diff --git a/ui/terminal/status.go b/ui/terminal/status.go
index 69a2a09..60dfc70 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@
 //
 // statusFormat takes nearly all the same options as NINJA_STATUS.
 // %c is currently unsupported.
-func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, quietBuild bool) status.StatusOutput {
+func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceDumbOutput, quietBuild bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	formatter := newFormatter(statusFormat, quietBuild)
 
-	if isSmartTerminal(w) {
+	if !forceDumbOutput && isSmartTerminal(w) {
 		return NewSmartStatusOutput(w, formatter)
 	} else {
 		return NewDumbStatusOutput(w, formatter)
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status_test.go b/ui/terminal/status_test.go
index 81aa238..9f60829 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)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
 
 			t.Run("dumb", func(t *testing.T) {
 				dumb := &bytes.Buffer{}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(dumb, "", false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(dumb, "", false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -113,6 +113,17 @@
 					t.Errorf("want:\n%q\ngot:\n%q", w, g)
 				}
 			})
+
+			t.Run("force dumb", func(t *testing.T) {
+				smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", true, false)
+				tt.calls(stat)
+				stat.Flush()
+
+				if g, w := smart.String(), tt.dumb; g != w {
+					t.Errorf("want:\n%q\ngot:\n%q", w, g)
+				}
+			})
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -258,7 +269,7 @@
 	os.Setenv(tableHeightEnVar, "")
 
 	smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false)
+	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
 	smartStat := stat.(*smartStatusOutput)
 	smartStat.sigwinchHandled = make(chan bool)