diff --git a/src/environment.c b/src/environment.c
index 9446130..c0c8f08 100644
--- a/src/environment.c
+++ b/src/environment.c
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ void set_binding(env_t *env, const char *name, type_t *type, CORD code)
 __attribute__((format(printf, 4, 5)))
 _Noreturn void compiler_err(file_t *f, const char *start, const char *end, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-    if (isatty(STDERR_FILENO) && !getenv("NO_COLOR"))
+    if (USE_COLOR)
         fputs("\x1b[31;7;1m", stderr);
     if (f && start && end)
         fprintf(stderr, "%s:%ld.%ld: ", f->relative_filename, get_line_number(f, start),
@@ -850,11 +850,11 @@ _Noreturn void compiler_err(file_t *f, const char *start, const char *end, const
     va_start(args, fmt);
     vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
     va_end(args);
-    if (isatty(STDERR_FILENO) && !getenv("NO_COLOR"))
+    if (USE_COLOR)
         fputs(" \x1b[m", stderr);
     fputs("\n\n", stderr);
     if (f && start && end)
-        highlight_error(f, start, end, "\x1b[31;1m", 2, isatty(STDERR_FILENO) && !getenv("NO_COLOR"));
+        highlight_error(f, start, end, "\x1b[31;1m", 2, USE_COLOR);
 
     if (getenv("TOMO_STACKTRACE"))
         print_stack_trace(stderr, 1, 3);
diff --git a/src/tomo.c b/src/tomo.c
index 1ce6332..be4a9d9 100644
--- a/src/tomo.c
+++ b/src/tomo.c
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (stat(compiler_path, &compiler_stat) != 0)
         err(1, "Could not find age of compiler");
 
+    USE_COLOR = getenv("COLOR") ? strcmp(getenv("COLOR"), "1") == 0 : isatty(STDOUT_FILENO);
+    if (getenv("NO_COLOR") && getenv("NO_COLOR")[0] != '\0')
+        USE_COLOR = false;
+
     if (register_printf_specifier('T', printf_type, printf_pointer_size))
         errx(1, "Couldn't set printf specifier");
     if (register_printf_specifier('W', printf_ast, printf_pointer_size))