diff --git a/doc/pipewire-daemon.dox b/doc/pipewire-daemon.dox
index 5ffba0aa4..9781adc36 100644
--- a/doc/pipewire-daemon.dox
+++ b/doc/pipewire-daemon.dox
@@ -171,5 +171,7 @@ environment variables:
 - `PIPEWIRE_LOG_SYSTEMD=false`: Disable logging to the systemd journal.
 - `PIPEWIRE_LOG=<filename>`: Redirect the log to the given filename.
 - `PIPEWIRE_LOG_LINE=false`: Don't log filename, function, and source code line.
+- `PIPEWIRE_LOG_COLOR=true/false/force`: Enable/disable color logging, and optionally force
+  colors even when logging to a file.
 
 */
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/support/log.h b/spa/include/spa/support/log.h
index f10c04104..a2d7552be 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/support/log.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/support/log.h
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ do {								\
 
 /** keys can be given when initializing the logger handle */
 #define SPA_KEY_LOG_LEVEL		"log.level"		/**< the default log level */
-#define SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS		"log.colors"		/**< enable colors in the logger */
+#define SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS		"log.colors"		/**< enable colors in the logger, set to "force" to enable
+								  *  colors even when not logging to a terminal */
 #define SPA_KEY_LOG_FILE		"log.file"		/**< log to the specified file instead of
 								  *  stderr. */
 #define SPA_KEY_LOG_TIMESTAMP		"log.timestamp"		/**< log timestamps */
diff --git a/spa/plugins/support/logger.c b/spa/plugins/support/logger.c
index d59049f08..6b59919f3 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/support/logger.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/support/logger.c
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 	struct spa_loop *loop = NULL;
 	const char *str, *dest = "";
 	bool linebuf = false;
+	bool force_colors = false;
 
 	spa_return_val_if_fail(factory != NULL, -EINVAL);
 	spa_return_val_if_fail(handle != NULL, -EINVAL);
@@ -333,8 +334,14 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 			this->timestamp = spa_atob(str);
 		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_LOG_LINE)) != NULL)
 			this->line = spa_atob(str);
-		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS)) != NULL)
-			this->colors = spa_atob(str);
+		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS)) != NULL) {
+			if (spa_streq(str, "force")) {
+				this->colors = true;
+				force_colors = true;
+			} else {
+				this->colors = spa_atob(str);
+			}
+		}
 		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_LOG_LEVEL)) != NULL)
 			this->log.level = atoi(str);
 		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_LOG_FILE)) != NULL) {
@@ -363,8 +370,9 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 	if (linebuf)
 		setlinebuf(this->file);
 
-	if (!isatty(fileno(this->file)))
+	if (!isatty(fileno(this->file)) && !force_colors) {
 		this->colors = false;
+	}
 
 	spa_ringbuffer_init(&this->trace_rb);
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/pipewire.c b/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
index 1192a1a7e..2d5fce24f 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/pipewire.c
@@ -598,8 +598,11 @@ void pw_init(int *argc, char **argv[])
 		char *patterns = NULL;
 
 		n_items = 0;
-		if (!support->no_color)
-			items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM_INIT(SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS, "true");
+		if (!support->no_color) {
+			if ((str = getenv("PIPEWIRE_LOG_COLOR")) == NULL)
+				str = "true";
+			items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM_INIT(SPA_KEY_LOG_COLORS, str);
+		}
 		items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM_INIT(SPA_KEY_LOG_TIMESTAMP, "true");
 		if ((str = getenv("PIPEWIRE_LOG_LINE")) == NULL || spa_atob(str))
 			items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM_INIT(SPA_KEY_LOG_LINE, "true");