diff --git a/p2v/kernel.c b/p2v/kernel.c
index 01e32db7e..cf77a6f57 100644
--- a/p2v/kernel.c
+++ b/p2v/kernel.c
@@ -243,6 +243,11 @@ kernel_conversion (struct config *config, char **cmdline, int cmdline_source)
     exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
   }
 
+  ansi_green (stdout);
+  printf ("Conversion finished successfully.");
+  ansi_restore (stdout);
+  putchar ('\n');
+
   p = get_cmdline_key (cmdline, "p2v.post");
   if (!p) {
     if (geteuid () == 0 && cmdline_source == CMDLINE_SOURCE_PROC_CMDLINE)
@@ -257,8 +262,12 @@ notify_ui_callback (int type, const char *data)
 {
   switch (type) {
   case NOTIFY_LOG_DIR:
-    printf ("%s: remote log directory location: %s\n",
-            guestfs_int_program_name, data);
+    ansi_magenta (stdout);
+    printf ("%s: remote log directory location: ", guestfs_int_program_name);
+    ansi_red (stdout);
+    fputs (data, stdout);
+    ansi_restore (stdout);
+    putchar ('\n');
     break;
 
   case NOTIFY_REMOTE_MESSAGE:
@@ -266,12 +275,18 @@ notify_ui_callback (int type, const char *data)
     break;
 
   case NOTIFY_STATUS:
-    printf ("%s: %s\n", guestfs_int_program_name, data);
+    ansi_magenta (stdout);
+    printf ("%s: %s", guestfs_int_program_name, data);
+    ansi_restore (stdout);
+    putchar ('\n');
     break;
 
   default:
-    printf ("%s: unknown message during conversion: type=%d data=%s\n",
+    ansi_red (stdout);
+    printf ("%s: unknown message during conversion: type=%d data=%s",
             guestfs_int_program_name, type, data);
+    ansi_restore (stdout);
+    putchar ('\n');
   }
 
   fflush (stdout);
diff --git a/p2v/launch-virt-p2v.in b/p2v/launch-virt-p2v.in
index 65481e460..454e9f440 100755
--- a/p2v/launch-virt-p2v.in
+++ b/p2v/launch-virt-p2v.in
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 cmdline=$(</proc/cmdline)
 if [[ $cmdline == *p2v.server=* ]]; then
     # Non-GUI mode, don't run X.  Just run virt-p2v directly.
-    exec @libexecdir@/virt-p2v --iso
+    exec @libexecdir@/virt-p2v --iso --colours
 
 else
     # GUI mode.  Run xinit to start X.  To save one script, we invoke
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ else
                 metacity &
                 nm-applet &
         esac
-        exec @libexecdir@/virt-p2v --iso
+        exec @libexecdir@/virt-p2v --iso --colours
     else
         xinit "$0" run
     fi
diff --git a/p2v/main.c b/p2v/main.c
index 40d80971f..1d12e194f 100644
--- a/p2v/main.c
+++ b/p2v/main.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ char **all_removable;
 char **all_interfaces;
 int is_iso_environment = 0;
 int feature_colours_option = 0;
+int force_colour = 0;
 
 static const char *test_disk = NULL;
 
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ static const char *options = "Vv";
 static const struct option long_options[] = {
   { "help", 0, 0, HELP_OPTION },
   { "cmdline", 1, 0, 0 },
+  { "color", 0, 0, 0 },
+  { "colors", 0, 0, 0 },
+  { "colour", 0, 0, 0 },
+  { "colours", 0, 0, 0 },
   { "iso", 0, 0, 0 },
   { "long-options", 0, 0, 0 },
   { "short-options", 0, 0, 0 },
@@ -81,6 +86,7 @@ usage (int status)
               "Options:\n"
               "  --help                 Display brief help\n"
               " --cmdline=CMDLINE       Used to debug command line parsing\n"
+              " --colours               Use ANSI colour sequences even if not tty\n"
               " --iso                   Running in the ISO environment\n"
               " --test-disk=DISK.IMG    For testing, use disk as /dev/sda\n"
               "  -v|--verbose           Verbose messages\n"
@@ -154,6 +160,12 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
         cmdline = parse_cmdline_string (optarg);
         cmdline_source = CMDLINE_SOURCE_COMMAND_LINE;
       }
+      else if (STREQ (long_options[option_index].name, "color") ||
+               STREQ (long_options[option_index].name, "colour") ||
+               STREQ (long_options[option_index].name, "colors") ||
+               STREQ (long_options[option_index].name, "colours")) {
+        force_colour = 1;
+      }
       else if (STREQ (long_options[option_index].name, "iso")) {
         is_iso_environment = 1;
       }
diff --git a/p2v/p2v.h b/p2v/p2v.h
index 3e75690c3..52d5ccb0e 100644
--- a/p2v/p2v.h
+++ b/p2v/p2v.h
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ extern int is_iso_environment;
 /* True if virt-v2v supports the --colours option. */
 extern int feature_colours_option;
 
+/* virt-p2v --colours option (used by ansi_* macros). */
+extern int force_colour;
+
 /* config.c */
 struct config {
   int verbose;
diff --git a/p2v/virt-p2v.pod b/p2v/virt-p2v.pod
index ffcffa1f0..664ac200c 100644
--- a/p2v/virt-p2v.pod
+++ b/p2v/virt-p2v.pod
@@ -591,6 +591,15 @@ Display help.
 This is used for debugging. Instead of parsing the kernel command line
 from F</proc/cmdline>, parse the string parameter C<CMDLINE>.
 
+=item B<--colors>
+
+=item B<--colours>
+
+Use ANSI colour sequences to colourize messages.  This is the default
+when the output is a tty.  If the output of the program is redirected
+to a file, ANSI colour sequences are disabled unless you use this
+option.
+
 =item B<--iso>
 
 This flag is passed to virt-p2v when it is launched inside the