diff --git a/client/src/main.c b/client/src/main.c
index b3a2e23d..734110cf 100644
--- a/client/src/main.c
+++ b/client/src/main.c
@@ -1052,6 +1052,9 @@ static void lg_shutdown(void)
 
 int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 {
+  // initialize for DEBUG_* macros
+  debug_init();
+
   if (getuid() == 0)
   {
     DEBUG_ERROR("Do not run looking glass as root!");
diff --git a/common/include/common/debug.h b/common/include/common/debug.h
index 6f45368a..66b84fcf 100644
--- a/common/include/common/debug.h
+++ b/common/include/common/debug.h
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include "time.h"
 
+enum DebugLevel
+{
+  DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO,
+  DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN,
+  DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR,
+  DEBUG_LEVEL_FIXME,
+  DEBUG_LEVEL_FATAL
+};
+
+extern const char ** debug_lookup;
+
+void debug_init(void);
+void debug_print(const enum DebugLevel level, const char * fmt, ...);
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_BACKTRACE
 void printBacktrace(void);
 #define DEBUG_PRINT_BACKTRACE() printBacktrace()
@@ -65,19 +79,20 @@ void printBacktrace(void);
   sizeof(s) > 20 && (s)[sizeof(s)-21] == DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR ? (s) + sizeof(s) - 20 : \
   sizeof(s) > 21 && (s)[sizeof(s)-22] == DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR ? (s) + sizeof(s) - 21 : (s))
 
-#define DEBUG_PRINT(type, fmt, ...) do { \
-  fprintf(stderr, "%12" PRId64 " " type " %20s:%-4u | %-30s | " fmt "\n", \
-      microtime(), STRIPPATH(__FILE__), __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, ##__VA_ARGS__);\
+#define DEBUG_PRINT(level, fmt, ...) do { \
+  fprintf(stdout, "%s%12" PRId64 "%20s:%-4u | %-30s | " fmt "\n", \
+      debug_lookup[level], microtime(), STRIPPATH(__FILE__), \
+      __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
 } while (0)
 
-#define DEBUG_BREAK() DEBUG_PRINT("[ ]", "================================================================================")
-#define DEBUG_INFO(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT("[I]", fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
-#define DEBUG_WARN(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT("[W]", fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
-#define DEBUG_ERROR(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT("[E]", fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
-#define DEBUG_FIXME(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT("[F]", fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define DEBUG_BREAK() DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO, "================================================================================")
+#define DEBUG_INFO(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define DEBUG_WARN(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define DEBUG_ERROR(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define DEBUG_FIXME(fmt, ...) DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_FIXME, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define DEBUG_FATAL(fmt, ...) do { \
   DEBUG_BREAK(); \
-  DEBUG_PRINT("[!]", fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+  DEBUG_PRINT(DEBUG_LEVEL_FATAL, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
   DEBUG_PRINT_BACKTRACE(); \
   abort(); \
 } while(0)
diff --git a/common/src/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt b/common/src/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt
index 334af35b..405e795f 100644
--- a/common/src/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/src/platform/linux/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ include_directories(
 )
 
 add_library(lg_common_platform_code STATIC
+    debug.c
     crash.c
     sysinfo.c
     thread.c
diff --git a/common/src/platform/linux/debug.c b/common/src/platform/linux/debug.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..310d46d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/src/platform/linux/debug.c
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/**
+ * Looking Glass
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2021 The Looking Glass Authors
+ * https://looking-glass.io
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+ * Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for
+ * more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59
+ * Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+ */
+
+#include "common/debug.h"
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#define COLOR_RESET  "\033[0m"
+#define COLOR_YELLOW "\033[0;33m"
+#define COLOR_RED    "\033[0;31m"
+#define COLOR_CYAN   "\033[0;36m"
+#define COLOR_WHITE  "\033[0;37m"
+
+const char ** debug_lookup = NULL;
+
+void debug_init(void)
+{
+  static const char * colorLookup[] =
+  {
+    COLOR_RESET  "[I] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO
+    COLOR_YELLOW "[W] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN
+    COLOR_RED    "[E] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR
+    COLOR_CYAN   "[F] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_FIXME
+    COLOR_WHITE  "[!] "  // DEBUG_LEVEL_FATAL
+  };
+
+  static const char * plainLookup[] =
+  {
+    "[I] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO
+    "[W] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN
+    "[E] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR
+    "[F] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_FIXME
+    "[!] "  // DEBUG_LEVEL_FATAL
+  };
+
+  debug_lookup = (isatty(0) == 1) ? colorLookup : plainLookup;
+}
diff --git a/common/src/platform/windows/CMakeLists.txt b/common/src/platform/windows/CMakeLists.txt
index 685c407a..69d2ccc6 100644
--- a/common/src/platform/windows/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/src/platform/windows/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ include_directories(
 )
 
 add_library(lg_common_platform_code STATIC
+    debug.c
     crash.c
     dpi.c
     sysinfo.c
diff --git a/common/src/platform/windows/debug.c b/common/src/platform/windows/debug.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82eea38b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/src/platform/windows/debug.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * Looking Glass
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2021 The Looking Glass Authors
+ * https://looking-glass.io
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+ * Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for
+ * more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59
+ * Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+ */
+
+#include "common/debug.h"
+
+const char ** debug_lookup = NULL;
+
+void debug_init(void)
+{
+  static const char * plainLookup[] =
+  {
+    "[I] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_INFO
+    "[W] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN
+    "[E] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR
+    "[F] ", // DEBUG_LEVEL_FIXME
+    "[!] "  // DEBUG_LEVEL_FATAL
+  };
+
+  debug_lookup = plainLookup;
+}
diff --git a/host/platform/Linux/src/platform.c b/host/platform/Linux/src/platform.c
index 3b5be710..dbb436a0 100644
--- a/host/platform/Linux/src/platform.c
+++ b/host/platform/Linux/src/platform.c
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ struct app app = { 0 };
 
 int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 {
+  // initialize for DEBUG_* macros
+  debug_init();
+
   app.executable = argv[0];
 
   struct passwd * pw = getpwuid(getuid());
diff --git a/host/platform/Windows/src/platform.c b/host/platform/Windows/src/platform.c
index 6d5d577b..a3abf88c 100644
--- a/host/platform/Windows/src/platform.c
+++ b/host/platform/Windows/src/platform.c
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ fail:
 
 int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
 {
+  // initialize for DEBUG_* macros
+  debug_init();
+
   // convert the command line to the standard argc and argv
   LPWSTR * wargv = CommandLineToArgvW(GetCommandLineW(), &app.argc);
   app.argv = malloc(sizeof(char *) * app.argc);