diff --git a/src/jv_print.c b/src/jv_print.c
index 08ba2656b4..44ff36f3e4 100644
--- a/src/jv_print.c
+++ b/src/jv_print.c
@@ -260,21 +260,17 @@ static void jv_dump_term(struct dtoa_context* C, jv x, int flags, int indent, FI
       break;
     }
     put_str("[", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-    if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
-      put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-      put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-    }
     jv_array_foreach(x, i, elem) {
       if (i!=0) {
-        if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
-          put_str(",\n", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-          put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-        } else {
-          put_str(",", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-        }
+        if (color) put_str(color, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+        put_char(',', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      }
+      if (color) put_str(COLRESET, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
+        put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+        put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
       }
       jv_dump_term(C, elem, flags, indent + 1, F, S);
-      if (color) put_str(color, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
     }
     if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
       put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
@@ -292,10 +288,6 @@ static void jv_dump_term(struct dtoa_context* C, jv x, int flags, int indent, FI
       break;
     }
     put_char('{', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-    if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
-      put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-      put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-    }
     int first = 1;
     int i = 0;
     jv keyset = jv_null();
@@ -326,14 +318,14 @@ static void jv_dump_term(struct dtoa_context* C, jv x, int flags, int indent, FI
       }
 
       if (!first) {
-        if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY){
-          put_str(",\n", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-          put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-        } else {
-          put_str(",", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-        }
+        if (color) put_str(color, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+        put_char(',', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
       }
       if (color) put_str(COLRESET, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
+        put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+        put_indent(indent + 1, flags, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      }
 
       first = 0;
       if (color) put_str(FIELD_COLOR, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
@@ -342,11 +334,13 @@ static void jv_dump_term(struct dtoa_context* C, jv x, int flags, int indent, FI
       if (color) put_str(COLRESET, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
 
       if (color) put_str(color, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
-      put_str((flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) ? ": " : ":", F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      put_char(':', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
       if (color) put_str(COLRESET, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
+        put_char(' ', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
+      }
 
       jv_dump_term(C, value, flags, indent + 1, F, S);
-      if (color) put_str(color, F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
     }
     if (flags & JV_PRINT_PRETTY) {
       put_char('\n', F, S, flags & JV_PRINT_ISATTY);
diff --git a/tests/shtest b/tests/shtest
index 06bd881f7e..6cc2e1725b 100755
--- a/tests/shtest
+++ b/tests/shtest
@@ -436,41 +436,96 @@ printf '\033[4;31mnull\033[0m\n' > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Default colors, complex input
-$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
-  printf '\033[1;39m[\033[1;39m{'
-  printf '\033[0m\033[1;34m"a"\033['
-  printf '0m\033[1;39m:\033[0m\033['
-  printf '0;39mtrue\033[0m\033[1'
-  printf ';39m,\033[0m\033[1;34m'
-  printf '"b"\033[0m\033[1;39m:\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[0;39mfalse\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[1;39m\033[1;39'
-  printf 'm}\033[0m\033[1;39m,\033['
-  printf '0;39m123\033[0m\033[1;'
-  printf '39m,\033[0;90mnull\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[1;39m\033[1;39'
-  printf 'm]\033[0m\n'
+  printf '\033[1;39m[\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m{\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;34m"a"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m:\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;39mtrue\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;34m"b"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m:\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;39mfalse\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m}\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;32m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;39m123\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;90mnull\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m]\033[0m\n'
 } > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
 ## Set non-default colors, complex input
 JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
 {
-  printf '\033[1;35m[\033[1;36m{'
-  printf '\033[0m\033[1;37m"a"\033['
-  printf '0m\033[1;36m:\033[0m\033['
-  printf '0;32mtrue\033[0m\033[1'
-  printf ';36m,\033[0m\033[1;37m'
-  printf '"b"\033[0m\033[1;36m:\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[0;31mfalse\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[1;36m\033[1;36'
-  printf 'm}\033[0m\033[1;35m,\033['
-  printf '0;33m123\033[0m\033[1;'
-  printf '35m,\033[0;30mnull\033'
-  printf '[0m\033[1;35m\033[1;35'
-  printf 'm]\033[0m\n'
+  printf '\033[1;35m[\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m{\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;37m"a"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m:\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;32mtrue\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;37m"b"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m:\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;31mfalse\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m}\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;34m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;33m123\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[0;30mnull\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m]\033[0m\n'
+} > $d/expect
+cmp $d/color $d/expect
+
+## Default colors, complex input, indented
+$JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
+{
+  printf '\033[1;39m[\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[1;39m{\033[0m\n'
+  printf '    \033[1;34m"a"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m:\033[0m '
+  printf '\033[0;39mtrue\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '    \033[1;34m"b"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m:\033[0m '
+  printf '\033[0;39mfalse\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[1;39m}\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;32m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;39m123\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;39m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;90mnull\033[0m\n'
+  printf '\033[1;39m]\033[0m\n'
+} > $d/expect
+cmp $d/color $d/expect
+
+## Set non-default colors, complex input, indented
+JQ_COLORS='0;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36:1;37' \
+  $JQ -Cn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color
+{
+  printf '\033[1;35m[\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[1;36m{\033[0m\n'
+  printf '    \033[1;37m"a"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m:\033[0m '
+  printf '\033[0;32mtrue\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '    \033[1;37m"b"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;36m:\033[0m '
+  printf '\033[0;31mfalse\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[1;36m}\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;34m"abc"\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;33m123\033[0m'
+  printf '\033[1;35m,\033[0m\n'
+  printf '  \033[0;30mnull\033[0m\n'
+  printf '\033[1;35m]\033[0m\n'
 } > $d/expect
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 
@@ -480,25 +535,25 @@ cmp $d/color $d/expect
 # on stderr.
 set -vx
 echo 'Failed to set $JQ_COLORS' > $d/expect_warning
-$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/expect
+$JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/expect
 JQ_COLORS='garbage;30:*;31:,;3^:0;$%:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1234567890123456789;30:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1;31234567890123456789:0;31:0;32:0;33:0;34:1;35:1;36' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS='1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456:1234567890123456;1234567890123456' \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning
 JQ_COLORS="0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:0123456789123:" \
-  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
+  $JQ -Ccn '[{"a":true,"b":false},"abc",123,null]' > $d/color 2>$d/warning
 cmp $d/color $d/expect
 cmp $d/warning $d/expect_warning