diff --git a/cmd/bootnode/main.go b/cmd/bootnode/main.go
index c3fc163a1..a5e82d145 100644
--- a/cmd/bootnode/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bootnode/main.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 	)
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	glogger := log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat()))
+	glogger := log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false)))
 	glogger.Verbosity(log.Lvl(*verbosity))
 	glogger.Vmodule(*vmodule)
 	log.Root().SetHandler(glogger)
diff --git a/cmd/evm/main.go b/cmd/evm/main.go
index a489efbfc..601e62f77 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/main.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func run(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-	glogger := log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat()))
+	glogger := log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false)))
 	glogger.Verbosity(log.Lvl(ctx.GlobalInt(VerbosityFlag.Name)))
 	log.Root().SetHandler(glogger)
 
diff --git a/cmd/wnode/main.go b/cmd/wnode/main.go
index 8191f9292..82d7eda3c 100644
--- a/cmd/wnode/main.go
+++ b/cmd/wnode/main.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func echo() {
 }
 
 func initialize() {
-	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.Lvl(*argVerbosity), log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.Lvl(*argVerbosity), log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 
 	done = make(chan struct{})
 	var peers []*discover.Node
diff --git a/eth/protocol_test.go b/eth/protocol_test.go
index c0458f2be..43f336c32 100644
--- a/eth/protocol_test.go
+++ b/eth/protocol_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	// log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlTrace, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	// log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlTrace, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 }
 
 var testAccount, _ = crypto.HexToECDSA("b71c71a67e1177ad4e901695e1b4b9ee17ae16c6668d313eac2f96dbcda3f291")
diff --git a/internal/debug/flags.go b/internal/debug/flags.go
index 29d1f3388..f95251939 100644
--- a/internal/debug/flags.go
+++ b/internal/debug/flags.go
@@ -18,12 +18,15 @@ package debug
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	_ "net/http/pprof"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log/term"
+	colorable "github.com/mattn/go-colorable"
 	"gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1"
 )
 
@@ -87,16 +90,22 @@ var Flags = []cli.Flag{
 	memprofilerateFlag, blockprofilerateFlag, cpuprofileFlag, traceFlag,
 }
 
-// glogger is the glog handler used by Geth, allowing the debug APIs to modify
-// verbosity levels, vmodules and backtrace locations.
-var glogger = log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat()))
+var glogger *log.GlogHandler
+
+func init() {
+	usecolor := term.IsTty(os.Stderr.Fd()) && os.Getenv("TERM") != "dumb"
+	output := io.Writer(os.Stderr)
+	if usecolor {
+		output = colorable.NewColorableStderr()
+	}
+	glogger = log.NewGlogHandler(log.StreamHandler(output, log.TerminalFormat(usecolor)))
+}
 
 // Setup initializes profiling and logging based on the CLI flags.
 // It should be called as early as possible in the program.
 func Setup(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	// logging
 	log.PrintOrigins(ctx.GlobalBool(debugFlag.Name))
-
 	glogger.Verbosity(log.Lvl(ctx.GlobalInt(verbosityFlag.Name)))
 	glogger.Vmodule(ctx.GlobalString(vmoduleFlag.Name))
 	glogger.BacktraceAt(ctx.GlobalString(backtraceAtFlag.Name))
diff --git a/log/format.go b/log/format.go
index 2a3790501..f32fcf744 100644
--- a/log/format.go
+++ b/log/format.go
@@ -69,26 +69,28 @@ func (f formatFunc) Format(r *Record) []byte {
 //
 //     [May 16 20:58:45] [DBUG] remove route ns=haproxy addr=127.0.0.1:50002
 //
-func TerminalFormat() Format {
+func TerminalFormat(usecolor bool) Format {
 	return FormatFunc(func(r *Record) []byte {
 		var color = 0
-		switch r.Lvl {
-		case LvlCrit:
-			color = 35
-		case LvlError:
-			color = 31
-		case LvlWarn:
-			color = 33
-		case LvlInfo:
-			color = 32
-		case LvlDebug:
-			color = 36
-		case LvlTrace:
-			color = 34
+		if usecolor {
+			switch r.Lvl {
+			case LvlCrit:
+				color = 35
+			case LvlError:
+				color = 31
+			case LvlWarn:
+				color = 33
+			case LvlInfo:
+				color = 32
+			case LvlDebug:
+				color = 36
+			case LvlTrace:
+				color = 34
+			}
 		}
 
 		b := &bytes.Buffer{}
-		lvl := strings.ToUpper(r.Lvl.String())
+		lvl := r.Lvl.AlignedString()
 		if atomic.LoadUint32(&locationEnabled) != 0 {
 			// Log origin printing was requested, format the location path and line number
 			location := fmt.Sprintf("%+v", r.Call)
@@ -107,13 +109,13 @@ func TerminalFormat() Format {
 			if color > 0 {
 				fmt.Fprintf(b, "\x1b[%dm%s\x1b[0m[%s|%s]%s %s ", color, lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), location, padding, r.Msg)
 			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintf(b, "[%s] [%s|%s]%s %s ", lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), location, padding, r.Msg)
+				fmt.Fprintf(b, "%s[%s|%s]%s %s ", lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), location, padding, r.Msg)
 			}
 		} else {
 			if color > 0 {
 				fmt.Fprintf(b, "\x1b[%dm%s\x1b[0m[%s] %s ", color, lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), r.Msg)
 			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintf(b, "[%s] [%s] %s ", lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), r.Msg)
+				fmt.Fprintf(b, "%s[%s] %s ", lvl, r.Time.Format(termTimeFormat), r.Msg)
 			}
 		}
 		// try to justify the log output for short messages
diff --git a/log/logger.go b/log/logger.go
index a7f7d9df7..15c83a9b2 100644
--- a/log/logger.go
+++ b/log/logger.go
@@ -24,7 +24,27 @@ const (
 	LvlTrace
 )
 
-// Returns the name of a Lvl
+// Aligned returns a 5-character string containing the name of a Lvl.
+func (l Lvl) AlignedString() string {
+	switch l {
+	case LvlTrace:
+		return "TRACE"
+	case LvlDebug:
+		return "DEBUG"
+	case LvlInfo:
+		return "INFO "
+	case LvlWarn:
+		return "WARN "
+	case LvlError:
+		return "ERROR"
+	case LvlCrit:
+		return "CRIT "
+	default:
+		panic("bad level")
+	}
+}
+
+// Strings returns the name of a Lvl.
 func (l Lvl) String() string {
 	switch l {
 	case LvlTrace:
diff --git a/log/root.go b/log/root.go
index 12afbf8b7..71b8cef6d 100644
--- a/log/root.go
+++ b/log/root.go
@@ -2,28 +2,16 @@ package log
 
 import (
 	"os"
-
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log/term"
-	"github.com/mattn/go-colorable"
 )
 
 var (
-	root          *logger
+	root          = &logger{[]interface{}{}, new(swapHandler)}
 	StdoutHandler = StreamHandler(os.Stdout, LogfmtFormat())
 	StderrHandler = StreamHandler(os.Stderr, LogfmtFormat())
 )
 
 func init() {
-	if term.IsTty(os.Stdout.Fd()) {
-		StdoutHandler = StreamHandler(colorable.NewColorableStdout(), TerminalFormat())
-	}
-
-	if term.IsTty(os.Stderr.Fd()) {
-		StderrHandler = StreamHandler(colorable.NewColorableStderr(), TerminalFormat())
-	}
-
-	root = &logger{[]interface{}{}, new(swapHandler)}
-	root.SetHandler(LvlFilterHandler(LvlInfo, StdoutHandler))
+	root.SetHandler(DiscardHandler())
 }
 
 // New returns a new logger with the given context.
diff --git a/mobile/init.go b/mobile/init.go
index d7acc14ce..2025d85ed 100644
--- a/mobile/init.go
+++ b/mobile/init.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 func init() {
 	// Initialize the logger
-	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlInfo, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlInfo, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 
 	// Initialize the goroutine count
 	runtime.GOMAXPROCS(runtime.NumCPU())
diff --git a/mobile/logger.go b/mobile/logger.go
index 9f24b3279..7078c4fd2 100644
--- a/mobile/logger.go
+++ b/mobile/logger.go
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ import (
 
 // SetVerbosity sets the global verbosity level (between 0 and 6 - see logger/verbosity.go).
 func SetVerbosity(level int) {
-	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.Lvl(level), log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.Lvl(level), log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 }
diff --git a/p2p/server_test.go b/p2p/server_test.go
index 46611c7d0..971faf002 100644
--- a/p2p/server_test.go
+++ b/p2p/server_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	// log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlError, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	// log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlError, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 }
 
 type testTransport struct {
diff --git a/swarm/network/syncdb_test.go b/swarm/network/syncdb_test.go
index a9417e1d4..be21d156f 100644
--- a/swarm/network/syncdb_test.go
+++ b/swarm/network/syncdb_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlCrit, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlCrit, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 }
 
 type testSyncDb struct {
diff --git a/tests/util.go b/tests/util.go
index ce5b02fed..78bb06d06 100644
--- a/tests/util.go
+++ b/tests/util.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlCrit, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat())))
+	log.Root().SetHandler(log.LvlFilterHandler(log.LvlCrit, log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.TerminalFormat(false))))
 	if os.Getenv("JITVM") == "true" {
 		ForceJit = true
 		EnableJit = true