diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index c958e93257..8a0595e115 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -335,8 +335,11 @@ static char *build_format(struct ref_filter *filter, int maxwidth, const char *r
 	struct strbuf local = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf remote = STRBUF_INIT;
 
-	strbuf_addf(&fmt, "%%(if)%%(HEAD)%%(then)* %s%%(else)  %%(end)",
-		    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_CURRENT));
+	strbuf_addf(&local, "%%(if)%%(HEAD)%%(then)* %s%%(else)  %s%%(end)",
+		    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_CURRENT),
+		    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_LOCAL));
+	strbuf_addf(&remote, "  %s",
+		    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_REMOTE));
 
 	if (filter->verbose) {
 		struct strbuf obname = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -359,17 +362,17 @@ static char *build_format(struct ref_filter *filter, int maxwidth, const char *r
 		else
 			strbuf_addf(&local, "%%(if)%%(upstream:track)%%(then)%%(upstream:track) %%(end)%%(contents:subject)");
 
-		strbuf_addf(&remote, "%s%%(align:%d,left)%s%%(refname:lstrip=2)%%(end)%s"
+		strbuf_addf(&remote, "%%(align:%d,left)%s%%(refname:lstrip=2)%%(end)%s"
 			    "%%(if)%%(symref)%%(then) -> %%(symref:short)"
 			    "%%(else) %s %%(contents:subject)%%(end)",
-			    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_REMOTE), maxwidth, quote_literal_for_format(remote_prefix),
+			    maxwidth, quote_literal_for_format(remote_prefix),
 			    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_RESET), obname.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&obname);
 	} else {
 		strbuf_addf(&local, "%%(refname:lstrip=2)%s%%(if)%%(symref)%%(then) -> %%(symref:short)%%(end)",
 			    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_RESET));
-		strbuf_addf(&remote, "%s%s%%(refname:lstrip=2)%s%%(if)%%(symref)%%(then) -> %%(symref:short)%%(end)",
-			    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_REMOTE), quote_literal_for_format(remote_prefix),
+		strbuf_addf(&remote, "%s%%(refname:lstrip=2)%s%%(if)%%(symref)%%(then) -> %%(symref:short)%%(end)",
+			    quote_literal_for_format(remote_prefix),
 			    branch_get_color(BRANCH_COLOR_RESET));
 	}
 
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index e0578d8b5a..ae6ecbd1cf 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static void objectname_atom_parser(struct used_atom *atom, const char *arg)
 
 static void refname_atom_parser(struct used_atom *atom, const char *arg)
 {
-	return refname_atom_parser_internal(&atom->u.refname, arg, atom->name);
+	refname_atom_parser_internal(&atom->u.refname, arg, atom->name);
 }
 
 static align_type parse_align_position(const char *s)
diff --git a/t/t3205-branch-color.sh b/t/t3205-branch-color.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..9343550f50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t3205-branch-color.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='basic branch output coloring'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'set up some sample branches' '
+	test_commit foo &&
+	git update-ref refs/remotes/origin/master HEAD &&
+	git update-ref refs/heads/other HEAD
+'
+
+# choose non-default colors to make sure config
+# is taking effect
+test_expect_success 'set up some color config' '
+	git config color.branch always &&
+	git config color.branch.local blue &&
+	git config color.branch.remote yellow &&
+	git config color.branch.current cyan
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'regular output shows colors' '
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	* <CYAN>master<RESET>
+	  <BLUE>other<RESET>
+	  <YELLOW>remotes/origin/master<RESET>
+	EOF
+	git branch -a >actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'verbose output shows colors' '
+	oid=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	* <CYAN>master               <RESET> $oid foo
+	  <BLUE>other                <RESET> $oid foo
+	  <YELLOW>remotes/origin/master<RESET> $oid foo
+	EOF
+	git branch -v -a >actual.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_done