diff --git a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
index 4e8c568..936b275 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
@@ -24,15 +24,17 @@
 type simpleStatusOutput struct {
 	writer    io.Writer
 	formatter formatter
+	keepANSI  bool
 }
 
 // NewSimpleStatusOutput returns a StatusOutput that represents the
 // current build status similarly to Ninja's built-in terminal
 // output.
-func NewSimpleStatusOutput(w io.Writer, formatter formatter) status.StatusOutput {
+func NewSimpleStatusOutput(w io.Writer, formatter formatter, keepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	return &simpleStatusOutput{
 		writer:    w,
 		formatter: formatter,
+		keepANSI:  keepANSI,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -54,7 +56,9 @@
 	progress := s.formatter.progress(counts) + str
 
 	output := s.formatter.result(result)
-	output = string(stripAnsiEscapes([]byte(output)))
+	if !s.keepANSI {
+		output = string(stripAnsiEscapes([]byte(output)))
+	}
 
 	if output != "" {
 		fmt.Fprint(s.writer, progress, "\n", output)
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status.go b/ui/terminal/status.go
index d8e7392..2ad174f 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status.go
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@
 //
 // statusFormat takes nearly all the same options as NINJA_STATUS.
 // %c is currently unsupported.
-func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceSimpleOutput, quietBuild bool) status.StatusOutput {
+func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceSimpleOutput, quietBuild, forceKeepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	formatter := newFormatter(statusFormat, quietBuild)
 
 	if !forceSimpleOutput && isSmartTerminal(w) {
 		return NewSmartStatusOutput(w, formatter)
 	} else {
-		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter)
+		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter, forceKeepANSI)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status_test.go b/ui/terminal/status_test.go
index aa69dff..810e31d 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status_test.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
 
 			t.Run("smart", func(t *testing.T) {
 				smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 
 			t.Run("simple", func(t *testing.T) {
 				simple := &bytes.Buffer{}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(simple, "", false, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(simple, "", false, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@
 
 			t.Run("force simple", func(t *testing.T) {
 				smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", true, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", true, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
 	os.Setenv(tableHeightEnVar, "")
 
 	smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
+	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false, false)
 	smartStat := stat.(*smartStatusOutput)
 	smartStat.sigwinchHandled = make(chan bool)