000000, 0xc00003ff) AM_DEVREADWRITE("maincpu", tms34020_device, io_register_r, io_register_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0xc0c00000, 0xc0c000ff) AM_MIRROR(0x00400000) AM_READWRITE(midtunit_dma_r, midtunit_dma_w)
 	AM_RANGE(0xf8000000, 0xfeffffff) AM_READ(midwunit_gfxrom_r)
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( midxunit, midxunit_state )
 
 	/* video hardware */
 	MCFG_PALETTE_ADD("palette", 32768)
+	MCFG_PALETTE_FORMAT(xRRRRRGGGGGBBBBB)
 
 	MCFG_SCREEN_ADD("screen", RASTER)
 	MCFG_SCREEN_RAW_PARAMS(PIXEL_CLOCK, 506, 101, 501, 289, 20, 274)
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/midtunit.h b/src/mame/includes/midtunit.h
index 48973fb6134..98cd404aa32 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/midtunit.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/midtunit.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ public:
 		m_dcs(*this, "dcs"),
 		m_cvsd_sound(*this, "cvsd"),
 		m_adpcm_sound(*this, "adpcm") ,
-		m_generic_paletteram_16(*this, "paletteram"),
 		m_nvram(*this, "nvram"),
 		m_gfxrom(*this, "gfxrom") { }
 
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ public:
 	optional_device<williams_cvsd_sound_device> m_cvsd_sound;
 	optional_device<williams_adpcm_sound_device> m_adpcm_sound;
 
-	required_shared_ptr<UINT16> m_generic_paletteram_16;
 	required_shared_ptr<UINT16> m_nvram;
 
 	required_memory_region m_gfxrom;
@@ -69,7 +67,6 @@ public:
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(midtunit_control_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(midwunit_control_w);
 	DECLARE_READ16_MEMBER(midwunit_control_r);
-	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(midtunit_paletteram_w);
 	DECLARE_WRITE16_MEMBER(midxunit_paletteram_w);
 	DECLARE_READ16_MEMBER(midxunit_paletteram_r);
 	DECLARE_READ16_MEMBER(midtunit_dma_r);
diff --git a/src/mame/video/midtunit.c b/src/mame/video/midtunit.c
index bc8f35d6f91..8495d9fd5b3 100644
--- a/src/mame/video/midtunit.c
+++ b/src/mame/video/midtunit.c
@@ -296,26 +296,16 @@ READ16_MEMBER(midtunit_state::midwunit_control_r)
  *
  *************************************/
 
-WRITE16_MEMBER(midtunit_state::midtunit_paletteram_w)
-{
-	//int newword;
-
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_generic_paletteram_16[offset]);
-	//newword = m_generic_paletteram_16[offset];
-	m_palette->set_pen_color(offset, pal5bit(data >> 10), pal5bit(data >> 5), pal5bit(data >> 0));
-}
-
-
 WRITE16_MEMBER(midtunit_state::midxunit_paletteram_w)
 {
 	if (!(offset & 1))
-		midtunit_paletteram_w(space, offset / 2, data, mem_mask);
+		m_palette->write(space, offset / 2, data, mem_mask);
 }
 
 
 READ16_MEMBER(midtunit_state::midxunit_paletteram_r)
 {
-	return m_generic_paletteram_16[offset / 2];
+	return m_palette->read(space, offset / 2, mem_mask);
 }