diff --git a/lib/fork.js b/lib/fork.js
index bf918d391..228fd7bb0 100644
--- a/lib/fork.js
+++ b/lib/fork.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const path = require('path');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const Promise = require('bluebird');
 const debug = require('debug')('ava');
+const hasFlag = require('has-flag');
 const AvaError = require('./ava-error');
 
 if (fs.realpathSync(__filename) !== __filename) {
@@ -36,7 +37,15 @@ module.exports = (file, opts, execArgv) => {
 		} : false
 	}, opts);
 
-	const args = [JSON.stringify(opts), opts.color ? '--color' : '--no-color'];
+	const args = [JSON.stringify(opts)];
+
+	if (hasFlag('--color')) {
+		args.push(`--color=${opts.color}`);
+	}
+
+	if (hasFlag('--no-color')) {
+		args.push('--no-color');
+	}
 
 	const ps = childProcess.fork(path.join(__dirname, 'test-worker.js'), args, {
 		cwd: opts.projectDir,
diff --git a/lib/process-adapter.js b/lib/process-adapter.js
index 5f9c0d79d..07aad3f21 100644
--- a/lib/process-adapter.js
+++ b/lib/process-adapter.js
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ exports.ipcChannel = process.channel || process._channel;
 const opts = JSON.parse(process.argv[2]);
 exports.opts = opts;
 
+// Remove internal `ava` options from arguments
+process.argv.splice(2, 1);
+
 // Fake TTY support
 if (opts.tty) {
 	process.stdout.isTTY = true;
diff --git a/lib/test-worker.js b/lib/test-worker.js
index d70403c89..dd2456d62 100644
--- a/lib/test-worker.js
+++ b/lib/test-worker.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
+const chalk = require('chalk');
 
 // Check if the test is being run without AVA cli
 {
 	const path = require('path');
-	const chalk = require('chalk');
 
 	const isForked = typeof process.send === 'function';
 	if (!isForked) {
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ globals.options = opts;
 
 const serializeError = require('./serialize-error');
 
+// Initialize color support
+chalk.enabled = opts.color;
+
 (opts.require || []).forEach(require);
 
 adapter.installSourceMapSupport();
diff --git a/test/cli.js b/test/cli.js
index aa69d04aa..0adc8347b 100644
--- a/test/cli.js
+++ b/test/cli.js
@@ -802,3 +802,17 @@ test('--color enables formatting colors', t => {
 		t.end();
 	});
 });
+
+test('--no-color forwards flag to worker', t => {
+	execCli(['--no-color', 'no-color-flag.js'], {dirname: 'fixture'}, err => {
+		t.ok(err);
+		t.end();
+	});
+});
+
+test('--color forwards flag to worker', t => {
+	execCli(['--color', 'color-flag.js'], {dirname: 'fixture'}, err => {
+		t.ok(err);
+		t.end();
+	});
+});
diff --git a/test/fixture/arguments.js b/test/fixture/arguments.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d7768de6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/arguments.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import test from '../../';
+
+test(t => {
+	t.is(process.argv[2], undefined);
+});
diff --git a/test/fixture/color-flag.js b/test/fixture/color-flag.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec17e8692
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/color-flag.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import test from '../../';
+
+test(t => {
+	t.is(process.argv[2], '--color');
+});
diff --git a/test/fixture/no-color-flag.js b/test/fixture/no-color-flag.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86a0bb4ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixture/no-color-flag.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import test from '../../';
+
+test(t => {
+	t.is(process.argv[2], '--no-color');
+});
diff --git a/test/fork.js b/test/fork.js
index 9062c7e40..4b8700ee8 100644
--- a/test/fork.js
+++ b/test/fork.js
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ test('color support is initialized correctly', t => {
 
 	return Promise.all([
 		fork(fixture('chalk-enabled.js'), {color: true}).run({}),
-		fork(fixture('chalk-disabled.js'), {color: false}).run({}),
-		fork(fixture('chalk-disabled.js'), {}).run({})
+		fork(fixture('chalk-disabled.js'), {color: false}).run({})
 	]).then(info => {
 		info.forEach(info => {
 			if (info.stats.failCount > 0) {
@@ -151,3 +150,12 @@ test('color support is initialized correctly', t => {
 		t.is(info.length, 3);
 	});
 });
+
+test('doesn\'t pass internal options to worker', t => {
+	return fork(fixture('arguments.js'))
+		.run({})
+		.then(info => {
+			t.is(info.stats.passCount, 1);
+			t.end();
+		});
+});