diff --git a/util/log/ConsoleLogger.scala b/util/log/ConsoleLogger.scala
index d8ce50dd0..bc48d7ad2 100644
--- a/util/log/ConsoleLogger.scala
+++ b/util/log/ConsoleLogger.scala
@@ -27,6 +27,53 @@ object ConsoleLogger
 		def println() = { out.newLine(); out.flush() }
 	}
 
+	/** Escape character, used to introduce an escape sequence. */
+	final val ESC = '\u001B'
+
+	/** An escape terminator is a character in the range `@` (decimal value 64) to `~` (decimal value 126). 
+	* It is the final character in an escape sequence. */
+	def isEscapeTerminator(c: Char): Boolean =
+		c >= '@' && c <= '~'
+
+	/** Returns true if the string contains the ESC character. */
+	def hasEscapeSequence(s: String): Boolean =
+		s.indexOf(ESC) >= 0
+
+	/** Returns the string `s` with escape sequences removed.
+	* An escape sequence starts with the ESC character (decimal value 27) and ends with an escape terminator.
+	* @see isEscapeTerminator
+	*/
+	def removeEscapeSequences(s: String): String =
+		if(s.isEmpty || !hasEscapeSequence(s))
+			s
+		else
+		{
+			val sb = new java.lang.StringBuilder
+			nextESC(s, 0, sb)
+			sb.toString
+		}
+	private[this] def nextESC(s: String, start: Int, sb: java.lang.StringBuilder)
+	{
+		val escIndex = s.indexOf(ESC, start)
+		if(escIndex < 0)
+			sb.append(s, start, s.length)
+		else {
+			sb.append(s, start, escIndex)
+			val next = skipESC(s, escIndex+1)
+			nextESC(s, next, sb)
+		}
+	}
+	
+
+	/** Skips the escape sequence starting at `i-1`.  `i` should be positioned at the character after the ESC that starts the sequence. */
+	private[this] def skipESC(s: String, i: Int): Int =
+		if(i >= s.length)
+			i
+		else if( isEscapeTerminator(s.charAt(i)) )
+			i+1
+		else
+			skipESC(s, i+1)
+
 	val formatEnabled =
 	{
 		import java.lang.Boolean.{getBoolean, parseBoolean}
diff --git a/util/log/MainLogging.scala b/util/log/MainLogging.scala
index 25f42a6af..d7b45e043 100644
--- a/util/log/MainLogging.scala
+++ b/util/log/MainLogging.scala
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ object MainLogging
 	def defaultScreen(suppressedMessage: SuppressedTraceContext => Option[String]): AbstractLogger = ConsoleLogger(suppressedMessage = suppressedMessage)
 	
 	def defaultBacked(useColor: Boolean = ConsoleLogger.formatEnabled): PrintWriter => ConsoleLogger =
-		to => ConsoleLogger(ConsoleLogger.printWriterOut(to), useColor = useColor) // TODO: should probably filter ANSI codes when useColor=false
+		to => ConsoleLogger(ConsoleLogger.printWriterOut(to), useColor = useColor)
 }
 
 final case class MultiLoggerConfig(console: AbstractLogger, backed: AbstractLogger, extra: List[AbstractLogger],
diff --git a/util/log/MultiLogger.scala b/util/log/MultiLogger.scala
index 9cdb65386..cd73bf2c3 100644
--- a/util/log/MultiLogger.scala
+++ b/util/log/MultiLogger.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ package sbt
 //   on the behavior of the delegates.
 class MultiLogger(delegates: List[AbstractLogger]) extends BasicLogger
 {
-	override lazy val ansiCodesSupported = delegates.forall(_.ansiCodesSupported)
+	override lazy val ansiCodesSupported = delegates exists supported
+	private[this] lazy val allSupportCodes = delegates forall supported
+	private[this] def supported = (_: AbstractLogger).ansiCodesSupported
+
 	override def setLevel(newLevel: Level.Value)
 	{
 		super.setLevel(newLevel)
@@ -29,5 +32,24 @@ class MultiLogger(delegates: List[AbstractLogger]) extends BasicLogger
 	def success(message: => String) { dispatch(new Success(message)) }
 	def logAll(events: Seq[LogEvent]) { delegates.foreach(_.logAll(events)) }
 	def control(event: ControlEvent.Value, message: => String) { delegates.foreach(_.control(event, message)) }
-	private def dispatch(event: LogEvent) { delegates.foreach(_.log(event)) }
+	private[this] def dispatch(event: LogEvent)
+	{
+		val plainEvent = if(allSupportCodes) event else removeEscapes(event)
+		for( d <- delegates)
+			if(d.ansiCodesSupported)
+				d.log(event)
+			else
+				d.log(plainEvent)
+	}
+
+	private[this] def removeEscapes(event: LogEvent): LogEvent =
+	{
+		import ConsoleLogger.{removeEscapeSequences => rm}
+		event match {
+			case s: Success => new Success(rm(s.msg))
+			case l: Log => new Log(l.level, rm(l.msg))
+			case ce: ControlEvent => new ControlEvent(ce.event, rm(ce.msg))
+			case _: Trace | _: SetLevel | _: SetTrace | _: SetSuccess => event
+		}
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/util/log/src/test/scala/Escapes.scala b/util/log/src/test/scala/Escapes.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f90499574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/log/src/test/scala/Escapes.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+package sbt
+
+import org.scalacheck._
+import Prop._
+import Gen.{listOf, oneOf}
+
+import ConsoleLogger.{ESC, hasEscapeSequence, isEscapeTerminator, removeEscapeSequences}
+
+object Escapes extends Properties("Escapes")
+{
+	property("genTerminator only generates terminators") = 
+		forAllNoShrink(genTerminator) { (c: Char) => isEscapeTerminator(c) }
+
+	property("genWithoutTerminator only generates terminators") = 
+		forAllNoShrink(genWithoutTerminator) { (s: String) =>
+			s.forall { c => !isEscapeTerminator(c) }
+		}
+
+	property("hasEscapeSequence is false when no escape character is present") = forAllNoShrink(genWithoutEscape) { (s: String) =>
+		!hasEscapeSequence(s)
+	}
+
+	property("hasEscapeSequence is true when escape character is present") = forAllNoShrink(genWithRandomEscapes) { (s: String) =>
+		hasEscapeSequence(s)
+	}
+
+	property("removeEscapeSequences is the identity when no escape character is present") = forAllNoShrink(genWithoutEscape) { (s: String) =>
+		val removed: String = removeEscapeSequences(s)
+		("Escape sequence removed: '" + removed + "'") |:
+		(removed == s)
+	}
+
+	property("No escape characters remain after removeEscapeSequences") = forAll { (s: String) =>
+		val removed: String = removeEscapeSequences(s)
+		("Escape sequence removed: '" + removed + "'") |:
+		!hasEscapeSequence(removed)
+	}
+
+	property("removeEscapeSequences returns string without escape sequences") = 
+		forAllNoShrink( genWithoutEscape, genEscapePairs ) { (start: String, escapes: List[EscapeAndNot]) =>
+			val withEscapes: String =  start + escapes.map { ean => ean.escape.makeString + ean.notEscape }
+			val removed: String = removeEscapeSequences(withEscapes)
+			val original = start + escapes.map(_.notEscape)
+			("Input string with escapes: '" + withEscapes + "'") |:
+			("Escapes removed '" + removed + "'") |:
+			(original == removed)
+		}
+
+	final case class EscapeAndNot(escape: EscapeSequence, notEscape: String)
+	final case class EscapeSequence(content: String, terminator: Char)
+	{
+		assert( content.forall(c => !isEscapeTerminator(c) ), "Escape sequence content contains an escape terminator: '" + content + "'" )
+		assert( isEscapeTerminator(terminator) )
+		def makeString: String = ESC + content + terminator
+	}
+	private[this] def noEscape(s: String): String = s.replace(ESC, ' ')
+
+	lazy val genEscapeSequence: Gen[EscapeSequence] = oneOf(genKnownSequence, genArbitraryEscapeSequence)
+	lazy val genEscapePair: Gen[EscapeAndNot] = for(esc <- genEscapeSequence; not <- genWithoutEscape) yield EscapeAndNot(esc, not)
+	lazy val genEscapePairs: Gen[List[EscapeAndNot]] = listOf(genEscapePair)
+
+	lazy val genArbitraryEscapeSequence: Gen[EscapeSequence] = 
+		for(content <- genWithoutTerminator; term <- genTerminator) yield
+			new EscapeSequence(content, term)
+			
+	lazy val genKnownSequence: Gen[EscapeSequence] =
+		oneOf((misc ++ setGraphicsMode ++ setMode ++ resetMode).map(toEscapeSequence))
+	
+	def toEscapeSequence(s: String): EscapeSequence = EscapeSequence(s.init, s.last)
+
+	lazy val misc = Seq("14;23H", "5;3f", "2A", "94B", "19C", "85D", "s", "u", "2J", "K")
+
+	lazy val setGraphicsMode: Seq[String] =
+		for(txt <- 0 to 8; fg <- 30 to 37; bg <- 40 to 47) yield
+			txt.toString + ";" + fg.toString + ";" + bg.toString + "m"
+
+	lazy val resetMode = setModeLike('I')
+	lazy val setMode = setModeLike('h')
+	def setModeLike(term: Char): Seq[String] = (0 to 19).map(i => "=" + i.toString + term)
+		
+	lazy val genWithoutTerminator = genRawString.map( _.filter { c => !isEscapeTerminator(c) } )
+
+	lazy val genTerminator: Gen[Char] = Gen.choose('@', '~')
+	lazy val genWithoutEscape: Gen[String] = genRawString.map(noEscape)
+
+	def genWithRandomEscapes: Gen[String] =
+		for(ls <- listOf(genRawString); end <- genRawString) yield 
+			ls.mkString("", ESC.toString, ESC.toString + end)
+
+	private def genRawString = Arbitrary.arbString.arbitrary
+}