diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index d1611f7b9..1356e9224 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ install:
 
 script:
   - ulimit -n 4096
-  - powershell -File scripts/travis.ps1
\ No newline at end of file
+  - powershell -File scripts/travis.ps1
diff --git a/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHost.cs b/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHost.cs
index d524396c6..33925f044 100644
--- a/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHost.cs
+++ b/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHost.cs
@@ -77,15 +77,140 @@ public override string Name
             get { return this.hostDetails.Name; }
         }
 
+        internal class ConsoleColorProxy
+        {
+            private EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface _hostUserInterface;
+
+            internal ConsoleColorProxy(EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface hostUserInterface)
+            {
+                if (hostUserInterface == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("hostUserInterface");
+                _hostUserInterface = hostUserInterface;
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The ForegroundColor for Error
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor ErrorForegroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.ErrorForegroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.ErrorForegroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The BackgroundColor for Error
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor ErrorBackgroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.ErrorBackgroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.ErrorBackgroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The ForegroundColor for Warning
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor WarningForegroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.WarningForegroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.WarningForegroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The BackgroundColor for Warning
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor WarningBackgroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.WarningBackgroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.WarningBackgroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The ForegroundColor for Debug
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor DebugForegroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.DebugForegroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.DebugForegroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The BackgroundColor for Debug
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor DebugBackgroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.DebugBackgroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.DebugBackgroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The ForegroundColor for Verbose
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor VerboseForegroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.VerboseForegroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.VerboseForegroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The BackgroundColor for Verbose
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor VerboseBackgroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.VerboseBackgroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.VerboseBackgroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The ForegroundColor for Progress
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor ProgressForegroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.ProgressForegroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.ProgressForegroundColor = value; }
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The BackgroundColor for Progress
+            /// </summary>
+            public ConsoleColor ProgressBackgroundColor
+            {
+                get
+                { return _hostUserInterface.ProgressBackgroundColor; }
+                set
+                { _hostUserInterface.ProgressBackgroundColor = value; }
+            }
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
-        ///  
+        /// Return the actual console host object so that the user can get at
+        /// the unproxied methods.
         /// </summary>
         public override PSObject PrivateData
         {
-            // There is no PrivateData yet but by returning an empty object we can get past PowerShell's
-            // check for $host.PrivateData["window"] which errors on the null returned by default.
-            get { return new PSObject(); }
+            get
+            {
+                if (hostUserInterface == null) return null;
+                return _consoleColorProxy ?? (_consoleColorProxy = PSObject.AsPSObject(new ConsoleColorProxy(hostUserInterface)));
+            }
         }
+        private PSObject _consoleColorProxy;
 
         /// <summary>
         ///
diff --git a/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface.cs b/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface.cs
index e5006f0f7..2aceaaf10 100644
--- a/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface.cs
+++ b/src/PowerShellEditorServices/Session/Host/EditorServicesPSHostUserInterface.cs
@@ -529,7 +529,8 @@ public override void WriteDebugLine(string message)
                 DebugMessagePrefix + message,
                 true,
                 OutputType.Debug,
-                foregroundColor: ConsoleColor.Yellow);
+                foregroundColor: this.DebugForegroundColor,
+                backgroundColor: this.DebugBackgroundColor);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -542,7 +543,8 @@ public override void WriteVerboseLine(string message)
                 VerboseMessagePrefix + message,
                 true,
                 OutputType.Verbose,
-                foregroundColor: ConsoleColor.Blue);
+                foregroundColor: this.VerboseForegroundColor,
+                backgroundColor: this.VerboseBackgroundColor);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -555,7 +557,8 @@ public override void WriteWarningLine(string message)
                 WarningMessagePrefix + message,
                 true,
                 OutputType.Warning,
-                foregroundColor: ConsoleColor.Yellow);
+                foregroundColor: this.WarningForegroundColor,
+                backgroundColor: this.WarningBackgroundColor);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -568,7 +571,8 @@ public override void WriteErrorLine(string value)
                 value,
                 true,
                 OutputType.Error,
-                ConsoleColor.Red);
+                foregroundColor: this.ErrorForegroundColor,
+                backgroundColor: this.ErrorBackgroundColor);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -684,6 +688,23 @@ private void WriteDebuggerBanner(DebuggerStopEventArgs eventArgs)
             }
         }
 
+        internal static ConsoleColor BackgroundColor { get; set; }
+
+        internal ConsoleColor ErrorForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Red;
+        internal ConsoleColor ErrorBackgroundColor { get; set; } = BackgroundColor;
+
+        internal ConsoleColor WarningForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
+        internal ConsoleColor WarningBackgroundColor { get; set; } = BackgroundColor;
+
+        internal ConsoleColor DebugForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
+        internal ConsoleColor DebugBackgroundColor { get; set; } = BackgroundColor;
+
+        internal ConsoleColor VerboseForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
+        internal ConsoleColor VerboseBackgroundColor { get; set; } = BackgroundColor;
+
+        internal ConsoleColor ProgressForegroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.Yellow;
+        internal ConsoleColor ProgressBackgroundColor { get; set; } = ConsoleColor.DarkCyan;
+
         private async Task StartReplLoop(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         {
             do