3 files changed, 13 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/ctx.c b/ctx.c
index cf47bc4..6146b3c 100644
--- a/ctx.c
+++ b/ctx.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ struct bfs_ctx *bfs_ctx_new(void) {
 	ctx->xargs_safe = false;
 
 	ctx->colors = NULL;
+	ctx->colors_error = 0;
 	ctx->cout = NULL;
 	ctx->cerr = NULL;
 
diff --git a/ctx.h b/ctx.h
index b638e74..ec626c5 100644
--- a/ctx.h
+++ b/ctx.h
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ struct bfs_ctx {
 
 	/** Color data. */
 	struct colors *colors;
+	/** The error that occurred parsing the color table, if any. */
+	int colors_error;
 	/** Colored stdout. */
 	CFILE *cout;
 	/** Colored stderr. */
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
index fadf0c5..c0c345c 100644
--- a/parse.c
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -962,7 +962,13 @@ static struct expr *parse_capable(struct parser_state *state, int flag, int arg2
 static struct expr *parse_color(struct parser_state *state, int color, int arg2) {
 	struct bfs_ctx *ctx = state->ctx;
 	struct colors *colors = ctx->colors;
+
 	if (color) {
+		if (!colors) {
+			parse_error(state, "${blu}%s${rs}: %s.\n", state->argv[0], strerror(ctx->colors_error));
+			return NULL;
+		}
+
 		state->use_color = COLOR_ALWAYS;
 		ctx->cout->colors = colors;
 		ctx->cerr->colors = colors;
@@ -971,6 +977,7 @@ static struct expr *parse_color(struct parser_state *state, int color, int arg2)
 		ctx->cout->colors = NULL;
 		ctx->cerr->colors = NULL;
 	}
+
 	return parse_nullary_option(state);
 }
 
@@ -3479,6 +3486,9 @@ struct bfs_ctx *bfs_parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	}
 
 	ctx->colors = parse_colors(getenv("LS_COLORS"));
+	if (!ctx->colors) {
+		ctx->colors_error = errno;
+	}
 
 	ctx->cout = cfdup(stdout, use_color ? ctx->colors : NULL);
 	if (!ctx->cout) {