diff --git a/cdist/argparse.py b/cdist/argparse.py
index 85dba246..1c83237c 100644
--- a/cdist/argparse.py
+++ b/cdist/argparse.py
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ def handle_loglevel(args):
 
 def handle_log_colors(args):
     if cdist.configuration.ColoredOutputOption.translate(args.colored_output):
-        cdist.log.DefaultLog.USE_COLORS = True
+        cdist.log.CdistFormatter.USE_COLORS = True
 
 
 def parse_and_configure(argv, singleton=True):
diff --git a/cdist/core/manifest.py b/cdist/core/manifest.py
index 8b833ff2..2e7b873e 100644
--- a/cdist/core/manifest.py
+++ b/cdist/core/manifest.py
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ class Manifest(object):
             '__cdist_log_level': util.log_level_env_var_val(self.log),
             '__cdist_log_level_name': util.log_level_name_env_var_val(
                 self.log),
-            '__cdist_colored_log': str(self.log.USE_COLORS).lower(),
+            '__cdist_colored_log': str(
+                cdist.log.CdistFormatter.USE_COLORS).lower(),
         }
 
         if dry_run:
diff --git a/cdist/emulator.py b/cdist/emulator.py
index 4eaf2c93..08e15a78 100644
--- a/cdist/emulator.py
+++ b/cdist/emulator.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class Emulator(object):
             logging.root.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
 
         colored_log = self.env.get('__cdist_colored_log', 'false')
-        cdist.log.ColorFormatter.USE_COLORS = colored_log == 'true'
+        cdist.log.CdistFormatter.USE_COLORS = colored_log == 'true'
 
         self.log = logging.getLogger(self.target_host[0])
 
diff --git a/cdist/flock.py b/cdist/flock.py
index d8bac916..3afacfd9 100644
--- a/cdist/flock.py
+++ b/cdist/flock.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import fcntl
 import logging
 import os
+import cdist.log
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger('cdist-flock')
diff --git a/cdist/log.py b/cdist/log.py
index 19efebdb..efae2cd3 100644
--- a/cdist/log.py
+++ b/cdist/log.py
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ def _trace(msg, *args, **kwargs):
 logging.trace = _trace
 
 
-class ColorFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+class CdistFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+    USE_COLORS = False
     RESET = '\033[0m'
     COLOR_MAP = {
         'ERROR': '\033[0;31m',
@@ -66,14 +67,14 @@ class ColorFormatter(logging.Formatter):
 
     def format(self, record):
         msg = super().format(record)
-        color = self.COLOR_MAP.get(record.levelname)
-        if color:
-            msg = color + msg + self.RESET
+        if self.USE_COLORS:
+            color = self.COLOR_MAP.get(record.levelname)
+            if color:
+                msg = color + msg + self.RESET
         return msg
 
 
 class DefaultLog(logging.Logger):
-    USE_COLORS = False
     FORMAT = '%(levelname)s: %(message)s'
 
     class StdoutFilter(logging.Filter):
@@ -88,10 +89,7 @@ class DefaultLog(logging.Logger):
         super().__init__(name)
         self.propagate = False
 
-        if self.USE_COLORS:
-            formatter = ColorFormatter(self.FORMAT)
-        else:
-            formatter = logging.Formatter(self.FORMAT)
+        formatter = CdistFormatter(self.FORMAT)
 
         self.addFilter(self)