diff --git a/src/direwolf.c b/src/direwolf.c
index b3868db..d397db3 100644
--- a/src/direwolf.c
+++ b/src/direwolf.c
@@ -277,11 +277,16 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
  * Default will be no colors if stdout is not a terminal (i.e. piped into
  * something else such as "tee") but command line can override this.
  */
+	for (j=1; j<argc; j++) {
+	  if (strcmp(argv[j], "-O") == 0) {
+	    O_opt = 1;
+	  }
+	}
 
 #if __WIN32__
-	t_opt = _isatty(_fileno(stdout)) > 0;
+	t_opt = _isatty(_fileno(O_opt ? stderr : stdout)) > 0;
 #else
-	t_opt = isatty(fileno(stdout));
+	t_opt = isatty(fileno(O_opt ? stderr : stdout));
 #endif
 				/* 1 = normal, 0 = no text colors. */
 				/* 2, 3, ... alternate escape sequences for different terminals. */
@@ -292,8 +297,6 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	  if (strcmp(argv[j], "-t") == 0) {
 	    t_opt = atoi (argv[j+1]);
 	    //dw_printf ("DEBUG: text color option = %d.\n", t_opt);
-	  } else if (strcmp(argv[j], "-O") == 0) {
-	    O_opt = 1;
 	  }
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/textcolor.c b/src/textcolor.c
index b05c21d..453d828 100644
--- a/src/textcolor.c
+++ b/src/textcolor.c
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ void text_color_init (int enable_color, int redirect_output)
 {
 	if (redirect_output != 0) {
 	  g_dw_printf_dest = stderr;
-	  enable_color = 0;
 	} else {
 	  g_dw_printf_dest = stdout;
 	}
@@ -195,7 +194,12 @@ void text_color_init (int enable_color, int redirect_output)
 	  COORD coord;
 	  DWORD nwritten;
 
-	  h = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+	  if (redirect_output != 0) {
+	    h = GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
+	  } else {
+	    h = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+	  }
+
 	  if (h != NULL && h != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
 
 	    GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo (h, &csbi);
@@ -215,17 +219,17 @@ void text_color_init (int enable_color, int redirect_output)
 	  int t;
 	  for (t = 0; t <= MAX_T; t++) {
 	    text_color_init (t, redirect_output);
-	    printf ("-t %d", t);
-	    if (t) printf ("   [white background]   ");
-	    printf ("\n");
-	    printf ("%sBlack ", t_black[t]);
-	    printf ("%sRed ", t_red[t]);
-	    printf ("%sGreen ", t_green[t]);
-	    printf ("%sDark-Green ", t_dark_green[t]);
-	    printf ("%sYellow ", t_yellow[t]);
-	    printf ("%sBlue ", t_blue[t]);
-	    printf ("%sMagenta ", t_magenta[t]);
-	    printf ("%sCyan   \n", t_cyan[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"-t %d", t);
+	    if (t) fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "   [white background]   ");
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"\n");
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sBlack ", t_black[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sRed ", t_red[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sGreen ", t_green[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sDark-Green ", t_dark_green[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sYellow ", t_yellow[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest,"%sBlue ", t_blue[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%sMagenta ", t_magenta[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%sCyan   \n", t_cyan[t]);
 	   }
 	   exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
 	}
@@ -238,9 +242,9 @@ void text_color_init (int enable_color, int redirect_output)
 	  if (t < 0) t = 0;
 	  if (t > MAX_T) t = MAX_T;
 
-	  printf ("%s", t_background_white[t]);
-	  printf ("%s", clear_eos);
-	  printf ("%s", t_black[t]);
+	  fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_background_white[t]);
+	  fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", clear_eos);
+	  fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_black[t]);
 	}
 #endif
 }
@@ -291,7 +295,11 @@ void text_color_set ( enum dw_color_e c )
 	    break;
 	}
 
-	h = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+	if (dw_printf_redirected()) {
+	  h = GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE);
+	} else {
+	  h = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
+	}
 
 	if (h != NULL && h != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
 	  SetConsoleTextAttribute (h, attr);
@@ -316,30 +324,30 @@ void text_color_set ( enum dw_color_e c )
 
 	  default:
 	  case DW_COLOR_INFO:
-	    printf ("%s", t_black[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_black[t]);
 	    break;
 
 	  case DW_COLOR_ERROR:
-	    printf ("%s", t_red[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_red[t]);
 	    break;
 
 	  case DW_COLOR_REC:
 	    // Bright green is very difficult to read against a while background.
 	    // Let's use dark green instead.   release 1.6.
 	    //printf ("%s", t_green[t]);
-	    printf ("%s", t_dark_green[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_dark_green[t]);
 	    break;
 
 	  case DW_COLOR_DECODED:
-	    printf ("%s", t_blue[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_blue[t]);
 	    break;
 
 	  case DW_COLOR_XMIT:
-	    printf ("%s", t_magenta[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_magenta[t]);
 	    break;
 
 	  case DW_COLOR_DEBUG:
-	    printf ("%s", t_dark_green[t]);
+	    fprintf (g_dw_printf_dest, "%s", t_dark_green[t]);
 	    break;
 	}
 }