diff --git a/sphinx/cmdline.py b/sphinx/cmdline.py
index 813661bbd..3ebe6f2eb 100644
--- a/sphinx/cmdline.py
+++ b/sphinx/cmdline.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ Modi:
 
 
 def main(argv):
-    if not sys.stdout.isatty() or not color_terminal():
+    if not color_terminal():
         # Windows' poor cmd box doesn't understand ANSI sequences
         nocolor()
 
diff --git a/sphinx/quickstart.py b/sphinx/quickstart.py
index d2aa998ea..08ef24e79 100644
--- a/sphinx/quickstart.py
+++ b/sphinx/quickstart.py
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ def inner_main(args):
     d = {}
     texescape.init()
 
-    if not sys.stdout.isatty() or not color_terminal():
+    if not color_terminal():
         nocolor()
 
     print bold('Welcome to the Sphinx quickstart utility.')
diff --git a/sphinx/setup_command.py b/sphinx/setup_command.py
index ac395f39b..a33b4ee65 100644
--- a/sphinx/setup_command.py
+++ b/sphinx/setup_command.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from StringIO import StringIO
 from distutils.cmd import Command
 
 from sphinx.application import Sphinx
-from sphinx.util.console import darkred, nocolor
+from sphinx.util.console import darkred, nocolor, color_terminal
 
 
 class BuildDoc(Command):
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class BuildDoc(Command):
         self.mkpath(self.builder_target_dir)
 
     def run(self):
-        if not sys.stdout.isatty() or sys.platform == 'win32':
+        if not color_terminal():
             # Windows' poor cmd box doesn't understand ANSI sequences
             nocolor()
         if not self.verbose:
diff --git a/sphinx/util/console.py b/sphinx/util/console.py
index 931f1ed04..4dcdd1c8d 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/console.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/console.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 """
 
 import os
+import sys
 
 codes = {}
 
@@ -38,6 +39,10 @@ def term_width_line(text):
         return text.ljust(_tw) + '\r'
 
 def color_terminal():
+    if not hasattr(sys.stdout, 'isatty'):
+        return False
+    if not sys.stdout.isatty():
+        return False
     if 'COLORTERM' in os.environ:
         return True
     term = os.environ.get('TERM', 'dumb').lower()