diff --git a/test/functional/test_runner.py b/test/functional/test_runner.py
index 79efa6131c..082d006540 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_runner.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_runner.py
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ def main():
                                      epilog='''
     Help text and arguments for individual test script:''',
                                      formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter)
+    parser.add_argument('--ansi', action='store_true', default=sys.stdout.isatty(), help="Use ANSI colors and dots in output (enabled by default when standard output is a TTY)")
     parser.add_argument('--combinedlogslen', '-c', type=int, default=0, metavar='n', help='On failure, print a log (of length n lines) to the console, combined from the test framework and all test nodes.')
     parser.add_argument('--coverage', action='store_true', help='generate a basic coverage report for the RPC interface')
     parser.add_argument('--ci', action='store_true', help='Run checks and code that are usually only enabled in a continuous integration environment')
@@ -239,7 +240,14 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('--tmpdirprefix', '-t', default=tempfile.gettempdir(), help="Root directory for datadirs")
     parser.add_argument('--failfast', action='store_true', help='stop execution after the first test failure')
     parser.add_argument('--filter', help='filter scripts to run by regular expression')
+
     args, unknown_args = parser.parse_known_args()
+    if not args.ansi:
+        global BOLD, GREEN, RED, GREY
+        BOLD = ("", "")
+        GREEN = ("", "")
+        RED = ("", "")
+        GREY = ("", "")
 
     # args to be passed on always start with two dashes; tests are the remaining unknown args
     tests = [arg for arg in unknown_args if arg[:2] != "--"]
@@ -341,9 +349,10 @@ def main():
         combined_logs_len=args.combinedlogslen,
         failfast=args.failfast,
         runs_ci=args.ci,
+        use_term_control=args.ansi,
     )
 
-def run_tests(*, test_list, src_dir, build_dir, tmpdir, jobs=1, enable_coverage=False, args=None, combined_logs_len=0, failfast=False, runs_ci):
+def run_tests(*, test_list, src_dir, build_dir, tmpdir, jobs=1, enable_coverage=False, args=None, combined_logs_len=0, failfast=False, runs_ci, use_term_control):
     args = args or []
 
     # Warn if bitcoind is already running (unix only)
@@ -385,6 +394,7 @@ def run_tests(*, test_list, src_dir, build_dir, tmpdir, jobs=1, enable_coverage=
         test_list=test_list,
         flags=flags,
         timeout_duration=40 * 60 if runs_ci else float('inf'),  # in seconds
+        use_term_control=use_term_control,
     )
     start_time = time.time()
     test_results = []
@@ -468,7 +478,7 @@ class TestHandler:
     Trigger the test scripts passed in via the list.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, *, num_tests_parallel, tests_dir, tmpdir, test_list, flags, timeout_duration):
+    def __init__(self, *, num_tests_parallel, tests_dir, tmpdir, test_list, flags, timeout_duration, use_term_control):
         assert num_tests_parallel >= 1
         self.num_jobs = num_tests_parallel
         self.tests_dir = tests_dir
@@ -478,6 +488,7 @@ class TestHandler:
         self.flags = flags
         self.num_running = 0
         self.jobs = []
+        self.use_term_control = use_term_control
 
     def get_next(self):
         while self.num_running < self.num_jobs and self.test_list:
@@ -529,11 +540,13 @@ class TestHandler:
                         status = "Failed"
                     self.num_running -= 1
                     self.jobs.remove(job)
-                    clearline = '\r' + (' ' * dot_count) + '\r'
-                    print(clearline, end='', flush=True)
+                    if self.use_term_control:
+                        clearline = '\r' + (' ' * dot_count) + '\r'
+                        print(clearline, end='', flush=True)
                     dot_count = 0
                     return TestResult(name, status, int(time.time() - start_time)), testdir, stdout, stderr
-            print('.', end='', flush=True)
+            if self.use_term_control:
+                print('.', end='', flush=True)
             dot_count += 1
 
     def kill_and_join(self):