diff --git a/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go b/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
index fa63b465d..3c9cac190 100644
--- a/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
+++ b/cmd/multiproduct_kati/main.go
@@ -218,10 +218,16 @@ func distDir(outDir string) string {
 	}
 }
 
+func forceAnsiOutput() bool {
+	value := os.Getenv("SOONG_UI_ANSI_OUTPUT")
+	return value == "1" || value == "y" || value == "yes" || value == "on" || value == "true"
+}
+
 func main() {
 	stdio := terminal.StdioImpl{}
 
-	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(stdio.Stdout(), "", false, false)
+	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(stdio.Stdout(), "", false, false,
+		forceAnsiOutput())
 	log := logger.New(output)
 	defer log.Cleanup()
 
diff --git a/cmd/soong_ui/main.go b/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
index d70978727..9ee373e79 100644
--- a/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
+++ b/cmd/soong_ui/main.go
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Create a terminal output that mimics Ninja's.
 	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(c.stdio().Stdout(), os.Getenv("NINJA_STATUS"), c.simpleOutput,
-		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("ANDROID_QUIET_BUILD"))
+		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("ANDROID_QUIET_BUILD"),
+		build.OsEnvironment().IsEnvTrue("SOONG_UI_ANSI_OUTPUT"))
 
 	// Attach a new logger instance to the terminal output.
 	log := logger.New(output)
diff --git a/cuj/cuj.go b/cuj/cuj.go
index 413f4237f..7b04b7aff 100644
--- a/cuj/cuj.go
+++ b/cuj/cuj.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ type TestResults struct {
 
 // Run runs a single build command.  It emulates the "m" command line by calling into Soong UI directly.
 func (t *Test) Run(logsDir string) {
-	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(os.Stdout, "", false, false)
+	output := terminal.NewStatusOutput(os.Stdout, "", false, false, false)
 
 	log := logger.New(output)
 	defer log.Cleanup()
diff --git a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
index 4e8c56804..936b275a1 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/simple_status.go
@@ -24,15 +24,17 @@ import (
 type simpleStatusOutput struct {
 	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) status.StatusOutput {
+func NewSimpleStatusOutput(w io.Writer, formatter formatter, keepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	return &simpleStatusOutput{
 		writer:    w,
 		formatter: formatter,
+		keepANSI:  keepANSI,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -54,7 +56,9 @@ func (s *simpleStatusOutput) FinishAction(result status.ActionResult, counts sta
 	progress := s.formatter.progress(counts) + str
 
 	output := s.formatter.result(result)
-	output = string(stripAnsiEscapes([]byte(output)))
+	if !s.keepANSI {
+		output = string(stripAnsiEscapes([]byte(output)))
+	}
 
 	if output != "" {
 		fmt.Fprint(s.writer, progress, "\n", output)
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status.go b/ui/terminal/status.go
index d8e739211..2ad174fee 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status.go
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ import (
 //
 // statusFormat takes nearly all the same options as NINJA_STATUS.
 // %c is currently unsupported.
-func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceSimpleOutput, quietBuild bool) status.StatusOutput {
+func NewStatusOutput(w io.Writer, statusFormat string, forceSimpleOutput, quietBuild, forceKeepANSI bool) status.StatusOutput {
 	formatter := newFormatter(statusFormat, quietBuild)
 
 	if !forceSimpleOutput && isSmartTerminal(w) {
 		return NewSmartStatusOutput(w, formatter)
 	} else {
-		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter)
+		return NewSimpleStatusOutput(w, formatter, forceKeepANSI)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ui/terminal/status_test.go b/ui/terminal/status_test.go
index aa69dff53..810e31d1b 100644
--- a/ui/terminal/status_test.go
+++ b/ui/terminal/status_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func TestStatusOutput(t *testing.T) {
 
 			t.Run("smart", func(t *testing.T) {
 				smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestStatusOutput(t *testing.T) {
 
 			t.Run("simple", func(t *testing.T) {
 				simple := &bytes.Buffer{}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(simple, "", false, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(simple, "", false, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func TestStatusOutput(t *testing.T) {
 
 			t.Run("force simple", func(t *testing.T) {
 				smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", true, false)
+				stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", true, false, false)
 				tt.calls(stat)
 				stat.Flush()
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func TestSmartStatusOutputWidthChange(t *testing.T) {
 	os.Setenv(tableHeightEnVar, "")
 
 	smart := &fakeSmartTerminal{termWidth: 40}
-	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false)
+	stat := NewStatusOutput(smart, "", false, false, false)
 	smartStat := stat.(*smartStatusOutput)
 	smartStat.sigwinchHandled = make(chan bool)