diff --git a/esphomeyaml/platformio_api.py b/esphomeyaml/platformio_api.py
index fb25f0ebfe..7cc57df869 100644
--- a/esphomeyaml/platformio_api.py
+++ b/esphomeyaml/platformio_api.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import json
 import logging
+import os
 import re
 import subprocess
 
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ def run_platformio_cli(*args, **kwargs):
     import platformio.__main__
 
     cmd = ['platformio'] + list(args)
+    os.environ["PLATFORMIO_FORCE_COLOR"] = 'true'
     return run_external_command(platformio.__main__.main,
                                 *cmd, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/esphomeyaml/util.py b/esphomeyaml/util.py
index 4013d37053..bb9f4b3e66 100644
--- a/esphomeyaml/util.py
+++ b/esphomeyaml/util.py
@@ -48,18 +48,6 @@ def shlex_quote(s):
     return u"'" + s.replace(u"'", u"'\"'\"'") + u"'"
 
 
-class RedirectText(object):
-    def __init__(self, out):
-        self._out = out
-
-    def __getattr__(self, item):
-        return getattr(self._out, item)
-
-    # pylint: disable=no-self-use
-    def isatty(self):
-        return True
-
-
 def run_external_command(func, *cmd, **kwargs):
     def mock_exit(return_code):
         raise SystemExit(return_code)
@@ -69,9 +57,6 @@ def run_external_command(func, *cmd, **kwargs):
     full_cmd = u' '.join(shlex_quote(x) for x in cmd)
     _LOGGER.info(u"Running:  %s", full_cmd)
 
-    sys.stdout = RedirectText(sys.stdout)
-    sys.stderr = RedirectText(sys.stderr)
-
     capture_stdout = kwargs.get('capture_stdout', False)
     if capture_stdout:
         sys.stdout = io.BytesIO()
@@ -91,11 +76,6 @@ def run_external_command(func, *cmd, **kwargs):
         sys.argv = orig_argv
         sys.exit = orig_exit
 
-        if isinstance(sys.stdout, RedirectText):
-            sys.stdout = sys.__stdout__
-        if isinstance(sys.stderr, RedirectText):
-            sys.stderr = sys.__stderr__
-
         if capture_stdout:
             # pylint: disable=lost-exception
             stdout = sys.stdout.getvalue()