diff --git a/lib/thor/shell/color.rb b/lib/thor/shell/color.rb
index 6d8fd409..b76dc853 100644
--- a/lib/thor/shell/color.rb
+++ b/lib/thor/shell/color.rb
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ def set_color(string, *colors)
     protected
 
       def can_display_colors?
-        are_colors_supported? && !are_colors_disabled?
+        ENV["FORCE_COLOR"] || (are_colors_supported? && !are_colors_disabled?)
       end
 
       def are_colors_supported?
diff --git a/spec/shell/color_spec.rb b/spec/shell/color_spec.rb
index 3b40c0b3..70b0bab6 100644
--- a/spec/shell/color_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/shell/color_spec.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@ def shell
       shell.ask "Is this green?", :green, limited_to: %w(Yes No Maybe)
     end
 
+    it "sets the color if FORCE_COLOR is set to a non-empty value, and NO_COLOR is set to a non-empty value" do
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("FORCE_COLOR").and_return("set color")
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("NO_COLOR").and_return("non-empty value")
+      expect(Thor::LineEditor).to receive(:readline).with("\e[32mIs this green? \e[0m", anything).and_return("yes")
+      shell.ask "Is this green?", :green
+
+      expect(Thor::LineEditor).to receive(:readline).with("\e[32mIs this green? [Yes, No, Maybe] \e[0m", anything).and_return("Yes")
+      shell.ask "Is this green?", :green, limited_to: %w(Yes No Maybe)
+    end
+
     it "sets the color when NO_COLOR is ignored because the environment variable is nil" do
       allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("NO_COLOR").and_return(nil)
       expect(Thor::LineEditor).to receive(:readline).with("\e[32mIs this green? \e[0m", anything).and_return("yes")
@@ -77,6 +87,17 @@ def shell
       expect(out.chomp).to eq("Wow! Now we have colors!")
     end
 
+    it "sets the color if FORCE_COLOR is a non-empty value, and output is not a tty" do
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("FORCE_COLOR").and_return("set color")
+
+      out = capture(:stdout) do
+        allow($stdout).to receive(:tty?).and_return(false)
+        shell.say "Wow! Now we have colors!", :green
+      end
+
+      expect(out.chomp).to eq("\e[32mWow! Now we have colors!\e[0m")
+    end
+
     it "does not set the color if NO_COLOR is set to any value that is not an empty string" do
       allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("NO_COLOR").and_return("non-empty string value")
       out = capture(:stdout) do
@@ -188,6 +209,18 @@ def shell
       expect(colorless).to eq("hi!")
     end
 
+    it "sets color when the FORCE_COLOR environment variable is set to a non-empty value, and NO_COLOR environment variable set to a non-empty string" do
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("FORCE_COLOR").and_return("set color")
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("NO_COLOR").and_return("non-empty value")
+      allow($stdout).to receive(:tty?).and_return(true)
+
+      red = shell.set_color "hi!", :red
+      expect(red).to eq("\e[31mhi!\e[0m")
+
+      on_red = shell.set_color "hi!", :white, :on_red
+      expect(on_red).to eq("\e[37m\e[41mhi!\e[0m")
+    end
+
     it "sets color when the NO_COLOR environment variable is ignored for being nil" do
       allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("NO_COLOR").and_return(nil)
       allow($stdout).to receive(:tty?).and_return(true)