diff --git a/gst/gst.c b/gst/gst.c
index 72ad663ec1..d7b3824e3e 100644
--- a/gst/gst.c
+++ b/gst/gst.c
@@ -232,10 +232,17 @@ gst_init_check (int     *argc,
     g_print ("--------------------------------------------------------\n");
 
     for (i = 0; i<GST_CAT_MAX_CATEGORY; i++) {
+#if GST_DEBUG_COLOR
+      g_print ("   0x%08x     %s%s     \033[%sm%s\033[00m\n", 1<<i, 
+                  (gst_info_get_categories() & (1<<i)?"(enabled)":"         "),
+                  (gst_debug_get_categories() & (1<<i)?"/(enabled)":"/         "),
+		   _gst_category_colors[i], gst_get_category_name (i));
+#else
       g_print ("   0x%08x     %s%s     %s\n", 1<<i, 
                   (gst_info_get_categories() & (1<<i)?"(enabled)":"         "),
                   (gst_debug_get_categories() & (1<<i)?"/(enabled)":"/         "),
-		   gst_get_category_name (i));
+                   gst_get_category_name (i));
+#endif
     }
 
     ret = FALSE;
diff --git a/gst/gstinfo.c b/gst/gstinfo.c
index 2dcff8638c..7dea925a17 100644
--- a/gst/gstinfo.c
+++ b/gst/gstinfo.c
@@ -69,33 +69,33 @@ static gchar *_gst_info_category_strings[] = {
 };
 
 const gchar *_gst_category_colors[32] = {
-  [GST_CAT_GST_INIT] = "00;37",
-  [GST_CAT_COTHREADS] = "00;32",
-  [GST_CAT_COTHREAD_SWITCH] = "00;32",
-  [GST_CAT_AUTOPLUG] = "00;34",
-  [GST_CAT_AUTOPLUG_ATTEMPT] = "00;34",
-  [GST_CAT_PARENTAGE] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_STATES] = "00;31",
-  [GST_CAT_PLANNING] = "00;35",
-  [GST_CAT_SCHEDULING] = "00;35",
-  [GST_CAT_DATAFLOW] = "00;32",
-  [GST_CAT_BUFFER] = "00;32",
-  [GST_CAT_CAPS] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_CLOCK] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_ELEMENT_PADS] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_ELEMENTFACTORY] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_PADS] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_PIPELINE] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_LOADING] = "00;36",
-  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_ERRORS] = "05;31",
-  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_INFO] = "00;36",
-  [GST_CAT_PROPERTIES] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_THREAD] = "00;31",
-  [GST_CAT_TYPES] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_XML] = "",
-  [GST_CAT_NEGOTIATION] = "",
+  [GST_CAT_GST_INIT]		= "07;37",
+  [GST_CAT_COTHREADS]		= "00;32",
+  [GST_CAT_COTHREAD_SWITCH]	= "00;32",
+  [GST_CAT_AUTOPLUG]		= "00;34",
+  [GST_CAT_AUTOPLUG_ATTEMPT]	= "00;34",
+  [GST_CAT_PARENTAGE]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_STATES]		= "00;31",
+  [GST_CAT_PLANNING]		= "00;35",
+  [GST_CAT_SCHEDULING]		= "00;35",
+  [GST_CAT_DATAFLOW]		= "00;32",
+  [GST_CAT_BUFFER]		= "00;32",
+  [GST_CAT_CAPS]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_CLOCK]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_ELEMENT_PADS]	= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_ELEMENTFACTORY]	= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_PADS]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_PIPELINE]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_LOADING]	= "00;36",
+  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_ERRORS]	= "05;31",
+  [GST_CAT_PLUGIN_INFO]		= "00;36",
+  [GST_CAT_PROPERTIES]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_THREAD]		= "00;31",
+  [GST_CAT_TYPES]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_XML]			= "01;37;41",		// !!
+  [GST_CAT_NEGOTIATION]		= "01;37;41",		// !!
 
-  [31] = "",
+  [31]				= "",
 };
 
 
diff --git a/gst/gstinfo.h b/gst/gstinfo.h
index f3c4cc414e..24bfc79775 100644
--- a/gst/gstinfo.h
+++ b/gst/gstinfo.h
@@ -104,11 +104,19 @@ getpid() , cothread_getcurrent() , _gst_category_colors[cat] , __LINE__ , ## arg
     fprintf(stderr,format , ## args ); \
 }G_STMT_END
 
-#define GST_DEBUG_ENTER(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
-  if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
-      ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
-    fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": entering\n" , ## args )); \
-}G_STMT_END
+#ifdef GST_DEBUG_COLOR
+  #define GST_DEBUG_ENTER(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
+    if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
+        ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
+      fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": \033[01;37mentering\033[00m\n" , ## args )); \
+  }G_STMT_END
+#else
+  #define GST_DEBUG_ENTER(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
+    if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
+        ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
+      fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": entering\n" , ## args )); \
+  }G_STMT_END
+#endif /* GST_DEBUG_COLOR */
 
 // FIXME FIXME FIXME this leaks like crazy
 #define GST_DEBUG_SET_STRING(format, args...) \
@@ -116,12 +124,21 @@ getpid() , cothread_getcurrent() , _gst_category_colors[cat] , __LINE__ , ## arg
 
 #define GST_DEBUG_ENTER_STRING GST_DEBUG_ENTER("%s",_debug_string)
 
-#define GST_DEBUG_LEAVE(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
-  if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
-      ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
-    if (_debug_string != NULL) g_free(_debug_string),\
-      fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": leaving\n" , ## args )); \
-}G_STMT_END
+#ifdef GST_DEBUG_COLOR
+  #define GST_DEBUG_LEAVE(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
+    if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
+        ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
+      if (_debug_string != NULL) g_free(_debug_string),\
+        fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": \033[01;37mleaving\033[00m\n" , ## args )); \
+  }G_STMT_END
+#else
+  #define GST_DEBUG_LEAVE(format, args...) G_STMT_START{ \
+    if (((1<<31) & GST_DEBUG_ENABLE_CATEGORIES) && \
+        ((1<<31) & _gst_debug_categories)) \
+      if (_debug_string != NULL) g_free(_debug_string),\
+        fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(31,format": leaving\n" , ## args )); \
+  }G_STMT_END
+#endif /* GST_DEBUG_COLOR */
 
 #define GST_DEBUG_LEAVE_STRING GST_DEBUG_LEAVE("%s",_debug_string)