diff --git a/doc/manual/rl-next/clicolor-clarity.md b/doc/manual/rl-next/clicolor-clarity.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a289e362
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/rl-next/clicolor-clarity.md
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+synopsis: "Better usage of colour control environment variables"
+cls: [1699, 1702]
+credits: [jade]
+category: Improvements
+---
+
+Lix now heeds `NO_COLOR`/`NOCOLOR` for more output types, such as that used in `nix search`, `nix flake metadata` and similar.
+
+It also now supports `CLICOLOR_FORCE`/`FORCE_COLOR` to force colours regardless of whether there is a terminal on the other side.
+
+It now follows rules compatible with those described on <https://bixense.com/clicolors/> with `CLICOLOR` defaulted to enabled.
+
+That is to say, the following procedure is followed in order:
+- NO_COLOR or NOCOLOR set
+
+  Always disable colour
+- CLICOLOR_FORCE or FORCE_COLOR set
+
+  Enable colour
+- The output is a tty; TERM != "dumb"
+
+  Enable colour
+- Otherwise
+
+  Disable colour
diff --git a/src/libutil/logging.cc b/src/libutil/logging.cc
index 53460f729..cbeb7aa36 100644
--- a/src/libutil/logging.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/logging.cc
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ void Logger::warn(const std::string & msg)
 
 void Logger::writeToStdout(std::string_view s)
 {
-    writeFull(STDOUT_FILENO, s);
+    writeFull(STDOUT_FILENO, filterANSIEscapes(s, !shouldANSI(), std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max(), false));
     writeFull(STDOUT_FILENO, "\n");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/terminal.cc b/src/libutil/terminal.cc
index 68d358dc5..2ba1cb81b 100644
--- a/src/libutil/terminal.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/terminal.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ bool shouldANSI()
     return cached;
 }
 
-std::string filterANSIEscapes(std::string_view s, bool filterAll, unsigned int width)
+// FIXME(jade): replace with TerminalCodeEater. wowie this is evil code.
+std::string filterANSIEscapes(std::string_view s, bool filterAll, unsigned int width, bool eatTabs)
 {
     std::string t, e;
     size_t w = 0;
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ std::string filterANSIEscapes(std::string_view s, bool filterAll, unsigned int w
                 t += e;
         }
 
-        else if (*i == '\t') {
+        else if (*i == '\t' && eatTabs) {
             i++; t += ' '; w++;
             while (w < (size_t) width && w % 8) {
                 t += ' '; w++;
diff --git a/src/libutil/terminal.hh b/src/libutil/terminal.hh
index 6b8d59182..2c422ecff 100644
--- a/src/libutil/terminal.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/terminal.hh
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ bool shouldANSI();
  */
 std::string filterANSIEscapes(std::string_view s,
     bool filterAll = false,
-    unsigned int width = std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max());
+    unsigned int width = std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max(),
+    bool eatTabs = true);
 
 /**
  * Recalculate the window size, updating a global variable. Used in the
diff --git a/tests/functional/search.sh b/tests/functional/search.sh
index d9c7a75da..1a2a20089 100644
--- a/tests/functional/search.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/search.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ nix search -f search.nix '' ^ | grepQuiet hello
 
 ## Tests for multiple regex/match highlighting
 
+# FIXME: possibly not test this with colour in the future
+export CLICOLOR_FORCE=1
 e=$'\x1b' # grep doesn't support \e, \033 or even \x1b
 # Multiple overlapping regexes
 (( $(nix search -f search.nix '' 'oo' 'foo' 'oo' | grep -c "$e\[32;1mfoo$e\\[0;1m") == 1 ))