diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 7c18e428023..c2511969c59 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -1581,7 +1581,7 @@ CmdLineParser::Result CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const a
 
     // Default template format..
     if (mSettings.templateFormat.empty()) {
-        mSettings.templateFormat = "{bold}{file}:{line}:{column}: {red}{inconclusive:{magenta}}{severity}:{inconclusive: inconclusive:}{default} {message} [{id}]{reset}\\n{code}";
+        mSettings.templateFormat = "{bold}{file}:{line}:{column}: {inconclusive:}{severity}:{inconclusive: inconclusive:}{default} {message} [{id}]{reset}\\n{code}";
         if (mSettings.templateLocation.empty())
             mSettings.templateLocation = "{bold}{file}:{line}:{column}: {dim}note:{reset} {info}\\n{code}";
     }
diff --git a/lib/errorlogger.cpp b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
index e62ed6b806d..0e7233c2d4d 100644
--- a/lib/errorlogger.cpp
+++ b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ std::string ErrorMessage::toString(bool verbose, const std::string &templateForm
     // replace id with guideline if present
     // replace severity with classification if present
     const std::string idStr = guideline.empty() ? id : guideline;
-    const std::string severityStr = classification.empty() ? severityToString(severity) : classification;
+    std::string severityStr = classification.empty() ? coloredSeverityToString(severity) : classification;
 
     findAndReplace(result, "{id}", idStr);
 
@@ -656,6 +656,7 @@ std::string ErrorMessage::toString(bool verbose, const std::string &templateForm
         findAndReplace(result, replaceFrom, replaceWith);
         pos1 = result.find("{inconclusive:", pos1);
     }
+    replaceColors(severityStr, !templateFormat.empty());
     findAndReplace(result, "{severity}", severityStr);
     findAndReplace(result, "{cwe}", std::to_string(cwe.id));
     findAndReplace(result, "{message}", verbose ? mVerboseMessage : mShortMessage);
diff --git a/lib/errortypes.cpp b/lib/errortypes.cpp
index 0741ea36796..948bc497a86 100644
--- a/lib/errortypes.cpp
+++ b/lib/errortypes.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,31 @@ std::string severityToString(Severity severity)
     cppcheck::unreachable();
 }
 
+std::string coloredSeverityToString(Severity severity)
+{
+    switch (severity) {
+    case Severity::none:
+        return "";
+    case Severity::error:
+        return "{red}error";
+    case Severity::warning:
+        return "{magenta}warning";
+    case Severity::style:
+        return "{bold}style";
+    case Severity::performance:
+        return "{bold}performance";
+    case Severity::portability:
+        return "{bold}portability";
+    case Severity::information:
+        return "{green}information";
+    case Severity::debug:
+        return "debug";
+    case Severity::internal:
+        return "internal";
+    }
+    throw InternalError(nullptr, "Unknown severity");
+}
+
 // TODO: bail out on invalid severity
 Severity severityFromString(const std::string& severity)
 {
diff --git a/lib/errortypes.h b/lib/errortypes.h
index e2fe6897447..8ee7f4cd827 100644
--- a/lib/errortypes.h
+++ b/lib/errortypes.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ enum class Severity : std::uint8_t {
 };
 
 CPPCHECKLIB std::string severityToString(Severity severity);
+CPPCHECKLIB std::string coloredSeverityToString(Severity severity);
 CPPCHECKLIB Severity severityFromString(const std::string &severity);
 
 struct CWE {
diff --git a/test/testerrorlogger.cpp b/test/testerrorlogger.cpp
index 42537ca36fb..b12839e9c47 100644
--- a/test/testerrorlogger.cpp
+++ b/test/testerrorlogger.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class TestErrorLogger : public TestFixture {
         TEST_CASE(ErrorMessageVerbose);
         TEST_CASE(ErrorMessageVerboseLocations);
         TEST_CASE(ErrorMessageFromInternalError);
+        TEST_CASE(ErrorMessageColorized);
         TEST_CASE(CustomFormat);
         TEST_CASE(CustomFormat2);
         TEST_CASE(CustomFormatLocations);
@@ -341,6 +342,34 @@ class TestErrorLogger : public TestFixture {
         testReportType(ReportType::certC, Severity::error, "resourceLeak", "L3", "FIO42-C");
     }
 
+    void ErrorMessageColorized() const {
+        const bool oDisableColors = gDisableColors;
+        gDisableColors = false;
+        setenv("CLICOLOR_FORCE", "1", 1);
+        std::list<ErrorMessage::FileLocation> locs = { };
+        {
+            ErrorMessage msg(std::move(locs), "", Severity::error, "Programming error.\nVerbose error", "errorId",
+                             Certainty::normal);
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("{bold} \x1b[31merror: Programming error.", msg.toString(false, "{bold} {severity}: {message}", ""));
+        }
+        {
+            ErrorMessage msg(std::move(locs), "", Severity::warning, "Programming warning.\nVerbose warning", "errorId",
+                             Certainty::normal);
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("{bold} \x1b[35mwarning: Programming warning.", msg.toString(false, "{bold} {severity}: {message}", ""));
+        }
+        {
+            ErrorMessage msg(std::move(locs), "", Severity::style, "Style.\nVerbose style", "errorId", Certainty::normal);
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("{bold} \x1b[1mstyle: Style.", msg.toString(false, "{bold} {severity}: {message}", ""));
+        }
+        {
+            ErrorMessage msg(std::move(locs), "", Severity::information, "Programming information.\nProgramming information",
+                             "errorId", Certainty::normal);
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("{bold} \x1b[32minformation: Programming information.", msg.toString(false, "{bold} {severity}: {message}", ""));
+        }
+        setenv("CLICOLOR_FORCE", "", 1);
+        gDisableColors = oDisableColors;
+    }
+
     void CustomFormat() const {
         std::list<ErrorMessage::FileLocation> locs(1, fooCpp5);
         ErrorMessage msg(std::move(locs), "", Severity::error, "Programming error.\nVerbose error", "errorId", Certainty::normal);