diff --git a/node/lib/cmd/status.js b/node/lib/cmd/status.js
index abcd371e..aa3739fe 100644
--- a/node/lib/cmd/status.js
+++ b/node/lib/cmd/status.js
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ exports.executeableSubcommand = co.wrap(function *(args) {
     const GitUtil         = require("../util/git_util");
     const PrintStatusUtil = require("../util/print_status_util");
     const StatusUtil      = require("../util/status_util");
+    const ConfigUtil      = require("../../lib/util/config_util");
+    const ColorHandler    = require("../util/color_handler").ColorHandler;
 
     const repo = yield GitUtil.getCurrentRepo();
     const workdir = repo.workdir();
@@ -115,11 +117,16 @@ exports.executeableSubcommand = co.wrap(function *(args) {
 
     const relCwd = path.relative(workdir, cwd);
 
+    const colors = new ColorHandler(
+        yield ConfigUtil.getConfigColorBool(repo, "color.status"));
+
     let text;
     if (args.shortFormat) {
-        text = PrintStatusUtil.printRepoStatusShort(repoStatus, relCwd);
+        text = PrintStatusUtil.printRepoStatusShort(repoStatus, relCwd,
+            {colors: colors});
     } else {
-        text = PrintStatusUtil.printRepoStatus(repoStatus, relCwd);
+        text = PrintStatusUtil.printRepoStatus(repoStatus, relCwd,
+            {colors: colors});
     }
 
     process.stdout.write(text);
diff --git a/node/lib/util/color_handler.js b/node/lib/util/color_handler.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c82326c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/lib/util/color_handler.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+const colorsSafe = require("colors/safe");
+
+/**
+ * This class is a wrapper around colors/safe that uses a color setting from
+ * the git meta config to determine if colors should be enabled.
+ */
+class ColorHandler {
+    /**
+     * @param {Bool|"auto"|null} enableColor
+     *
+     * NOTE: enableColor should probably be set based on a value in
+     * ConfigUtil.getConfigColorBool()
+     */
+    constructor(enableColor) {
+        if(enableColor === "auto" || enableColor === undefined) {
+            // Enable color if we're outputting to a terminal, otherwise disable
+            // since we're piping the output.
+            enableColor = process.stdout.isTTY === true;
+        }
+
+        this.enableColor = enableColor;
+
+        let self = this;
+
+        // add a passthrough function for each supported color
+        ["blue", "cyan", "green", "grey", "magenta", "red", "yellow"].forEach(
+            function(color) {
+                self[color] = function(string) {
+                    if(self.enableColor) {
+                        return colorsSafe[color](string);
+                    } else {
+                        return string;
+                    }
+                };
+            });
+    }
+}
+
+exports.ColorHandler = ColorHandler;
diff --git a/node/lib/util/config_util.js b/node/lib/util/config_util.js
index 8e1cf9ed..93d015cd 100644
--- a/node/lib/util/config_util.js
+++ b/node/lib/util/config_util.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ exports.getConfigString = co.wrap(function *(config, key) {
  * @param {NodeGit.Repository} repo
  * @param {NodeGit.Commit} configVar
  * @return {Bool|null}
- * @throws if the configuration variable doesn't exist
+ * @throws if the configuration value isn't valid.
  */
 exports.configIsTrue = co.wrap(function*(repo, configVar) {
     assert.instanceOf(repo, NodeGit.Repository);
@@ -79,10 +79,53 @@ exports.configIsTrue = co.wrap(function*(repo, configVar) {
     if (null === configured) {
         return configured;                                            // RETURN
     }
-    return configured === "true" || configured === "yes" ||
-            configured === "on";
+    if(configured === "true" || configured === "yes" ||
+            configured === "on" || configured === "1") {
+        return true;
+    } else if (configured === "false" || configured === "no" ||
+        configured === "off" || configured === "0") {
+        return false;
+    } else {
+        throw new UserError("fatal: bad boolean config value '" +
+            configured + "' for '" + configVar + "'");
+    }
 });
 
+/**
+ * Returns whether a color boolean is true. If the values is auto, pass
+ * the value along so it can infer whether colors should be used.
+ * @async
+ * @param {NodeGit.Repository} repo
+ * @param {NodeGit.Commit} configVar
+ * @return {Bool|"auto"}
+ */
+exports.getConfigColorBool = co.wrap(function*(repo, configVar) {
+    // using same logic from git_config_colorbool() in git's color.c
+    // except, if unset, use default rather than color.ui becuase that's not
+    // defined right now.
+    assert.instanceOf(repo, NodeGit.Repository);
+    assert.isString(configVar);
+
+    const config = yield repo.config();
+    const val = yield exports.getConfigString(config, configVar);
+
+    if(val === "never") {
+        return false;
+    } else if(val === "always") {
+        return true;
+    } else if(val === "auto") {
+        return "auto";
+    }
+
+    const is_true = yield exports.configIsTrue(repo, configVar);
+
+    // a truthy or unset value implies "auto"
+    if(is_true === null || is_true) {
+        return "auto";
+    } else {
+        return false;
+    }
+});
 
 /**
  * Returns the default Signature for a repo.  Replaces repo.defaultSignature,
diff --git a/node/lib/util/print_status_util.js b/node/lib/util/print_status_util.js
index 157583eb..d5f7e861 100644
--- a/node/lib/util/print_status_util.js
+++ b/node/lib/util/print_status_util.js
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@
  *
  */
 
-const assert  = require("chai").assert;
-const colors  = require("colors/safe");
-const path    = require("path");
+const assert     = require("chai").assert;
+const path       = require("path");
 
 const GitUtil             = require("./git_util");
 const SequencerState      = require("./sequencer_state");
 const RepoStatus          = require("./repo_status");
 const TextUtil            = require("./text_util");
+const ColorHandler        = require("./color_handler").ColorHandler;
+
 
 /**
  * This value-semantic class describes a line entry to be printed in a status
@@ -383,7 +384,14 @@ A ${command} is in progress.
  * @param {RepoStatus} status
  * @return {String>
  */
-exports.printCurrentBranch = function (status) {
+exports.printCurrentBranch = function (status, options) {
+    // fill in default value
+    if (options === undefined) {options = {};}
+    if (options.colors === undefined) {
+        options.colors = new ColorHandler();
+    }
+    let colors = options.colors;
+
     if (null !== status.currentBranchName) {
         return `On branch ${colors.green(status.currentBranchName)}.\n`;
     }
@@ -399,16 +407,26 @@ On detached head ${colors.red(GitUtil.shortSha(status.headCommit))}.\n`;
  * the specified `cwd`.  Note that a value of "" for `cwd` indicates the root
  * of the repository.
  *
- * @param {RepoStatus} status
- * @param {String}     cwd
+ * @param {RepoStatus}   status
+ * @param {String}       cwd
+ * @param {Object}       [options]
+ * @param {ColorHandler} [options.colors]
  */
-exports.printRepoStatus = function (status, cwd) {
+exports.printRepoStatus = function (status, cwd, options) {
     assert.instanceOf(status, RepoStatus);
     assert.isString(cwd);
 
+    // fill in default value
+    if (options === undefined) {options = {};}
+    if (options.colors === undefined) {
+        options.colors = new ColorHandler();
+    }
+
+    const colors = options.colors;
+
     let result = "";
 
-    result += exports.printCurrentBranch(status);
+    result += exports.printCurrentBranch(status, options);
 
     if (null !== status.sequencerState) {
         result += exports.printSequencer(status.sequencerState);
@@ -464,13 +482,23 @@ Untracked files:
  * paths relative to the specified `cwd`.  Note that a value of "" for
  * `cwd` indicates the root of the repository.
  *
- * @param {RepoStatus} status
- * @param {String}     cwd
+ * @param {RepoStatus}   status
+ * @param {String}       cwd
+ * @param {Object}       [options]
+ * @param {ColorHandler} [options.colors]
  */
-exports.printRepoStatusShort = function (status, cwd) {
+exports.printRepoStatusShort = function (status, cwd, options) {
     assert.instanceOf(status, RepoStatus);
     assert.isString(cwd);
 
+    // fill in default values for options
+    if (options === undefined) { options = {}; }
+    if (options.colors === undefined) {
+        options.colors = new ColorHandler();
+    }
+
+    const colors = options.colors;
+
     let result = "";
 
     const indexChangesByPath = {};
@@ -540,6 +568,8 @@ exports.printSubmoduleStatus = function (relCwd,
     assert.isObject(subsToPrint);
     assert.isBoolean(showClosed);
 
+    const colors = new ColorHandler("auto");
+
     let result = "";
     if (showClosed) {
         result = `${colors.grey("All submodules:")}\n`;
diff --git a/node/test/util/color_handler.js b/node/test/util/color_handler.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a8f7f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/test/util/color_handler.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+const assert       = require("chai").assert;
+const ColorHandler = require("../../lib/util/color_handler").ColorHandler;
+
+const realProcess = process;
+describe("ColorHandler", function() {
+    describe("colors", function() {
+        describe("enableColor = 'auto'", function() {
+            afterEach(function() {
+                // this test futzes around with the process global so
+                // make sure it is properly reset after each test.
+                global.process = realProcess;
+            });
+            it("enables color when in a TTY", function() {
+                global.process = {stdout: {isTTY: true}};
+                const colors = new ColorHandler("auto");
+                assert.isTrue(colors.enableColor);
+            });
+
+            it("disables color when not in a TTY", function() {
+                global.process = {stdout: {isTTY: false}};
+                const colors = new ColorHandler("auto");
+                assert.isFalse(colors.enableColor);
+                assert.equal("test", colors.blue("test"));
+            });
+
+            it("adds colors if enableColor", function() {
+                const colors = new ColorHandler();
+                colors.enableColor = true;
+                assert.equal("\u001b[34mtest\u001b[39m", colors.blue("test"));
+            });
+
+            it("passes through string if !enableColor", function() {
+                const colors = new ColorHandler();
+                colors.enableColor = false;
+                assert.equal("test", colors.blue("test"));
+            });
+        });
+    });
+});
diff --git a/node/test/util/config_util.js b/node/test/util/config_util.js
index 27fdbc87..9d905289 100644
--- a/node/test/util/config_util.js
+++ b/node/test/util/config_util.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const path    = require("path");
 
 const ConfigUtil          = require("../../lib/util/config_util");
 const TestUtil            = require("../../lib/util/test_util");
+const UserError           = require("../../lib/util/user_error");
 
 describe("ConfigUtil", function () {
 describe("getConfigString", function () {
@@ -55,6 +56,49 @@ describe("getConfigString", function () {
         assert.isNull(badResult);
     }));
 });
+
+describe("getConfigColorBool", function() {
+    const cases = {
+        "never": {
+            value: "never",
+            expected: false,
+        },
+        "auto": {
+            value: "auto",
+            expected: "auto",
+        },
+        "unspecified": {
+            expected: "auto",
+        },
+        "true": {
+            value: "true",
+            expected: "auto",
+        },
+        "always": {
+            value: "always",
+            expected: true,
+        },
+    };
+
+    Object.keys(cases).forEach(caseName => {
+        const c = cases[caseName];
+        it(caseName, co.wrap(function *() {
+            const repo = yield TestUtil.createSimpleRepository();
+            if ("value" in c) {
+                const configPath = path.join(repo.path(), "config");
+                yield fs.appendFile(configPath, `\
+[foo]
+        bar = ${c.value}
+`);
+            }
+            const result = yield ConfigUtil.getConfigColorBool(repo,
+                "foo.bar");
+            assert.equal(result, c.expected);
+        }));
+    });
+});
+
+
 describe("configIsTrue", function () {
     const cases = {
         "missing": {
@@ -76,6 +120,11 @@ describe("configIsTrue", function () {
             value: "on",
             expected: true,
         },
+        "invalid value": {
+            value: "asdf",
+            expected: new UserError(
+                "fatal: bad boolean config value 'asdf' for 'foo.bar'"),
+        },
     };
     Object.keys(cases).forEach(caseName => {
         const c = cases[caseName];
@@ -88,8 +137,22 @@ describe("configIsTrue", function () {
         bar = ${c.value}
 `);
             }
-            const result = yield ConfigUtil.configIsTrue(repo, "foo.bar");
-            assert.equal(result, c.expected);
+            let thrownException = null;
+            let result = null;
+            try {
+                result = yield ConfigUtil.configIsTrue(repo, "foo.bar");
+            } catch (e) {
+                thrownException = e;
+            }
+            if(c.expected instanceof UserError) {
+                assert.equal(c.expected.message, thrownException.message);
+            } else {
+                // we didn't expect an exception. Rethrow it.
+                if(thrownException !== null) {
+                    throw thrownException;
+                }
+                assert.equal(result, c.expected);
+            }
         }));
     });
 });