diff --git a/src/bee-list.sh.in b/src/bee-list.sh.in
index 3ab4c88..c15f9d7 100644
--- a/src/bee-list.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-list.sh.in
@@ -80,7 +80,11 @@ function usage() {
 }
 
 function config_init_colors() {
-    if [ -t 1 ] ; then
+    : ${BEE_COLOR:="yes"}
+    if [ ! -t 1 ] ; then
+        BEE_COLOR="no"
+    fi
+    if [ "${BEE_COLOR}" != "no" ] ; then
         COLOR_NORMAL="\\033[0;39m\\033[0;22m"
         COLOR_GREEN="\\033[0;32m"
         COLOR_YELLOW="\\033[0;33m"
@@ -105,9 +109,9 @@ function config_init_colors() {
         COLOR_PURPLE=""
         COLOR_BRACKET=""
         COLOR_BRCONTENT=""
-        COLOR_INFO="**INFO** "
-        COLOR_ERROR="**ERROR** "
-        COLOR_WARN="**WARNING** "
+        COLOR_INFO=""
+        COLOR_ERROR=""
+        COLOR_WARN=""
         COLOR_INSTALLABLE="installable "
         COLOR_UPDATABLE=" updatable "
     fi
diff --git a/src/beelib.config.sh.in b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
index 5d03b66..e0b5d45 100644
--- a/src/beelib.config.sh.in
+++ b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
 : ${BEE_BINDIR:=@BINDIR@}
 
 function config_init_colors() {
-    if [ -t 1 ] ; then
+    : ${BEE_COLOR:="yes"}
+    if [ ! -t 1 ] ; then
+        BEE_COLOR="no"
+    fi
+    if [ "${BEE_COLOR}" != "no" ] ; then
         COLOR_NORMAL="\\033[0;39m\\033[0;22m"
         COLOR_GREEN="\\033[0;32m"
         COLOR_YELLOW="\\033[0;33m"
@@ -49,9 +53,9 @@ function config_init_colors() {
         COLOR_PURPLE=""
         COLOR_BRACKET=""
         COLOR_BRCONTENT=""
-        COLOR_INFO="**INFO** "
-        COLOR_ERROR="**ERROR** "
-        COLOR_WARN="**WARNING** "
+        COLOR_INFO=""
+        COLOR_ERROR=""
+        COLOR_WARN=""
     fi
 }
 
@@ -359,6 +363,7 @@ function config_init() {
     config_load_local_config
     config_load_user_config
     config_load_system_config
+    config_init_colors
     config_verify_builtin_config
     config_verify_builtin_prefixes
     config_handle_deprecated_config
diff --git a/src/beesh.sh.in b/src/beesh.sh.in
index 5f8acd4..543910e 100644
--- a/src/beesh.sh.in
+++ b/src/beesh.sh.in
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ while true ; do
     esac
 done
 
-config_init_colors
+config_init
 
 echo -e "${COLOR_CYAN}BEE v${BEE_VERSION} 2009-2016"
 echo -e "  by  Marius Tolzmann <marius@mariux.de>"
@@ -924,8 +924,6 @@ echo -e "      Matthias Ruester <ruester@molgen.mpg.de>"
 echo -e "      Tobias Dreyer <dreyer@molgen.mpg.de>"
 echo -e "${COLOR_NORMAL}"
 
-config_init
-
 config_set_skiplist
 
 print_info "  BEE_SKIPLIST           ${BEE_SKIPLIST}"