diff --git a/functions/defaults.sh b/functions/defaults.sh
index cd28abdbd..2b7a1e27b 100755
--- a/functions/defaults.sh
+++ b/functions/defaults.sh
@@ -200,20 +200,19 @@ Set_config_defaults ()
 	LB_TASKSEL="${LB_TASKSEL:-apt}"
 
 	# Setting live build options
-	if [ -z "${_COLOR}" ]; then
-		_COLOR="auto"
-		_COLOR_OUT="true"
-		_COLOR_ERR="true"
-		if [ ! -t 1 ]; then
+	# Colouring is re-evaluated here just incase a hard coded override was given in the saved config
+	case "${_COLOR}" in
+		true)
+			_COLOR_OUT="true"
+			_COLOR_ERR="true"
+			;;
+		false)
 			_COLOR_OUT="false"
-		fi
-		if [ ! -t 2 ]; then
 			_COLOR_ERR="false"
-		fi
-	else
-		_COLOR_OUT="${_COLOR}"
-		_COLOR_ERR="${_COLOR}"
-	fi
+			;;
+		auto)
+			;;
+	esac
 	_BREAKPOINTS="${_BREAKPOINTS:-false}"
 	_DEBUG="${_DEBUG:-false}"
 	_FORCE="${_FORCE:-false}"
diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index 4eb99d3d5..6a5b541d2 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,21 @@
 
 set -e
 
+if [ -z "${_COLOR}" ]; then
+	_COLOR="auto"
+	_COLOR_OUT="true"
+	_COLOR_ERR="true"
+	if [ ! -t 1 ]; then
+		_COLOR_OUT="false"
+	fi
+	if [ ! -t 2 ]; then
+		_COLOR_ERR="false"
+	fi
+else
+	_COLOR_OUT="${_COLOR}"
+	_COLOR_ERR="${_COLOR}"
+fi
+
 if [ -e local/live-build ]
 then
 	LIVE_BUILD="${LIVE_BUILD:-${PWD}/local/live-build}"