diff --git a/_pytest/terminal.py b/_pytest/terminal.py
index aa2e90428..ade037432 100644
--- a/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
     group._addoption('--fulltrace', '--full-trace',
                action="store_true", default=False,
                help="don't cut any tracebacks (default is to cut).")
+    group._addoption('--color', metavar="color",
+               action="store", dest="color", default='auto',
+               choices=['yes', 'no', 'auto'],
+               help="color output (yes/no/auto).")
 
 def pytest_configure(config):
     config.option.verbose -= config.option.quiet
@@ -85,6 +89,10 @@ class TerminalReporter:
         if file is None:
             file = py.std.sys.stdout
         self._tw = self.writer = py.io.TerminalWriter(file)
+        if self.config.option.color == 'yes':
+            self._tw.hasmarkup = True
+        if self.config.option.color == 'no':
+            self._tw.hasmarkup = False
         self.currentfspath = None
         self.reportchars = getreportopt(config)
         self.hasmarkup = self._tw.hasmarkup
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index c45703d5e..8fb01df36 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """
 terminal reporting of the full testing process.
 """
+import os
 import pytest, py
 import sys
 
@@ -497,6 +498,18 @@ def test_fail_reporting_on_pass(testdir):
     result = testdir.runpytest('-rf')
     assert 'short test summary' not in result.stdout.str()
 
+def test_color_yes(testdir):
+    testdir.makepyfile("def test_this(): assert 1")
+    result = testdir.runpytest('--color=yes')
+    assert 'test session starts' in result.stdout.str()
+    assert u'\x1b[1m' in result.stdout.str()
+
+def test_color_no(testdir):
+    testdir.makepyfile("def test_this(): assert 1")
+    result = testdir.runpytest('--color=no')
+    assert 'test session starts' in result.stdout.str()
+    assert u'\x1b[1m' not in result.stdout.str()
+
 def test_getreportopt():
     class config:
         class option: