--- a/lisp/facemenu.el
+++ b/lisp/facemenu.el
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ defun facemenu-add-face (face &optional start end)
                                  face
                                (facemenu-active-faces
                                 (cons face
-                                      (if (listp prev)
+                                      (if (face-list-p prev)
                                           prev
                                         (list prev)))
                                 ;; Specify the selected frame
--- a/lisp/faces.el
+++ b/lisp/faces.el
@@ -273,6 +273,22 @@
   (not (internal-lisp-face-empty-p face frame)))
 
 
+(defun face-list-p (face-or-list)
+  "True if FACE-OR-LIST is a list of faces.
+Return nil if FACE-OR-LIST is a non-nil atom, or a cons cell whose car
+is either 'foreground-color, 'background-color, or a symbol starting
+with a colon (:)."
+  ;; The logic of merge_face_ref (xfaces.c) is recreated here.
+  (or (null face-or-list)
+      (and (consp face-or-list)
+	   (symbolp (car face-or-list))
+	   (not (memq (car face-or-list)
+		      '(foreground-color background-color)))
+	   (let ((n (symbol-name (car face-or-list))))
+	     (or (zerop (length n))
+		 (not (eq ?: (aref n 0))))))))
+
+
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;;; Setting face attributes from X resources.