diff --git a/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go b/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
index fa63b46..3c9cac1 100644
--- a/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
+++ b/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
@@ -218,10 +218,16 @@
 	}
 }
 
+func forceAnsiOutput() bool {
+	value := os.Getenv("SOONG_UI_ANSI_OUTPUT")
+	return value == "1" || value == "y" || value == "yes" || value == "on" || value == "true"
+}
+
 func main() {
 	stdio := terminal.StdioImpl{}
 
-	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(stdio.Stdout(), "", false, false)
+	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(stdio.Stdout(), "", false, false,
+		forceAnsiOutput())
 	log := logger.New(output)
 	defer log.Cleanup()
 
diff --git a/cmd/soong_ui/main.go b/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
index d709787..9ee373e 100644
--- a/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
+++ b/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@
 
 	// Create a terminal output that mimics Ninja's.
 	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(c.stdio().Stdout(), os.Getenv("NINJA_STATUS"), c.simpleOutput,
-		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("ANDROID_QUIET_BUILD"))
+		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("ANDROID_QUIET_BUILD"),
+		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("SOONG_UI_ANSI_OUTPUT"))
 
 	// Attach a new logger instance to the terminal output.
 	log := logger.New(output)