diff --git a/bin/elixir b/bin/elixir
index 3c17c020198..4a37e3491da 100755
--- a/bin/elixir
+++ b/bin/elixir
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Usage: $(basename "$0") [options] [.exs file] [data]
   -pz "PATH"                   Appends the given path to Erlang code path (*)
   -v, --version                Prints Erlang/OTP and Elixir versions (standalone)
 
-  --color BOOL                 Enables or disables ANSI coloring
+  --color, --no-color          Enables or disables ANSI coloring
   --erl "SWITCHES"             Switches to be passed down to Erlang (*)
   --eval "COMMAND"             Evaluates the given command, same as -e (*)
   --logger-otp-reports BOOL    Enables or disables OTP reporting
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ while [ $I -le $LENGTH ]; do
         C=1
         MODE="iex"
         ;;
-    -v|--no-halt)
+    -v|--no-halt|--color|--no-color)
         C=1
         ;;
-    -e|-r|-pr|-pa|-pz|--eval|--remsh|--dot-iex|--dbg|--color)
+    -e|-r|-pr|-pa|-pz|--eval|--remsh|--dot-iex|--dbg)
         C=2
         ;;
     --rpc-eval)
diff --git a/bin/elixir.bat b/bin/elixir.bat
index d2272b20a29..d0657c44a70 100644
--- a/bin/elixir.bat
+++ b/bin/elixir.bat
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ echo   -pa "PATH"                   Prepends the given path to Erlang code path
 echo   -pz "PATH"                   Appends the given path to Erlang code path (*)
 echo   -v, --version                Prints Erlang/OTP and Elixir versions (standalone)
 echo.
-echo   --color BOOL                 Enables or disables ANSI coloring
+echo   --color, --no-color          Enables or disables ANSI coloring
 echo   --erl "SWITCHES"             Switches to be passed down to Erlang (*)
 echo   --eval "COMMAND"             Evaluates the given command, same as -e (*)
 echo   --logger-otp-reports BOOL    Enables or disables OTP reporting
@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ if ""==!par:-pz=!         (shift && goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:-v=!          (goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--version=!   (goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--no-halt=!   (goto startloop)
+if ""==!par:--color=!     (goto startloop)
+if ""==!par:--no-color=!  (goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--remsh=!     (shift && goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--dot-iex=!   (shift && goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--dbg=!       (shift && goto startloop)
-if ""==!par:--color=!     (shift && goto startloop)
 rem ******* ERLANG PARAMETERS **********************
 if ""==!par:--boot=!                (set "parsErlang=!parsErlang! -boot "%~1"" && shift && goto startloop)
 if ""==!par:--boot-var=!            (set "parsErlang=!parsErlang! -boot_var "%~1" "%~2"" && shift && shift && goto startloop)
diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/cli.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/cli.ex
index be1b9d0c102..66d123db6ea 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/cli.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/cli.ex
@@ -295,21 +295,13 @@ defmodule Kernel.CLI do
     parse_argv(t, %{config | commands: [{:parallel_require, h} | config.commands]})
   end
 
-  defp parse_argv([~c"--color", value | t], config) do
-    config =
-      case value do
-        ~c"true" ->
-          Application.put_env(:elixir, :ansi_enabled, true)
-          config
-
-        ~c"false" ->
-          Application.put_env(:elixir, :ansi_enabled, false)
-          config
-
-        _ ->
-          %{config | errors: ["--color : must be a boolean" | config.errors]}
-      end
+  defp parse_argv([~c"--color" | t], config) do
+    Application.put_env(:elixir, :ansi_enabled, true)
+    parse_argv(t, config)
+  end
 
+  defp parse_argv([~c"--no-color" | t], config) do
+    Application.put_env(:elixir, :ansi_enabled, true)
     parse_argv(t, config)
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/test.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/test.ex
index 167ca3ee111..b55040ec0c9 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/test.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/test.ex
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Test do
       and imports (but not local functions). You can press `n` for the next line
       and `c` for the next test. This automatically sets `--trace`
 
-    * `--color` - enables color in the output
+    * `--color` - enables color in ExUnit formatting results
 
     * `--cover` - runs coverage tool. See "Coverage" section below