diff --git a/src/cpptrace.cpp b/src/cpptrace.cpp
index acd7fc3..d69a2c2 100644
--- a/src/cpptrace.cpp
+++ b/src/cpptrace.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,11 @@ namespace cpptrace {
     }
 
     void stacktrace::print(std::ostream& stream, bool color, bool newline_at_end, const char* header) const {
-        if(color) {
+        if(
+            color && (
+                (&stream == &std::cout && isatty(stdout_fileno)) || (&stream == &std::cerr && isatty(stderr_fileno))
+            )
+        ) {
             detail::enable_virtual_terminal_processing_if_needed();
         }
         stream<<(header ? header : "Stack trace (most recent call first):")<<std::endl;
diff --git a/src/ctrace.cpp b/src/ctrace.cpp
index bdd5132..63e3d4a 100644
--- a/src/ctrace.cpp
+++ b/src/ctrace.cpp
@@ -300,7 +300,12 @@ extern "C" {
     }
 
     void ctrace_stacktrace_print(const ctrace_stacktrace* trace, FILE* to, ctrace_bool use_color) {
-        if(use_color) cpptrace::detail::enable_virtual_terminal_processing_if_needed();
+        if(
+            use_color && (
+                (to == stdout && cpptrace::isatty(cpptrace::stdout_fileno)) ||
+                (to == stderr && cpptrace::isatty(cpptrace::stderr_fileno))
+            )
+        ) cpptrace::detail::enable_virtual_terminal_processing_if_needed();
         ctrace::ffprintf(to, "Stack trace (most recent call first):\n");
         if(trace->count == 0 || !trace->frames) {
             ctrace::ffprintf(to, "<empty trace>\n");