diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 69bbf60..dd8d30f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
 - users/orgs directory no longer appends "\_ghorg" or forces underscores
 - make $HOME/.config/ghorg/conf.yaml optional
 - color is off by default
+- color flag configuration options are enabled/disabled
 ### Deprecated
 ### Removed
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/cmd/clone.go b/cmd/clone.go
index 9fbb417..3f00aab 100644
--- a/cmd/clone.go
+++ b/cmd/clone.go
@@ -28,16 +28,6 @@ var cloneCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func cloneFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, argz []string) {
 
-	if cmd.Flags().Changed("color") {
-		colorToggle := cmd.Flag("color").Value.String()
-		if colorToggle == "on" {
-			os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", colorToggle)
-		} else {
-			os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", "off")
-		}
-
-	}
-
 	if cmd.Flags().Changed("path") {
 		absolutePath := configs.EnsureTrailingSlash((cmd.Flag("path").Value.String()))
 		os.Setenv("GHORG_ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE_TO", absolutePath)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 23e53d6..8c924f9 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -47,8 +47,26 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	},
 }
 
+// reads in configuration file and updates anything not set to default
 func getOrSetDefaults(envVar string) {
 
+	if envVar == "GHORG_COLOR" {
+		if color == "enabled" {
+			os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", "enabled")
+			return
+		}
+
+		if color == "disabled" {
+			os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", "disabled")
+			return
+		}
+
+		if viper.GetString(envVar) == "enabled" {
+			os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", "enabled")
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	// When a user does not set value in $HOME/.config/ghorg/conf.yaml set the default values, else set env to what they have added to the file.
 	if viper.GetString(envVar) == "" {
 		switch envVar {
@@ -66,6 +84,8 @@ func getOrSetDefaults(envVar string) {
 			os.Setenv(envVar, "false")
 		case "GHORG_BACKUP":
 			os.Setenv(envVar, "false")
+		case "GHORG_COLOR":
+			os.Setenv(envVar, "disabled")
 		case "GHORG_PRESERVE_DIRECTORY_STRUCTURE":
 			os.Setenv(envVar, "false")
 		case "GHORG_CONCURRENCY":
@@ -73,7 +93,6 @@ func getOrSetDefaults(envVar string) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		s := viper.GetString(envVar)
-
 		// envs that need a trailing slash
 		if envVar == "GHORG_SCM_BASE_URL" || envVar == "GHORG_ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE_TO" {
 			os.Setenv(envVar, configs.EnsureTrailingSlash(s))
@@ -81,6 +100,10 @@ func getOrSetDefaults(envVar string) {
 			os.Setenv(envVar, s)
 		}
 	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("GHORG_DEBUG") != "" {
+		fmt.Printf("%s: %s\n", envVar, os.Getenv(envVar))
+	}
 }
 
 func InitConfig() {
@@ -96,10 +119,6 @@ func InitConfig() {
 
 	}
 
-	if viper.GetString("color") == "on" {
-		os.Setenv("GHORG_COLOR", "on")
-	}
-
 	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
 		if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); ok {
 			os.Setenv("GHORG_CONF", "none")
@@ -109,6 +128,10 @@ func InitConfig() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if os.Getenv("GHORG_DEBUG") != "" {
+		fmt.Println("-------- Setting Default ENV values ---------")
+	}
+
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE_TO")
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_BRANCH")
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_CLONE_PROTOCOL")
@@ -121,6 +144,7 @@ func InitConfig() {
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_MATCH_PREFIX")
 	// Optionally set
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_GITHUB_TOKEN")
+	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_COLOR")
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_TOPICS")
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_GITLAB_TOKEN")
 	getOrSetDefaults("GHORG_BITBUCKET_USERNAME")
@@ -141,11 +165,10 @@ func InitConfig() {
 func init() {
 	cobra.OnInitialize(InitConfig)
 
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&color, "color", "", "off", "GHORG_COLOR - toggles colorful output")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&config, "config", "", "", "manually set the path to your config file")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&color, "color", "", "GHORG_COLOR - toggles colorful output (default: disabled)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&config, "config", "", "manually set the path to your config file")
 
 	viper.SetDefault("config", configs.DefaultConfFile())
-	viper.SetDefault("color", "off")
 
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag("color", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("color"))
 	_ = viper.BindPFlag("config", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("config"))
diff --git a/colorlog/colorlog.go b/colorlog/colorlog.go
index 8eadcaa..88f84ba 100644
--- a/colorlog/colorlog.go
+++ b/colorlog/colorlog.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 // PrintInfo prints yellow colored text to standard out
 func PrintInfo(msg interface{}) {
 	switch os.Getenv("GHORG_COLOR") {
-	case "on":
+	case "enabled":
 		color.New(color.FgYellow).Println(msg)
 	default:
 		fmt.Println(msg)
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func PrintInfo(msg interface{}) {
 // PrintSuccess prints green colored text to standard out
 func PrintSuccess(msg interface{}) {
 	switch os.Getenv("GHORG_COLOR") {
-	case "on":
+	case "enabled":
 		color.New(color.FgGreen).Println(msg)
 	default:
 		fmt.Println(msg)
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func PrintSuccess(msg interface{}) {
 // PrintError prints red colored text to standard out
 func PrintError(msg interface{}) {
 	switch os.Getenv("GHORG_COLOR") {
-	case "on":
+	case "enabled":
 		color.New(color.FgRed).Println(msg)
 	default:
 		fmt.Println(msg)
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func PrintError(msg interface{}) {
 // PrintSubtleInfo prints magenta colored text to standard out
 func PrintSubtleInfo(msg interface{}) {
 	switch os.Getenv("GHORG_COLOR") {
-	case "on":
+	case "enabled":
 		color.New(color.FgHiMagenta).Println(msg)
 	default:
 		fmt.Println(msg)