diff --git a/core/clang/config.mk b/core/clang/config.mk
index 6df3e178c..c184a8778 100644
--- a/core/clang/config.mk
+++ b/core/clang/config.mk
@@ -60,8 +60,10 @@ CLANG_CONFIG_EXTRA_CPPFLAGS += \
 
 # Force clang to always output color diagnostics.  Ninja will strip the ANSI
 # color codes if it is not running in a terminal.
+ifdef BUILDING_WITH_NINJA
 CLANG_CONFIG_EXTRA_CFLAGS += \
   -fcolor-diagnostics
+endif
 
 CLANG_CONFIG_UNKNOWN_CFLAGS := \
   -finline-functions \
diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 34be76bbd..0f19dea83 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -587,7 +587,9 @@ COMMON_RELEASE_CFLAGS:= -DNDEBUG -UDEBUG
 
 # Force gcc to always output color diagnostics.  Ninja will strip the ANSI
 # color codes if it is not running in a terminal.
+ifdef BUILDING_WITH_NINJA
 COMMON_GLOBAL_CFLAGS += -fdiagnostics-color
+endif
 
 COMMON_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS:= -Wsign-promo
 COMMON_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS:=