diff --git a/colors.mk b/colors.mk
index e341942..774204b 100644
--- a/colors.mk
+++ b/colors.mk
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 # See LICENSE file for license and copyright information
-#
 
+ifeq ($(COLOR),1)
+# GCC diagnostics colors
+DIAGNOSTICS_COLOR_AVAILABLE ?= $(shell ($(CC) -fdiagnostics-color=always -E - </dev/null >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && echo 1) || echo 0)
+ifeq ($(DIAGNOSTICS_COLOR_AVAILABLE),1)
+CPPFLAGS     += -fdiagnostics-color=always
+endif
+
+# colorful output
 TPUT ?= /usr/bin/tput
 TPUT_AVAILABLE ?= $(shell ${TPUT} -V 2>/dev/null)
 
 ifdef TPUT_AVAILABLE
-ifeq ($(COLOR),1)
 COLOR_NORMAL  = `$(TPUT) sgr0`
 COLOR_ACTION  = `$(TPUT) bold``$(TPUT) setaf 3`
 COLOR_COMMENT = `$(TPUT) bold``$(TPUT) setaf 2`
 COLOR_BRACKET = `$(TPUT) setaf 4`
-CC           += -fdiagnostics-color=always
 define colorecho
 	@echo $(COLOR_BRACKET)" ["$(COLOR_ACTION)$1$(COLOR_BRACKET)"] "$(COLOR_COMMENT)$2$(COLOR_BRACKET) $(COLOR_NORMAL)
 endef