diff --git a/src/Color.cpp b/src/Color.cpp
index 5bf33a486..3990afe3e 100644
--- a/src/Color.cpp
+++ b/src/Color.cpp
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ Color::operator int () const
 void Color::blend (const Color& other)
 {
 #ifdef FEATURE_COLOR
+  if (!other.nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   Color c (other);
   _value |= (c._value & _COLOR_UNDERLINE);    // Always inherit underline.
   _value |= (c._value & _COLOR_INVERSE);      // Always inherit inverse.
@@ -443,7 +446,7 @@ void Color::upgrade ()
 std::string Color::colorize (const std::string& input)
 {
 #ifdef FEATURE_COLOR
-  if (_value == 0)
+  if (!nontrivial ())
     return input;
 
   int count = 0;
@@ -486,7 +489,7 @@ std::string Color::colorize (const std::string& input)
   }
 
   // 16 color
-  if (_value != 0)
+  else
   {
     result << "\033[";
 
@@ -570,7 +573,7 @@ std::string Color::colorize (const std::string& input, const std::string& spec)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-bool Color::nontrivial ()
+bool Color::nontrivial () const
 {
   return _value != 0 ? true : false;
 }
diff --git a/src/Color.h b/src/Color.h
index f92e619e2..a16c7af59 100644
--- a/src/Color.h
+++ b/src/Color.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public:
   static std::string colorize (const std::string&, const std::string&);
   static std::string strip (const std::string&);
 
-  bool nontrivial ();
+  bool nontrivial () const;
 
 private:
   int find (const std::string&);
diff --git a/src/rules.cpp b/src/rules.cpp
index 33b03ce63..0bff3450f 100644
--- a/src/rules.cpp
+++ b/src/rules.cpp
@@ -134,31 +134,35 @@ static void colorizePriorityNone (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeActive (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial () &&
-      task.has ("start")          &&
-      !task.has ("end"))
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.has ("start") &&
+        !task.has ("end"))
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeScheduled (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial () &&
-      task.has ("scheduled") &&
-      Date (task.get_date ("scheduled")) <= now)
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.has ("scheduled") &&
+        Date (task.get_date ("scheduled")) <= now)
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeTag (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (task.hasTag (rule.substr (10)))
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.hasTag (rule.substr (10)))
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeProject (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
+  if (!gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   // Observe the case sensitivity setting.
   bool sensitive = context.config.getBoolean ("search.case.sensitive");
 
@@ -174,20 +178,25 @@ static void colorizeProject (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeProjectNone (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (task.get ("project") == "")
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.get ("project") == "")
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeTagNone (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (task.getTagCount () == 0)
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.getTagCount () == 0)
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeKeyword (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
+  if (!gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   // Observe the case sensitivity setting.
   bool sensitive = context.config.getBoolean ("search.case.sensitive");
 
@@ -216,6 +225,9 @@ static void colorizeKeyword (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeDue (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
+  if (!gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   Task::status status = task.getStatus ();
 
   if (task.has ("due")          &&
@@ -230,6 +242,9 @@ static void colorizeDue (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeDueToday (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
+  if (!gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   Task::status status = task.getStatus ();
 
   if (task.has ("due")          &&
@@ -244,6 +259,9 @@ static void colorizeDueToday (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeOverdue (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
+  if (!gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    return;
+
   Task::status status = task.getStatus ();
 
   if (task.has ("due")          &&
@@ -266,15 +284,17 @@ static void colorizeRecurring (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeCompleted (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (task.getStatus () == Task::completed)
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.getStatus () == Task::completed)
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static void colorizeDeleted (Task& task, const std::string& rule, Color& c)
 {
-  if (task.getStatus () == Task::completed)
-    c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
+  if (gsColor[rule].nontrivial ())
+    if (task.getStatus () == Task::completed)
+      c.blend (gsColor[rule]);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////