diff --git a/homeassistant/components/light/zwave.py b/homeassistant/components/light/zwave.py
index 346482d3ff6..7e838f97270 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/light/zwave.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/light/zwave.py
@@ -89,13 +89,7 @@ def setup_platform(hass, config, add_devices, discovery_info=None):
     value.set_change_verified(False)
 
     if node.has_command_class(zwave.const.COMMAND_CLASS_SWITCH_COLOR):
-        try:
-            add_devices([ZwaveColorLight(value)])
-        except ValueError as exception:
-            _LOGGER.warning(
-                "Error initializing as color bulb: %s "
-                "Initializing as standard dimmer.", exception)
-            add_devices([ZwaveDimmer(value)])
+        add_devices([ZwaveColorLight(value)])
     else:
         add_devices([ZwaveDimmer(value)])
 
@@ -222,33 +216,63 @@ class ZwaveColorLight(ZwaveDimmer):
 
     def __init__(self, value):
         """Initialize the light."""
+        from openzwave.network import ZWaveNetwork
+        from pydispatch import dispatcher
+
         self._value_color = None
         self._value_color_channels = None
         self._color_channels = None
         self._rgb = None
         self._ct = None
 
-        # Currently zwave nodes only exist with one color element per node.
-        for value_color in value.node.get_rgbbulbs().values():
-            self._value_color = value_color
-
-        if self._value_color is None:
-            raise ValueError("No color command found.")
-
-        for value_color_channels in value.node.get_values(
-                class_id=zwave.const.COMMAND_CLASS_SWITCH_COLOR,
-                genre='System', type="Int").values():
-            self._value_color_channels = value_color_channels
-
-        if self._value_color_channels is None:
-            raise ValueError("Color Channels not found.")
-
         super().__init__(value)
 
+        # Create a listener so the color values can be linked to this entity
+        dispatcher.connect(
+            self._value_added, ZWaveNetwork.SIGNAL_VALUE_ADDED)
+        self._get_color_values()
+
+    def _get_color_values(self):
+        """Search for color values available on this node."""
+        from openzwave.network import ZWaveNetwork
+        from pydispatch import dispatcher
+
+        _LOGGER.debug("Searching for zwave color values")
+        # Currently zwave nodes only exist with one color element per node.
+        if self._value_color is None:
+            for value_color in self._value.node.get_rgbbulbs().values():
+                self._value_color = value_color
+
+        if self._value_color_channels is None:
+            for value_color_channels in self._value.node.get_values(
+                    class_id=zwave.const.COMMAND_CLASS_SWITCH_COLOR,
+                    genre=zwave.const.GENRE_SYSTEM,
+                    type=zwave.const.TYPE_INT).values():
+                self._value_color_channels = value_color_channels
+
+        if self._value_color and self._value_color_channels:
+            _LOGGER.debug("Zwave node color values found.")
+            dispatcher.disconnect(
+                self._value_added, ZWaveNetwork.SIGNAL_VALUE_ADDED)
+            self.update_properties()
+
+    def _value_added(self, value):
+        """Called when a value has been added to the network."""
+        if self._value.node != value.node:
+            return
+        # Check for the missing color values
+        self._get_color_values()
+
+    # pylint: disable=too-many-branches
     def update_properties(self):
         """Update internal properties based on zwave values."""
         super().update_properties()
 
+        if self._value_color is None:
+            return
+        if self._value_color_channels is None:
+            return
+
         # Color Channels
         self._color_channels = self._value_color_channels.data
 
@@ -346,9 +370,7 @@ class ZwaveColorLight(ZwaveDimmer):
                     rgbw += format(colorval, '02x').encode('utf-8')
                 rgbw += b'0000'
 
-        if rgbw is None:
-            _LOGGER.warning("rgbw string was not generated for turn_on")
-        else:
+        if rgbw and self._value_color:
             self._value_color.node.set_rgbw(self._value_color.value_id, rgbw)
 
         super().turn_on(**kwargs)
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/zwave/const.py b/homeassistant/components/zwave/const.py
index 698dad8e063..d30cb6c5f92 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/zwave/const.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/zwave/const.py
@@ -294,8 +294,10 @@ SPECIFIC_TYPE_NOTIFICATION_SENSOR = 1
 
 GENRE_WHATEVER = None
 GENRE_USER = "User"
+GENRE_SYSTEM = "System"
 
 TYPE_WHATEVER = None
 TYPE_BYTE = "Byte"
 TYPE_BOOL = "Bool"
 TYPE_DECIMAL = "Decimal"
+TYPE_INT = "Int"