diff --git a/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake b/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
index dea808de..ec8d6137 100644
--- a/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
@@ -166,6 +166,14 @@ macro(set_fairmq_defaults)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_PROFILE        "-g3 -Wshadow -Wall -Wextra -fno-inline -ftest-coverage -fprofile-arcs")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_ADRESSSAN      "-O2 -g -Wshadow -Wall -Wextra -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_THREADSAN      "-O2 -g -Wshadow -Wall -Wextra -fsanitize=thread")
+
+  if(CMAKE_GENERATOR STREQUAL "Ninja" AND
+     ((CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU" AND NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 4.9) OR
+      (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Clang" AND NOT CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.5)))
+    # Force colored warnings in Ninja's output, if the compiler has -fdiagnostics-color support.
+    # Rationale in https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/issues/814
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -fdiagnostics-color=always")
+  endif()
 endmacro()
 
 function(join VALUES GLUE OUTPUT)