diff --git a/packages/cspell/src/app/__snapshots__/app.test.ts.snap b/packages/cspell/src/app/__snapshots__/app.test.ts.snap
index 947cf1be069..96087fe4e67 100644
--- a/packages/cspell/src/app/__snapshots__/app.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/cspell/src/app/__snapshots__/app.test.ts.snap
@@ -665,8 +665,8 @@ exports[`Validate cli > app 'lint --help --issue-template' Expect Error: 'output
   "  --gitignore-root <path>      Prevent searching for .gitignore files past",
   "                               root.",
   "  --validate-directives        Validate in-document CSpell directives.",
-  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --color                      Force color.",
+  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --no-default-configuration   Do not load the default configuration and",
   "                               dictionaries.",
   "  --debug                      Output information useful for debugging",
@@ -809,8 +809,8 @@ exports[`Validate cli > app 'lint --help --verbose' Expect Error: 'outputHelp' 1
   "  --gitignore-root <path>      Prevent searching for .gitignore files past",
   "                               root.",
   "  --validate-directives        Validate in-document CSpell directives.",
-  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --color                      Force color.",
+  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --no-default-configuration   Do not load the default configuration and",
   "                               dictionaries.",
   "  --debug                      Output information useful for debugging",
@@ -946,8 +946,8 @@ exports[`Validate cli > app 'lint --help' Expect Error: 'outputHelp' 1`] = `
   "  --gitignore-root <path>      Prevent searching for .gitignore files past",
   "                               root.",
   "  --validate-directives        Validate in-document CSpell directives.",
-  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --color                      Force color.",
+  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --no-default-configuration   Do not load the default configuration and",
   "                               dictionaries.",
   "  --debug                      Output information useful for debugging",
@@ -1081,8 +1081,8 @@ exports[`Validate cli > app 'no-args' Expect Error: 'outputHelp' 1`] = `
   "  --gitignore-root <path>      Prevent searching for .gitignore files past",
   "                               root.",
   "  --validate-directives        Validate in-document CSpell directives.",
-  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --color                      Force color.",
+  "  --no-color                   Turn off color.",
   "  --no-default-configuration   Do not load the default configuration and",
   "                               dictionaries.",
   "  --debug                      Output information useful for debugging",
diff --git a/packages/cspell/src/app/cli-reporter.ts b/packages/cspell/src/app/cli-reporter.ts
index 37d64b39992..16da8a332e8 100644
--- a/packages/cspell/src/app/cli-reporter.ts
+++ b/packages/cspell/src/app/cli-reporter.ts
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ function isSlow(elapsedTmeMs: number | undefined): number | undefined {
 export interface ReporterOptions
     extends Pick<
         LinterCliOptions,
+        | 'color'
         | 'debug'
         | 'issues'
         | 'issuesSummaryReport'
@@ -195,6 +196,8 @@ export function getReporter(options: ReporterOptions, config?: CSpellReporterCon
         elapsedTimeMs: 0,
         perf: Object.create(null) as SpellCheckFilePerf,
     };
+    const noColor = options.color === false;
+    const forceColor = options.color === true;
     const uniqueIssues = config?.unique || false;
     const defaultIssueTemplate = options.wordsOnly
         ? templateIssueWordsOnly
@@ -217,13 +220,15 @@ export function getReporter(options: ReporterOptions, config?: CSpellReporterCon
 
     const console = config?.console || customConsole;
 
+    const colorLevel = noColor ? 0 : forceColor ? 2 : console.stdoutChannel.getColorLevel();
+
     const stdio: IO = {
         ...console.stdoutChannel,
-        chalk: new Chalk({ level: console.stdoutChannel.getColorLevel() }),
+        chalk: new Chalk({ level: colorLevel }),
     };
     const stderr: IO = {
         ...console.stderrChannel,
-        chalk: new Chalk({ level: console.stderrChannel.getColorLevel() }),
+        chalk: new Chalk({ level: colorLevel }),
     };
 
     const consoleError = (msg: string) => stderr.writeLine(msg);
diff --git a/packages/cspell/src/app/commandLint.ts b/packages/cspell/src/app/commandLint.ts
index 7a843c14bed..ace1c0c0943 100644
--- a/packages/cspell/src/app/commandLint.ts
+++ b/packages/cspell/src/app/commandLint.ts
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ export function commandLint(prog: Command): Command {
         .option('--gitignore-root <path>', 'Prevent searching for .gitignore files past root.', collect)
         .option('--validate-directives', 'Validate in-document CSpell directives.')
         .addOption(crOpt('--no-validate-directives', 'Do not validate in-document CSpell directives.').hideHelp())
-        .option('--no-color', 'Turn off color.')
-        .option('--color', 'Force color.')
+        .addOption(crOpt('--color', 'Force color.').default(undefined))
+        .addOption(crOpt('--no-color', 'Turn off color.').default(undefined))
         .addOption(crOpt('--default-configuration', 'Load the default configuration and dictionaries.').hideHelp())
         .addOption(crOpt('--no-default-configuration', 'Do not load the default configuration and dictionaries.'))
         .option('--debug', 'Output information useful for debugging cspell.json files.')
diff --git a/packages/cspell/src/app/options.ts b/packages/cspell/src/app/options.ts
index 8174e3b5ffe..6e5dc8dae49 100644
--- a/packages/cspell/src/app/options.ts
+++ b/packages/cspell/src/app/options.ts
@@ -201,6 +201,13 @@ export interface BaseOptions {
      * Flags are of the form key:value
      */
     flag?: string[];
+
+    /**
+     * Use color in the output.
+     * `true` to force color, `false` to turn off color.
+     * `undefined` to use color if the output is a TTY.
+     */
+    color?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface LinterCliOptions extends LinterOptions {