diff --git a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
index cef3b5d5c..9e9ffc003 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
@@ -22,30 +22,24 @@ import (
 )
 
 type simpleStatusOutput struct {
-	writer      io.Writer
-	formatter   formatter
-	keepANSI    bool
-	outputLevel status.MsgLevel
+	writer    io.Writer
+	formatter formatter
+	keepANSI  bool
 }
 
 // NewSimpleStatusOutput returns a StatusOutput that represents the
 // current build status similarly to Ninja's built-in terminal
 // output.
-func NewSimpleStatusOutput(w io.Writer, formatter formatter, keepANSI bool, quietBuild bool) status.StatusOutput {
-	level := status.StatusLvl
-	if quietBuild {
-		level = status.PrintLvl
-	}
+func NewSimpleStatusOutput(w io.Writer, formatter formatter, keepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	return &simpleStatusOutput{
-		writer:      w,
-		formatter:   formatter,
-		keepANSI:    keepANSI,
-		outputLevel: level,
+		writer:    w,
+		formatter: formatter,
+		keepANSI:  keepANSI,
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *simpleStatusOutput) Message(level status.MsgLevel, message string) {
-	if level >= s.outputLevel {
+	if level >= status.StatusLvl {
 		output := s.formatter.message(level, message)
 		if !s.keepANSI {
 			output = string(stripAnsiEscapes([]byte(output)))
@@ -54,13 +48,10 @@ func (s *simpleStatusOutput) Message(level status.MsgLevel, message string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *simpleStatusOutput) StartAction(_ *status.Action, _ status.Counts) {
+func (s *simpleStatusOutput) StartAction(action *status.Action, counts status.Counts) {
 }
 
 func (s *simpleStatusOutput) FinishAction(result status.ActionResult, counts status.Counts) {
-	if s.outputLevel > status.StatusLvl {
-		return
-	}
 	str := result.Description
 	if str == "" {
 		str = result.Command
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status.go b/ui/terminal/status.go
index ff0af4737..2ad174fee 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status.go
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ import (
 func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceSimpleOutput, quietBuild, forceKeepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	formatter := newFormatter(statusFormat, quietBuild)
 
-	if forceSimpleOutput || quietBuild || !isSmartTerminal(w) {
-		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter, forceKeepANSI, quietBuild)
-	} else {
+	if !forceSimpleOutput && isSmartTerminal(w) {
 		return NewSmartStatusOutput(w, formatter)
+	} else {
+		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter, forceKeepANSI)
 	}
 }