diff --git a/command/format.go b/command/format.go
index 630056d177..5db41c7e11 100644
--- a/command/format.go
+++ b/command/format.go
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ func OutputList(ui cli.Ui, format string, secret *api.Secret) int {
 }
 
 func outputWithFormat(ui cli.Ui, format string, secret *api.Secret, data interface{}) int {
+	// If we had a colored UI, pull out the nested ui so we don't add escape
+	// sequences for outputting json, etc.
+	colorUI, ok := ui.(*cli.ColoredUi)
+	if ok {
+		ui = colorUI.Ui
+	}
+
 	formatter, ok := Formatters[strings.ToLower(format)]
 	if !ok {
 		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid output format: %s", format))
diff --git a/command/format_test.go b/command/format_test.go
index 8e32d2419c..44020a1aa6 100644
--- a/command/format_test.go
+++ b/command/format_test.go
@@ -24,18 +24,10 @@ func (m mockUi) AskSecret(_ string) (string, error) {
 	m.t.FailNow()
 	return "", nil
 }
-func (m mockUi) Output(s string) {
-	output = s
-}
-func (m mockUi) Info(s string) {
-	m.t.Log(s)
-}
-func (m mockUi) Error(s string) {
-	m.t.Log(s)
-}
-func (m mockUi) Warn(s string) {
-	m.t.Log(s)
-}
+func (m mockUi) Output(s string) { output = s }
+func (m mockUi) Info(s string)   { m.t.Log(s) }
+func (m mockUi) Error(s string)  { m.t.Log(s) }
+func (m mockUi) Warn(s string)   { m.t.Log(s) }
 
 func TestJsonFormatter(t *testing.T) {
 	ui := mockUi{t: t, SampleData: "something"}