diff --git a/src/bee-list.sh.in b/src/bee-list.sh.in
index c093187..9dd38d1 100644
--- a/src/bee-list.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-list.sh.in
@@ -81,11 +81,11 @@ function usage() {
 }
 
 function config_init_colors() {
-    : ${BEE_COLOR:="no"}
-    if [ -t 1 ] ; then
-        BEE_COLOR='no'
+    : ${BEE_COLOR:="yes"}
+    if [ ! -t 1 ] ; then
+        BEE_COLOR="no"
     fi
-    if [ ${BEE_COLOR} != "no" ] ; then
+    if [ "${BEE_COLOR}" != "no" ] ; then
         COLOR_NORMAL="\\033[0;39m\\033[0;22m"
         COLOR_GREEN="\\033[0;32m"
         COLOR_YELLOW="\\033[0;33m"
diff --git a/src/beelib.config.sh.in b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
index 4860faa..9e22fba 100644
--- a/src/beelib.config.sh.in
+++ b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 : ${BEE_BINDIR:=@BINDIR@}
 
 function config_init_colors() {
-    : ${BEE_COLOR:="no"}
-    if [ -t 1 ] ; then
-        BEE_COLOR='no'
+    : ${BEE_COLOR:="yes"}
+    if [ ! -t 1 ] ; then
+        BEE_COLOR="no"
     fi
-    if [ ${BEE_COLOR} != "no" ] ; then
+    if [ "${BEE_COLOR}" != "no" ] ; then
         COLOR_NORMAL="\\033[0;39m\\033[0;22m"
         COLOR_GREEN="\\033[0;32m"
         COLOR_YELLOW="\\033[0;33m"
diff --git a/src/beesh.sh.in b/src/beesh.sh.in
index d33ee67..2cdb34c 100644
--- a/src/beesh.sh.in
+++ b/src/beesh.sh.in
@@ -914,15 +914,13 @@ while true ; do
     esac
 done
 
-config_init_colors
+config_init
 
 echo -e "${COLOR_CYAN}BEE v${BEE_VERSION} 2009-2012"
 echo -e "  by Marius Tolzmann and Tobias Dreyer <{tolzmann,dreyer}@molgen.mpg.de>"
 echo -e "     Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics Berlin Dahlem"
 echo -e "${COLOR_NORMAL}"
 
-config_init
-
 config_set_skiplist
 
 print_info "  BEE_SKIPLIST           ${BEE_SKIPLIST}"