diff --git a/Godeps/Godeps.json b/Godeps/Godeps.json
index c8253085c..1647cf010 100644
--- a/Godeps/Godeps.json
+++ b/Godeps/Godeps.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"ImportPath": "github.com/asteris-llc/converge",
 	"GoVersion": "go1.6",
-	"GodepVersion": "v70",
+	"GodepVersion": "v74",
 	"Packages": [
 		"./..."
 	],
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@
 			"Comment": "v0.10.0-16-gcd7d1bb",
 			"Rev": "cd7d1bbe41066b6c1f19780f895901052150a575"
 		},
+		{
+			"ImportPath": "github.com/acmacalister/skittles",
+			"Rev": "8f7bde0f0de4cb42c1e8db861e67627558e97019"
+		},
 		{
 			"ImportPath": "github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew",
 			"Rev": "5215b55f46b2b919f50a1df0eaa5886afe4e3b3d"
diff --git a/cmd/apply.go b/cmd/apply.go
index 26f6e2bef..842f7c918 100644
--- a/cmd/apply.go
+++ b/cmd/apply.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/acmacalister/skittles"
 	"github.com/asteris-llc/converge/exec"
 	"github.com/asteris-llc/converge/load"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -97,7 +98,16 @@ var applyCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				}
 			}
 
-			fmt.Printf("\nApply complete. %d changes, %d successful, %d failed\n", counts.results, counts.success, counts.failures)
+			// summarize the changes for the user
+			summary := fmt.Sprintf("\nApply complete. %d changes, %d successful, %d failed\n", counts.results, counts.success, counts.failures)
+			if UseColor() {
+				if counts.failures > 0 {
+					summary = skittles.Red(summary)
+				} else {
+					summary = skittles.Green(summary)
+				}
+			}
+			fmt.Print(summary)
 
 			if counts.failures > 0 {
 				os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/cmd/plan.go b/cmd/plan.go
index 679311746..eca653a6a 100644
--- a/cmd/plan.go
+++ b/cmd/plan.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/acmacalister/skittles"
 	"github.com/asteris-llc/converge/exec"
 	"github.com/asteris-llc/converge/load"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -80,7 +81,16 @@ var planCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				}
 			}
 
-			fmt.Printf("\nPlan complete. %d checks, %d will change\n", counts.results, counts.changes)
+			// summarize the potential changes for the user
+			summary := fmt.Sprintf("\nPlan complete. %d checks, %d will change\n", counts.results, counts.changes)
+			if UseColor() {
+				if counts.changes > 0 {
+					summary = skittles.Yellow(summary)
+				} else {
+					summary = skittles.Green(summary)
+				}
+			}
+			fmt.Print(summary)
 		}
 	},
 }
diff --git a/cmd/util.go b/cmd/util.go
index c8a000a24..7e0515c0c 100644
--- a/cmd/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"runtime"
+
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -26,3 +28,11 @@ func viperBindPFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
 		logrus.WithError(err).Fatal("could not bind flags")
 	}
 }
+
+// UseColor tells us whether or not to print colors using ANSI escape sequences
+// based on the following: 1. If we're in a color terminal 2. If the user has
+// specified the `nocolor` option (deduced via Viper) 3. If we're on Windows.
+func UseColor() bool {
+	isColorTerminal := logrus.IsTerminal() && (runtime.GOOS != "windows")
+	return !viper.GetBool("nocolor") && isColorTerminal
+}
diff --git a/cmd/util_test.go b/cmd/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..122fa7676
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright © 2016 Asteris, LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/asteris-llc/converge/cmd"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestUseColor(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() { cmd.UseColor() })
+}