diff --git a/src/websocket/interactive.rs b/src/websocket/interactive.rs
index 056e5e9..fe00a22 100644
--- a/src/websocket/interactive.rs
+++ b/src/websocket/interactive.rs
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ pub struct InteractiveMode {
     status: String,
     messages: Vec<MessageEntry>,
     format_json: bool,
+    color_json: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
@@ -152,6 +153,10 @@ pub enum InputAction {
 
 impl InteractiveMode {
     pub fn new(cols: usize, format_json: bool) -> Self {
+        Self::new_with_color(cols, format_json, false)
+    }
+
+    pub fn new_with_color(cols: usize, format_json: bool, color_json: bool) -> Self {
         Self {
             editor: LineEditor::default(),
             rows: 0,
@@ -160,6 +165,7 @@ impl InteractiveMode {
             status: "connected".to_string(),
             messages: Vec::new(),
             format_json,
+            color_json,
         }
     }
 
@@ -448,10 +454,14 @@ impl InteractiveMode {
     pub fn format_message(&self, data: &[u8]) -> Result<String, FetchError> {
         if self.format_json
             && serde_json::from_slice::<serde_json::Value>(data).is_ok()
-            && let Ok(formatted) = json::format_json_line(data, false)
+            && let Ok(formatted) = json::format_json_line(data, self.color_json)
         {
             let text = String::from_utf8_lossy(&formatted);
-            return Ok(sanitize_message_text(text.trim_end_matches('\n')));
+            return Ok(if self.color_json {
+                text.trim_end_matches('\n').to_string()
+            } else {
+                sanitize_message_text(text.trim_end_matches('\n'))
+            });
         }
         Ok(sanitize_message_text(&String::from_utf8_lossy(data)))
     }
@@ -644,6 +654,7 @@ pub async fn run_terminal<S>(
     stream: S,
     initial_message: Option<&[u8]>,
     format_json: bool,
+    color_json: bool,
     rows: usize,
     cols: usize,
 ) -> Result<(), FetchError>
@@ -655,7 +666,7 @@ where
     let (input_tx, mut input_rx) = tokio_mpsc::channel(STDIN_CHAN_BUF);
     spawn_stdin_reader(input_tx);
 
-    let mut mode = InteractiveMode::new(cols, format_json);
+    let mut mode = InteractiveMode::new_with_color(cols, format_json, color_json);
     let (initial_row, mut pending) = detect_cursor_row_async(&mut input_rx, &mut stdout).await?;
     mode.setup_screen(&mut stdout, rows, cols, initial_row)?;
     stdout.flush()?;
@@ -1029,7 +1040,18 @@ pub fn wrap_display_lines(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
 
         let mut line = String::new();
         let mut line_width = 0;
-        for ch in part.chars() {
+        let mut index = 0;
+        while index < part.len() {
+            if let Some((sequence, next)) = ansi_csi_sequence(part, index) {
+                line.push_str(sequence);
+                index = next;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let ch = part[index..]
+                .chars()
+                .next()
+                .expect("index is inside string bounds");
             let char_width = char_display_width(ch).max(1);
             if line_width > 0 && line_width + char_width > width {
                 lines.push(std::mem::take(&mut line));
@@ -1037,6 +1059,7 @@ pub fn wrap_display_lines(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
             }
             line.push(ch);
             line_width += char_width;
+            index += ch.len_utf8();
         }
         lines.push(line);
     }
@@ -1065,7 +1088,35 @@ pub fn fit_display_width(text: &str, width: usize) -> String {
 }
 
 fn display_width(text: &str) -> usize {
-    text.chars().map(|ch| char_display_width(ch).max(1)).sum()
+    let mut width = 0;
+    let mut index = 0;
+    while index < text.len() {
+        if let Some((_, next)) = ansi_csi_sequence(text, index) {
+            index = next;
+            continue;
+        }
+        let ch = text[index..]
+            .chars()
+            .next()
+            .expect("index is inside string bounds");
+        width += char_display_width(ch).max(1);
+        index += ch.len_utf8();
+    }
+    width
+}
+
+fn ansi_csi_sequence(text: &str, start: usize) -> Option<(&str, usize)> {
+    let bytes = text.as_bytes();
+    if bytes.get(start) != Some(&b'\x1b') || bytes.get(start + 1) != Some(&b'[') {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    for index in start + 2..bytes.len() {
+        if (0x40..=0x7e).contains(&bytes[index]) {
+            return Some((&text[start..=index], index + 1));
+        }
+    }
+    None
 }
 
 fn char_display_width(ch: char) -> usize {
@@ -1282,6 +1333,12 @@ mod tests {
                 4,
                 vec!["日本", "語"],
             ),
+            (
+                "ansi sgr sequences do not count toward width",
+                "\x1b[34mabc\x1b[0mdef",
+                3,
+                vec!["\x1b[34mabc\x1b[0m", "def"],
+            ),
         ];
 
         for (name, input, width, want) in cases {
@@ -1487,6 +1544,15 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(formatted, r#"{ "ok": true }"#);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn format_message_colors_json_when_enabled() {
+        let mode = InteractiveMode::new_with_color(80, true, true);
+        let formatted = mode.format_message(br#"{"ok":"yes"}"#).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(formatted.contains("\"\x1b[34m\x1b[1mok\x1b[0m\""));
+        assert!(formatted.contains("\"\x1b[32myes\x1b[0m\""));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn handle_input_submits_text_messages_on_enter() {
         let mut mode = InteractiveMode::new(20, false);
diff --git a/src/websocket/mod.rs b/src/websocket/mod.rs
index 6f26f6d..71a2172 100644
--- a/src/websocket/mod.rs
+++ b/src/websocket/mod.rs
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ pub async fn execute(cli: &Cli) -> Result<i32, FetchError> {
             stream,
             initial_message.as_deref(),
             should_format_for_interactive(cli),
+            use_color(cli, io::stdout().is_terminal()),
             size.rows,
             size.cols,
         )
@@ -305,9 +306,12 @@ async fn read_messages<S>(cli: &Cli, stream: &mut S) -> Result<(), FetchError>
 where
     S: futures_util::Stream<Item = Result<Message, WsError>> + Unpin,
 {
+    let stdout_is_terminal = io::stdout().is_terminal();
     while let Some(message) = stream.next().await {
         match message.map_err(websocket_error)? {
-            Message::Text(text) => write_text_message(cli, text.as_str().as_bytes())?,
+            Message::Text(text) => {
+                write_text_message(cli, text.as_str().as_bytes(), stdout_is_terminal)?
+            }
             Message::Binary(bytes) => write_binary_indicator(cli, bytes.len()),
             Message::Close(_) => return Ok(()),
             Message::Ping(_) | Message::Pong(_) | Message::Frame(_) => {}
@@ -316,9 +320,9 @@ where
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn write_text_message(cli: &Cli, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), FetchError> {
-    if should_format(cli)
-        && let Ok(formatted) = json::format_json_line(bytes, use_color(cli))
+fn write_text_message(cli: &Cli, bytes: &[u8], stdout_is_terminal: bool) -> Result<(), FetchError> {
+    if should_format(cli, stdout_is_terminal)
+        && let Ok(formatted) = json::format_json_line(bytes, use_color(cli, stdout_is_terminal))
     {
         print!("{}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&formatted));
         return Ok(());
@@ -327,11 +331,11 @@ fn write_text_message(cli: &Cli, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), FetchError> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn should_format(cli: &Cli) -> bool {
+fn should_format(cli: &Cli, stdout_is_terminal: bool) -> bool {
     match cli.format.as_deref() {
         Some("off") => false,
         Some("on") => true,
-        _ => io::stdout().is_terminal(),
+        _ => stdout_is_terminal,
     }
 }
 
@@ -339,8 +343,8 @@ fn should_format_for_interactive(cli: &Cli) -> bool {
     !matches!(cli.format.as_deref(), Some("off"))
 }
 
-fn use_color(cli: &Cli) -> bool {
-    cli.color.as_deref() == Some("on")
+fn use_color(cli: &Cli, stdout_is_terminal: bool) -> bool {
+    core::color_enabled(cli.color.as_deref(), stdout_is_terminal)
 }
 
 fn write_binary_indicator(cli: &Cli, len: usize) {
@@ -422,4 +426,17 @@ mod tests {
             "--ws-interactive on requires stdin, stdout, and stderr to be terminals"
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn websocket_json_color_matches_core_auto_policy() {
+        let default_cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["fetch", "ws://example.com"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(use_color(&default_cli, true));
+        assert!(!use_color(&default_cli, false));
+
+        let on_cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["fetch", "--color", "on", "ws://example.com"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(use_color(&on_cli, false));
+
+        let off_cli = Cli::try_parse_from(["fetch", "--color", "off", "ws://example.com"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(!use_color(&off_cli, true));
+    }
 }