diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2cea46bfac2c..adfc0188d811 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ will become the public version at the next release._
 
   (@aljazerzen, #2605)
 
+- We've changed how we handle colors. We now use the
+  `[anstream](https://github.com/rust-cli/anstyle)` library in `prqlc` &
+  `prql-compiler`.
+
+  `Options::color` is deprecated and has no effect. Code which consumes
+  `prql_compiler::compile` should instead accept the output with colors and use
+  a library such as `anstream` to handle the presentation of colors. To ensure
+  minimal disruption, `prql_compiler` will currently strip color codes when a
+  standard environment variable such as `CLI_COLOR=0` is set or when it detects
+  `stderr` is not a TTY.
+
+  (@max-sixty, #2773)
+
 **Fixes**:
 
 **Documentation**:
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 7d57f8aa0849..6266819ade0e 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -792,6 +792,16 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "acbf1af155f9b9ef647e42cdc158db4b64a1b61f743629225fde6f3e0be2a7c7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "colorchoice-clap"
+version = "1.0.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "412e88a3a3a3f52e436909b49beb467a05649e8b0dda0e6202bd05c1b63dbc49"
+dependencies = [
+ "clap",
+ "colorchoice",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "combine"
 version = "4.6.6"
@@ -813,46 +823,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "unicode-width",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "concolor"
-version = "0.1.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "0b946244a988c390a94667ae0e3958411fa40cc46ea496a929b263d883f5f9c3"
-dependencies = [
- "bitflags 1.3.2",
- "concolor-override",
- "concolor-query",
- "is-terminal",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "concolor-clap"
-version = "0.1.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "435ff0007a3bb04099fe1beedc6b76e7dd5340c90b168008ac0d7e87441de1bf"
-dependencies = [
- "clap",
- "concolor",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "concolor-override"
-version = "1.1.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "40a4925288e39d5923e024781971aab940995fa31bab3ffceebbadfc87591e90"
-dependencies = [
- "colorchoice",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "concolor-query"
-version = "0.3.3"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "88d11d52c3d7ca2e6d0040212be9e4dbbcd78b6447f535b6b561f449427944cf"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.45.0",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "connection-string"
 version = "0.2.0"
@@ -2155,6 +2125,7 @@ name = "mdbook-prql"
 version = "0.8.1"
 dependencies = [
  "ansi-to-html",
+ "anstream",
  "anyhow",
  "clap",
  "globset",
@@ -2871,6 +2842,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "prql-compiler"
 version = "0.8.1"
 dependencies = [
+ "anstream",
  "anyhow",
  "ariadne",
  "cfg-if",
@@ -2953,6 +2925,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "prqlc"
 version = "0.8.1"
 dependencies = [
+ "anstream",
  "anyhow",
  "ariadne",
  "atty",
@@ -2960,8 +2933,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "clap_complete_command",
  "clio",
  "color-eyre",
- "concolor",
- "concolor-clap",
+ "colorchoice",
+ "colorchoice-clap",
  "env_logger",
  "insta",
  "insta-cmd",
diff --git a/bindings/prql-js/src/lib.rs b/bindings/prql-js/src/lib.rs
index eb568eb66e96..5d59421b153c 100644
--- a/bindings/prql-js/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bindings/prql-js/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use wasm_bindgen::prelude::*;
 pub fn compile(prql_query: &str, options: Option<CompileOptions>) -> Option<String> {
     return_or_throw(
         prql_compiler::compile(prql_query, &options.map(|x| x.into()).unwrap_or_default())
-            .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into(), false)),
+            .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into())),
     )
 }
 
diff --git a/bindings/prql-lib/src/lib.rs b/bindings/prql-lib/src/lib.rs
index 4e530843daa7..c2f96461d95d 100644
--- a/bindings/prql-lib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bindings/prql-lib/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn compile(
                 .and_then(prql_compiler::pl_to_rq)
                 .and_then(|rq| prql_compiler::rq_to_sql(rq, &opts.unwrap_or_default()))
         })
-        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into(), false));
+        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into()));
 
     result_into_c_str(result)
 }
diff --git a/bindings/prql-python/src/lib.rs b/bindings/prql-python/src/lib.rs
index 6c69e2c8a955..d5e51d20bf67 100644
--- a/bindings/prql-python/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bindings/prql-python/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub fn compile(prql_query: &str, options: Option<CompileOptions>) -> PyResult<St
                 .and_then(prql_compiler::pl_to_rq)
                 .and_then(|rq| prql_compiler::rq_to_sql(rq, &opts.unwrap_or_default()))
         })
-        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into(), false))
+        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql_query.into()))
         .map_err(|e| (PyErr::new::<exceptions::PySyntaxError, _>(e.to_string())))
 }
 
diff --git a/prql-compiler/Cargo.toml b/prql-compiler/Cargo.toml
index 6b28e2943416..9bd5186fa91d 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/Cargo.toml
+++ b/prql-compiler/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ version.workspace = true
 metadata.msrv = "1.65.0"
 
 [dependencies]
+anstream = {version = "0.3.2", features = ["auto"]}
 anyhow = {version = "1.0.57", features = ["backtrace"]}
 ariadne = "0.3.0"
 csv = "1.2.0"
diff --git a/prql-compiler/prqlc/Cargo.toml b/prql-compiler/prqlc/Cargo.toml
index 1bc12000010c..303a85a12034 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/prqlc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/prql-compiler/prqlc/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ version.workspace = true
 metadata.msrv = "1.65.0"
 
 [target.'cfg(not(target_family="wasm"))'.dependencies]
+anstream = {version = "0.3.2", features = ["auto"]}
 anyhow = {version = "1.0.57"}
 ariadne = "0.3.0"
 atty = "0.2.14"
@@ -18,8 +19,8 @@ clap = {version = "4.3.0", features = ["derive", "env", "wrap_help"]}
 clap_complete_command = "0.5.1"
 clio = {version = "0.2.7", features = ['clap-parse']}
 color-eyre = "0.6.1"
-concolor = "0.1.0"
-concolor-clap = {version = "0.1.0", features = ["api"]}
+colorchoice = "1.0.0"
+colorchoice-clap = "1.0.0"
 env_logger = {version = "0.10.0", features = ["color"]}
 itertools = "0.10.3"
 notify = "^6.0.0"
diff --git a/prql-compiler/prqlc/src/cli.rs b/prql-compiler/prqlc/src/cli.rs
index 624582fd5b15..1ec0ee3bc5b3 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/prqlc/src/cli.rs
+++ b/prql-compiler/prqlc/src/cli.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use anstream::eprintln;
 use anyhow::bail;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use ariadne::Source;
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ pub fn main() -> color_eyre::eyre::Result<()> {
     env_logger::builder().format_timestamp(None).init();
     color_eyre::install()?;
     let mut cli = Cli::parse();
-    cli.color.apply();
+    cli.color.write_global();
 
     if let Err(error) = cli.command.run() {
         eprintln!("{error}");
@@ -33,12 +34,11 @@ pub fn main() -> color_eyre::eyre::Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[derive(Parser, Debug, Clone)]
-#[command(color = concolor_clap::color_choice())]
 struct Cli {
     #[command(subcommand)]
     command: Command,
     #[command(flatten)]
-    color: concolor_clap::Color,
+    color: colorchoice_clap::Color,
 }
 
 #[derive(Subcommand, Debug, Clone)]
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ impl Command {
                     }
                 };
 
-                output.write_all(pl_to_prql(ast)?.as_bytes())?;
+                output.write_all(&pl_to_prql(ast)?.into_bytes())?;
                 Ok(())
             }
             Command::ShellCompletion { shell } => {
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ impl Command {
 
                 let context = semantic::resolve(stmts, Default::default())
                     .map_err(prql_compiler::downcast)
-                    .map_err(|e| e.composed(sources, true))?;
+                    .map_err(|e| e.composed(sources))?;
 
                 let mut out = Vec::new();
                 for (source_id, source) in &sources.sources {
@@ -284,13 +284,12 @@ impl Command {
 
                 let opts = Options::default()
                     .with_target(Target::from_str(target).map_err(|e| downcast(e.into()))?)
-                    .with_color(concolor::get(concolor::Stream::Stdout).ansi_color())
                     .with_signature_comment(*hide_signature_comment);
 
                 prql_to_pl_tree(sources)
                     .and_then(|pl| pl_to_rq_tree(pl, &main_path))
                     .and_then(|rq| rq_to_sql(rq, &opts))
-                    .map_err(|e| e.composed(sources, opts.color))?
+                    .map_err(|e| e.composed(sources))?
                     .as_bytes()
                     .to_vec()
             }
@@ -646,15 +645,12 @@ group a_column (take 10 | sort b_column | derive {the_number = rank, last = lag
         "###);
     }
 
+    /// Check we get an error on a bad input
     #[test]
     fn compile() {
-        // Check we get an error on a bad input
         // Disable colors (would be better if this were a proper CLI test and
         // passed in `--color=never`)
-        concolor_clap::Color {
-            color: concolor_clap::ColorChoice::Never,
-        }
-        .apply();
+        anstream::ColorChoice::Never.write_global();
 
         let result = Command::execute(
             &Command::SQLCompile {
@@ -665,7 +661,8 @@ group a_column (take 10 | sort b_column | derive {the_number = rank, last = lag
             &mut "asdf".into(),
             "",
         );
-        assert_display_snapshot!(result.unwrap_err(), @r###"
+
+        assert_display_snapshot!(&result.unwrap_err().to_string(), @r###"
         Error:
            ╭─[:1:1]
            │
diff --git a/prql-compiler/src/error.rs b/prql-compiler/src/error.rs
index b104bf3d31a1..14ea148b4dd4 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/src/error.rs
+++ b/prql-compiler/src/error.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
+use anstream::adapter::strip_str;
 pub use anyhow::Result;
 
 use ariadne::{Cache, Config, Label, Report, ReportKind, Source};
 use serde::de::Visitor;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::error::Error as StdError;
 use std::fmt::{self, Debug, Display, Formatter};
 use std::ops::{Add, Range};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::{collections::HashMap, io::stderr};
 
 use crate::SourceTree;
 
@@ -258,7 +259,7 @@ impl ErrorMessages {
     }
 
     /// Computes message location and builds the pretty display.
-    pub fn composed(mut self, sources: &SourceTree, color: bool) -> Self {
+    pub fn composed(mut self, sources: &SourceTree) -> Self {
         let mut cache = FileTreeCache::new(sources);
 
         for e in &mut self.inner {
@@ -274,20 +275,16 @@ impl ErrorMessages {
             };
             e.location = e.compose_location(source);
 
-            e.display = e.compose_display(source_path.clone(), &mut cache, color);
+            e.display = e.compose_display(source_path.clone(), &mut cache);
         }
         self
     }
 }
 
 impl ErrorMessage {
-    fn compose_display(
-        &self,
-        source_path: PathBuf,
-        cache: &mut FileTreeCache,
-        color: bool,
-    ) -> Option<String> {
-        let config = Config::default().with_color(color);
+    fn compose_display(&self, source_path: PathBuf, cache: &mut FileTreeCache) -> Option<String> {
+        // We always pass color to ariadne as true, and then (currently) strip later.
+        let config = Config::default().with_color(true);
 
         let span = Range::from(self.span?);
 
@@ -312,7 +309,19 @@ impl ErrorMessage {
 
         let mut out = Vec::new();
         report.finish().write(cache, &mut out).ok()?;
-        String::from_utf8(out).ok()
+
+        // Strip colors, for external libraries which don't yet strip
+        // themselves, and for insta snapshot tests. This will respond to
+        // environment variables such as `CLI_COLOR`. Eventually we can remove
+        // this, always pass colors back, and the consuming library can strip
+        // (including insta https://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta/issues/378).
+        String::from_utf8(out).ok().map(|x| {
+            if !should_use_color() {
+                strip_str(&x).to_string()
+            } else {
+                x
+            }
+        })
     }
 
     fn compose_location(&self, source: &Source) -> Option<SourceLocation> {
@@ -327,6 +336,15 @@ impl ErrorMessage {
     }
 }
 
+fn should_use_color() -> bool {
+    match anstream::AutoStream::choice(&stderr()) {
+        anstream::ColorChoice::Auto => true,
+        anstream::ColorChoice::Always => true,
+        anstream::ColorChoice::AlwaysAnsi => true,
+        anstream::ColorChoice::Never => false,
+    }
+}
+
 struct FileTreeCache<'a> {
     file_tree: &'a SourceTree,
     cache: HashMap<PathBuf, Source>,
diff --git a/prql-compiler/src/lib.rs b/prql-compiler/src/lib.rs
index 46c700036075..556ce67fc862 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/src/lib.rs
+++ b/prql-compiler/src/lib.rs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ pub fn compile(prql: &str, options: &Options) -> Result<String, ErrorMessages> {
         .and_then(|ast| semantic::resolve_and_lower(ast, &[]))
         .and_then(|rq| sql::compile(rq, options))
         .map_err(error::downcast)
-        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql.into(), options.color))
+        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql.into()))
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -195,7 +195,15 @@ pub struct Options {
     /// Defaults to true.
     pub signature_comment: bool,
 
-    /// Whether to use ANSI colors in error messages.
+    /// Whether to use ANSI colors in error messages. This is deprecated and has
+    /// no effect.
+    ///
+    /// Instead, in order of preference:
+    /// - Use a library such as `anstream` to encapsulate the presentation
+    ///   logic.
+    /// - Set an environment variable such as `CLI_COLOR=0` to disable any
+    ///   colors coming back from this library.
+    /// - Strip colors from the output (possibly also with a library such as `anstream`)
     pub color: bool,
 }
 
@@ -231,6 +239,7 @@ impl Options {
         self
     }
 
+    #[deprecated(note = "`color` now has no effect; see `Options` docs for more details")]
     pub fn with_color(mut self, color: bool) -> Self {
         self.color = color;
         self
@@ -248,14 +257,14 @@ pub fn prql_to_pl(prql: &str) -> Result<Vec<ast::pl::Stmt>, ErrorMessages> {
     parser::parse(&sources)
         .map(|x| x.sources.into_values().next().unwrap())
         .map_err(error::downcast)
-        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql.into(), false))
+        .map_err(|e| e.composed(&prql.into()))
 }
 
 /// Parse PRQL into a PL AST
 pub fn prql_to_pl_tree(prql: &SourceTree) -> Result<SourceTree<Vec<ast::pl::Stmt>>, ErrorMessages> {
     parser::parse(prql)
         .map_err(error::downcast)
-        .map_err(|e| e.composed(prql, false))
+        .map_err(|e| e.composed(prql))
 }
 
 /// Perform semantic analysis and convert PL to RQ.
diff --git a/prql-compiler/src/tests/test.rs b/prql-compiler/src/tests/test.rs
index 13e2b0aece52..25df18c8d983 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/src/tests/test.rs
+++ b/prql-compiler/src/tests/test.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 //! Simple tests for "this PRQL creates this SQL" go here.
 // use super::*;
-use crate::{sql, Options, SourceTree, Target};
+use crate::{sql, ErrorMessages, Options, SourceTree, Target};
 use insta::{assert_display_snapshot, assert_snapshot};
 
-pub fn compile(prql: &str) -> Result<String, crate::ErrorMessages> {
+pub fn compile(prql: &str) -> Result<String, ErrorMessages> {
+    anstream::ColorChoice::Never.write_global();
     crate::compile(prql, &Options::default().no_signature())
 }
 
@@ -3532,10 +3533,10 @@ fn test_upper() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn test_1535() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+fn test_1535() {
     assert_display_snapshot!(compile(r#"
     from x.y.z
-    "#)?,
+    "#).unwrap(),
         @r###"
     SELECT
       *
@@ -3543,8 +3544,6 @@ fn test_1535() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
       x.y.z
     "###
     );
-
-    Ok(())
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -3844,3 +3843,14 @@ fn test_type_as_column_name() {
       foo AS t
     "###);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_error_code() {
+    let err = compile(
+        r###"
+    let a = (from x)
+    "###,
+    )
+    .unwrap_err();
+    assert_eq!(err.inner[0].code.as_ref().unwrap(), "E0001");
+}
diff --git a/prql-compiler/src/tests/test_error_messages.rs b/prql-compiler/src/tests/test_error_messages.rs
index 20edc43026fc..7208133cb519 100644
--- a/prql-compiler/src/tests/test_error_messages.rs
+++ b/prql-compiler/src/tests/test_error_messages.rs
@@ -90,14 +90,6 @@ fn test_errors() {
     ───╯
     "###);
 
-    let err = compile(
-        r###"
-    let a = (from x)
-    "###,
-    )
-    .unwrap_err();
-    assert_eq!(err.inner[0].code.as_ref().unwrap(), "E0001");
-
     assert_display_snapshot!(compile("Answer: T-H-A-T!").unwrap_err(), @r###"
     Error:
        ╭─[:1:7]
diff --git a/web/book/Cargo.toml b/web/book/Cargo.toml
index 148b012d2ec8..21a753d575ce 100644
--- a/web/book/Cargo.toml
+++ b/web/book/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ test = false
 [dependencies]
 ansi-to-html = "0.1.2"
 anyhow = "1.0.57"
+# Required for one test, can remove when we always pass colors back.
+anstream = {version = "0.3.2", features = ["auto"]}
 globset = "0.4.8"
 itertools = "0.10.3"
 prql-compiler = {path = "../../prql-compiler", default-features = false}
diff --git a/web/book/src/lib.rs b/web/book/src/lib.rs
index 474c24f25e8b..3f86b593150c 100644
--- a/web/book/src/lib.rs
+++ b/web/book/src/lib.rs
@@ -159,12 +159,7 @@ fn replace_examples(text: &str) -> Result<String> {
         };
 
         let prql = text.to_string();
-        let result = compile(
-            &prql,
-            &prql_compiler::Options::default()
-                .no_signature()
-                .with_color(true),
-        );
+        let result = compile(&prql, &prql_compiler::Options::default().no_signature());
 
         if lang_tags.contains(&LangTag::NoTest) {
             cmark_acc.push(Event::Html(table_of_prql_only(&prql).into()));
@@ -309,6 +304,9 @@ this is an error
 ```
     "###;
 
+    // Here we do want colors
+    anstream::ColorChoice::Always.write_global();
+
     assert_display_snapshot!(replace_examples(md)?, @r###"
     # PRQL Doc
 
diff --git a/web/book/tests/documentation/main.rs b/web/book/tests/documentation/main.rs
index ec27a274bdb3..fbd7ddd038ef 100644
--- a/web/book/tests/documentation/main.rs
+++ b/web/book/tests/documentation/main.rs
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ mod website;
 use ::prql_compiler::Options;
 
 fn compile(prql: &str) -> Result<String, prql_compiler::ErrorMessages> {
+    anstream::ColorChoice::Never.write_global();
     prql_compiler::compile(prql, &Options::default().no_signature())
 }