diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2331fca3..5901e46d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ ncu --format repo
 ## Options
 
 ```text
+--color                      Force color in terminal
 --concurrency <n>            Max number of concurrent HTTP requests to
                              registry. (default: 8)
 --configFileName <filename>  Config file name (default: .ncurc.{json,yml,js})
diff --git a/lib/cli-options.js b/lib/cli-options.js
index 97eb510b..729215b6 100644
--- a/lib/cli-options.js
+++ b/lib/cli-options.js
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ other version numbers that are higher. Includes prereleases.`])
 
 // store CLI options separately from bin file so that they can be used to build type definitions
 const cliOptions = [
+  {
+    long: 'color',
+    description: 'Force color in terminal',
+  },
   {
     long: 'concurrency',
     arg: 'n',
diff --git a/lib/doctor.js b/lib/doctor.js
index 50d3733f..fea6fd8b 100644
--- a/lib/doctor.js
+++ b/lib/doctor.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs')
 const spawn = require('spawn-please')
-const chalk = require('chalk')
+let chalk = require('chalk')
 const rimraf = require('rimraf')
 const { upgradePackageData } = require('./versionmanager')
 const { printUpgrades } = require('./logging')
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ const { npm: spawnNpm } = require('./package-managers/npm')
 /** Run the npm CLI. */
 const npm = (args, options, print) => {
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   if (print) {
     console.log(chalk.blue([options.packageManager, ...args].join(' ')))
   }
diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index e2795699..7a60e2d2 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ declare namespace ncu {
 
   interface RunOptions {
 
+    /**
+     * Force color in terminal
+     */
+    color?: boolean;
+
     /**
      * Max number of concurrent HTTP requests to registry. (default: 8)
      */
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index b989ba59..2f9347fe 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const cint = require('cint')
 const findUp = require('find-up')
 const _ = require('lodash')
 const getstdin = require('get-stdin')
-const chalk = require('chalk')
+let chalk = require('chalk')
 const { rcFile } = require('rc-config-loader')
 const jph = require('json-parse-helpfulerror')
 const vm = require('./versionmanager')
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ const packageFileNames = {
 
 // time to wait for stdin before printing a warning
 const stdinWarningTime = 5000
-const stdinWarningMessage = `Hmmmmm... this is taking a long time. Your console is telling me to wait for input \non stdin, but maybe that is not what you want.\nTry ${chalk.cyan('winpty ncu.cmd')}, or specify a package file explicitly with ${chalk.cyan('--packageFile package.json')}. \nSee https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates/issues/136#issuecomment-155721102`
 
 //
 // Helper functions
@@ -64,6 +63,10 @@ const writePackageFile = promisify(fs.writeFile)
 
 async function analyzeGlobalPackages(options) {
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   print(options, 'Getting installed packages...', 'verbose')
 
   const globalPackages = await vm.getInstalledPackages(
@@ -107,6 +110,10 @@ async function analyzeProjectDependencies(options, pkgData, pkgFile) {
 
   let pkg
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   try {
     if (!pkgData) {
       throw new Error('pkgData: ' + pkgData)
@@ -222,6 +229,10 @@ async function analyzeProjectDependencies(options, pkgData, pkgFile) {
 /** Initializes and consolidates program options. */
 function initOptions(options) {
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   const json = Object.keys(options)
     .filter(option => option.startsWith('json'))
     .some(_.propertyOf(options))
@@ -298,6 +309,10 @@ async function findPackage(options) {
   let pkgFile
   let stdinTimer
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   print(options, 'Running in local mode...', 'verbose')
   print(options, 'Finding package file data...', 'verbose')
 
@@ -332,7 +347,7 @@ async function findPackage(options) {
     // warn the user after a while if still waiting for stdin
     // this is a way to mitigate #136 where Windows unexpectedly waits for stdin
     stdinTimer = setTimeout(() => {
-      console.log(stdinWarningMessage)
+      console.log(`Hmmmmm... this is taking a long time. Your console is telling me to wait for input \non stdin, but maybe that is not what you want.\nTry ${chalk.cyan('winpty ncu.cmd')}, or specify a package file explicitly with ${chalk.cyan('--packageFile package.json')}. \nSee https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates/issues/136#issuecomment-155721102`)
     }, stdinWarningTime)
 
     // get data from stdin
@@ -363,6 +378,10 @@ process.on('unhandledRejection', err => {
 /** main entry point */
 async function run(options = {}) {
 
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   // if not executed on the command-line (i.e. executed as a node module), set some defaults
   if (!options.cli) {
     const cliDefaults = cliOptions.reduce((acc, curr) => ({
diff --git a/lib/logging.js b/lib/logging.js
index 22d64c2d..1f68b6ca 100644
--- a/lib/logging.js
+++ b/lib/logging.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 const Table = require('cli-table')
-const chalk = require('chalk')
+let chalk = require('chalk')
 const { colorizeDiff, isGithubUrl, getGithubUrlTag, isNpmAlias, parseNpmAlias } = require('./version-util')
 const { getRepoUrl } = require('./repo-url')
 
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ function toDependencyTable({ from: fromDeps, to: toDeps, ownersChangedDeps, form
  * @param args.ownersChangedDeps - Boolean flag per dependency which announces if package owner changed.
  */
 function printUpgrades(options, { current, upgraded, numUpgraded, total, ownersChangedDeps }) {
+
+  if (options.color) {
+    chalk = new chalk.Instance({ level: 1 })
+  }
+
   print(options, '')
 
   // print everything is up-to-date