diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2eb86b9..3a7238b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -49,3 +49,4 @@ coverage/
 ehthumbs.db
 Icon?
 Thumbs.db
+package-lock.json
diff --git a/annotated_buffer.js b/annotated_buffer.js
index 2ab43a6..1852edb 100644
--- a/annotated_buffer.js
+++ b/annotated_buffer.js
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 
 var hex = require('hexer');
 
-var color = require('ansi-color').set;
+var color = require('ansi-colors');
+var getAnsiColor = require('./lib/get_ansi_color.js');
 var stripColor = require('./lib/strip_color.js');
 var extend = require('xtend');
 var inspect = require('util').inspect;
@@ -305,7 +306,10 @@ AnnotatedBuffer.prototype.hexdump = function hexdump(options) {
                 desc += '(' + inspect(part.value) + ')';
             }
             if (part.color) {
-                desc = color(desc, part.color);
+                // split errorColor on + and . for backwards compatibility
+                var ansiColor = getAnsiColor(part.color);
+
+                desc = ansiColor(desc);
             } else if (part.start === part.end) {
                 desc += '@' + part.start.toString(16);
             } else {
@@ -330,8 +334,8 @@ AnnotatedBuffer.prototype.hexdump = function hexdump(options) {
             i >= ann.start &&
             i < ann.end) {
             str = stripColor(str);
-            str = color(str, colors[colorI]);
-            if (i === ann.start && options.boldStart) str = color(str, 'bold');
+            str = color[colors[colorI]](str);
+            if (i === ann.start && options.boldStart) str = color.bold(str);
         }
 
         if (options.highlight) {
diff --git a/error_highlighter.js b/error_highlighter.js
index bb0924f..7f304ff 100644
--- a/error_highlighter.js
+++ b/error_highlighter.js
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-var color = require('ansi-color').set;
+var color = require('ansi-colors');
+var getAnsiColor = require('./lib/get_ansi_color');
 var stripColor = require('./lib/strip_color.js');
 
 module.exports = errorHighlighter;
@@ -28,7 +29,15 @@ module.exports = errorHighlighter;
 // istanbul ignore next
 function errorHighlighter(err, options) {
     options = options || {};
-    var errColor = colorer(options.errorColor || 'red+bold');
+
+    // split errorColor on + and . for backwards compatibility
+    var ansiColor = getAnsiColor(options.errorColor);
+    if(ansiColor === color) {
+        ansiColor = color.red.bold;
+    }
+
+    var errColor = colorer(ansiColor);
+    console.log(errColor);
 
     var hasOffset = !(err.offset === undefined || err.offset === null);
     var hasEnd = !(err.endOffset === undefined || err.endOffset === null);
@@ -68,6 +77,7 @@ function errorHighlighter(err, options) {
 function colorer(col) {
     if (typeof col === 'function') return col;
     return function colorIt(str) {
-        return color(str, col);
+        console.log(col);
+        return col(str);
     };
 }
diff --git a/lib/get_ansi_color.js b/lib/get_ansi_color.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..516dc0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/get_ansi_color.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015 Uber Technologies, Inc.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE.
+
+'use strict';
+
+var color = require('ansi-colors');
+
+module.exports = getAnsiColor;
+
+// istanbul ignore next
+function getAnsiColor(colorStr) {
+  // split errorColor on + and . for backwards compatibility
+  var colorAttrs = (colorStr || '')
+    .split(/[\+\.]/)
+    .filter(function (c) { return c; });
+
+  var ansiColor = color;
+
+  for(var i=0; i < colorAttrs.length; i++) {
+    // deal with color_bg values
+    var bgIndex = colorAttrs[i].indexOf('_bg');
+    if (bgIndex > -1) {
+      var colorName = colorAttrs[i].substring(0, bgIndex);
+      colorName = colorName.replace(/^\w/, function (c) {
+        return c.toUpperCase();
+      });
+      colorAttrs[i] = 'bg'+colorName;
+    }
+
+    ansiColor = ansiColor[colorAttrs[i]];
+    console.log(colorAttrs[i], ansiColor);
+  }
+
+  return ansiColor;
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b88f087..d82b171 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     }
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "ansi-color": "^0.2.1",
+    "ansi-colors": "^4.1.1",
     "error": "^7.0.0",
     "hexer": "^1.5.0",
     "xtend": "^4.0.0"
diff --git a/test/test_rw.js b/test/test_rw.js
index 4b5a804..1af7c6e 100644
--- a/test/test_rw.js
+++ b/test/test_rw.js
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ test('testRW: unexpected errors', function t(assert) {
 
         assert.equal(results[4].name, 'no read error', 'expected "no read error"');
         assert.equal(results[4].actual.message, 'bork', 'expected actual "bork" error');
-
         assert.equal(results[5],
             'read error Error: bork');