diff --git a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
index a55ea4979..7db51382a 100644
--- a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
+++ b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
@@ -54,12 +54,14 @@ object Def extends Init[Scope] with TaskMacroExtra {
       keyNameColor: Option[String] = None,
   ): Show[ScopedKey[_]] =
     Show[ScopedKey[_]](
-      key =>
-        Scope.display(
-          key.scope,
-          withColor(key.key.label, keyNameColor),
-          ref => displayRelative2(current, ref)
-        )
+      key => {
+        val color: String => String = withColor(_, keyNameColor)
+        key.scope.extra.toOption
+          .flatMap(_.get(Scope.customShowString).map(color))
+          .getOrElse {
+            Scope.display(key.scope, color(key.key.label), ref => displayRelative2(current, ref))
+          }
+      }
     )
 
   private[sbt] def showShortKey(
diff --git a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Scope.scala b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Scope.scala
index d241dcdfa..bdf026b3e 100644
--- a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Scope.scala
+++ b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Scope.scala
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ object Scope {
   ): String =
     displayMasked(scope, sep, showProject, mask, false)
 
+  val customShowString = AttributeKey[String]("scope-custom-show-string")
+
   /**
    * unified slash style introduced in sbt 1.1.0.
    * By default, sbt will no longer display the Zero-config,
@@ -193,20 +195,22 @@ object Scope {
       showZeroConfig: Boolean
   ): String = {
     import scope.{ project, config, task, extra }
-    val zeroConfig = if (showZeroConfig) "Zero /" else ""
-    val configPrefix = config.foldStrict(display, zeroConfig, "./")
-    val taskPrefix = task.foldStrict(_.label + " /", "", "./")
-    val extras = extra.foldStrict(_.entries.map(_.toString).toList, Nil, Nil)
-    val postfix = if (extras.isEmpty) "" else extras.mkString("(", ", ", ")")
-    if (scope == GlobalScope) "Global / " + sep + postfix
-    else
-      mask.concatShow(
-        appendSpace(projectPrefix(project, showProject)),
-        appendSpace(configPrefix),
-        appendSpace(taskPrefix),
-        sep,
-        postfix
-      )
+    extra.toOption.flatMap(_.get(customShowString)).getOrElse {
+      val zeroConfig = if (showZeroConfig) "Zero /" else ""
+      val configPrefix = config.foldStrict(display, zeroConfig, "./")
+      val taskPrefix = task.foldStrict(_.label + " /", "", "./")
+      val extras = extra.foldStrict(_.entries.map(_.toString).toList, Nil, Nil)
+      val postfix = if (extras.isEmpty) "" else extras.mkString("(", ", ", ")")
+      if (scope == GlobalScope) "Global / " + sep + postfix
+      else
+        mask.concatShow(
+          appendSpace(projectPrefix(project, showProject)),
+          appendSpace(configPrefix),
+          appendSpace(taskPrefix),
+          sep,
+          postfix
+        )
+    }
   }
 
   private[sbt] def appendSpace(s: String): String =