diff --git a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-status b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-status
index cf068c86b..61db01ada 100755
--- a/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-status
+++ b/salt/common/tools/sbin/so-status
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-if ! [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ]; then
-   echo "This command must be run as root"
-   exit 1
-fi
 
 display_help() {
 cat <<HELP_USAGE
@@ -100,10 +96,15 @@ create_expected_container_list() {
 
 }
 
+# {% raw %}
 populate_container_lists() {
+    # TODO: check exit code directly, not with $?
     systemctl is-active --quiet docker
 
     if [[ $? = 0 ]]; then
+        # TODO: look into using docker templates instead of curl and jq
+        #  Ex docker ps --format "{{.Names}}\t{{.State}}"
+        # TODO: convert the output to an associtive array
         mapfile -t docker_raw_list < <(curl -s --unix-socket /var/run/docker.sock http:/v1.40/containers/json?all=1 \
             | jq -c '.[] | { Name: .Names[0], State: .State }' \
             | tr -d '/{"}')
@@ -167,60 +168,55 @@ parse_status() {
     fi
 }
 
-# {% raw %}
 
 print_line() {
-    local service_name=${1}
-    local service_state="$( parse_status ${1} ${2} )"
-    local columns=$(tput cols)
-    local state_color="\e[0m"
+    local service_name="${1}"
+    local service_state="" ; service_state="$( parse_status "${1}" "${2}" )"
+    # XXX: What will we do if tput isn't avalable?
+    local line=""
+    local PADDING_CONSTANT=""
+    local columns=35 # value used if not printing to a tty
 
-    local PADDING_CONSTANT=15
+    if (( __tty == 1 )); then
+        local reset_attr; reset_attr="$(tput sgr0)" # reset all attributes
+        local bold; bold="$(tput bold)"
+        local red; red="$(tput setaf 1)"
+        local green; green="$(tput setaf 2)"
+        local yellow; yellow="$(tput setaf 3)"
+        PADDING_CONSTANT=15 # whitespace + brackets + 1
 
-    if [[ $service_state = "$ERROR_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$MISSING_STRING" ]]; then
-        state_color="\e[1;31m"
-        if [[ "$EXITCODE" -eq 0 ]]; then
-            EXITCODE=1
-        fi
+        columns=$(tput cols)
+    fi
+
+    # construct a line of '------' so that the names and states are all aligned
+    linewidth=$(( columns - PADDING_CONSTANT - ${#service_name} - ${#service_state} ))
+    for i in $(seq 0 "${linewidth}"); do
+      line="${line}-"
+    done
+
+    if [[ $service_state = "$ERROR_STRING" ]] \
+        || [[ $service_state = "$MISSING_STRING" ]]; then
+          state_color="${red:-}"
+          if [[ "$EXITCODE" -eq 0 ]]; then
+              EXITCODE=1
+          fi
     elif [[ $service_state = "$SUCCESS_STRING" ]]; then
-        state_color="\e[1;32m"
-    elif [[ $service_state = "$PENDING_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$DISABLED_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$STARTING_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$WAIT_START_STRING" ]]; then
-        state_color="\e[1;33m"
-        EXITCODE=2
+        state_color="${green:-}"
+    elif [[ $service_state = "$PENDING_STRING" ]] \
+        || [[ $service_state = "$DISABLED_STRING" ]] \
+        || [[ $service_state = "$STARTING_STRING" ]] \
+        || [[ $service_state = "$WAIT_START_STRING" ]]; then
+            state_color="${yellow:-}"
+            EXITCODE=2
     fi
 
-    printf "    $service_name "
-    for i in $(seq 0 $(( $columns - $PADDING_CONSTANT - ${#service_name} - ${#service_state} ))); do
-        printf "${state_color}%b\e[0m" "-"
-    done
-    printf " [ "
-    printf "${state_color}%b\e[0m" "$service_state"
-    printf "%s    \n" " ]"
-}
-
-non_term_print_line() {
-    local service_name=${1}
-    local service_state="$( parse_status ${1} ${2} )"
-
-    if [[ $service_state = "$ERROR_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$MISSING_STRING" ]]; then
-        if [[ "$EXITCODE" -eq 0 ]]; then
-            EXITCODE=1
-        fi
-    elif [[ $service_state = "$PENDING_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$DISABLED_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$STARTING_STRING" ]] || [[ $service_state = "$WAIT_START_STRING" ]]; then
-        EXITCODE=2
-    fi
-
-    printf "    $service_name "
-    for i in $(seq 0 $(( 35 - ${#service_name} - ${#service_state} ))); do
-        printf "-"
-    done
-    printf " [ "
-    printf "$service_state"
-    printf "%s    \n" " ]"
+    service_state="${bold:-}${state_color:-}${service_state}${reset_attr:-}"
+    line="${bold:-}${state_color:-}${line:-}${reset_attr:-}"
+    printf "    %s %s [ %s ]    \n" "${service_name}" "${line:-}" "${service_state}"
 }
 
 main() {
-
+    is_tty
     # if running from salt
     if [ "$CALLER" == 'salt-call' ] ||  [ "$CALLER" == 'salt-minion' ]; then
       printf "\n"
@@ -228,20 +224,19 @@ main() {
 
       systemctl is-active --quiet docker
       if [[ $? = 0 ]]; then
-          non_term_print_line "Docker" "running"
+          print_line "Docker" "running"
       else
-          non_term_print_line "Docker" "exited"
+          print_line "Docker" "exited"
       fi
 
       populate_container_lists
 
-      printf "\n"
-      printf "Checking container statuses\n\n"
+      printf "\nChecking container statuses\n\n"
 
       local num_containers=${#container_name_list[@]}
 
       for i in $(seq 0 $(($num_containers - 1 ))); do
-          non_term_print_line ${container_name_list[$i]} ${container_state_list[$i]}
+          print_line ${container_name_list[$i]} ${container_state_list[$i]}
       done
 
       printf "\n"
@@ -257,9 +252,12 @@ main() {
       else
           print_or_parse="print_line"
 
-          local focus_color="\e[1;34m"
-          printf "\n"
-          printf "${focus_color}%b\e[0m" "Checking Docker status\n\n"
+          if (( __tty == 1 )) ; then
+          local bold; bold="$(tput bold)"
+          local focus_color; focus_color="$(tput setaf 4)"
+          local reset_attr; reset_attr="$(tput sgr0)" # reset all attributes
+          fi
+          printf "\n${bold}${focus_color:-}%s${reset_attr:-}\n\n" "Checking Docker status"
       fi
 
       systemctl is-active --quiet docker
@@ -272,8 +270,7 @@ main() {
       populate_container_lists
 
       if [ "$QUIET" = false ]; then
-          printf "\n"
-          printf "${focus_color}%b\e[0m" "Checking container statuses\n\n"
+          printf "\n${bold}${focus_color:-}%s${reset_attr:-}\n\n" "Checking container statuses"
       fi
 
       local num_containers=${#container_name_list[@]}
@@ -288,20 +285,30 @@ main() {
     fi
 }
 
+is_tty() {
+    __tty=0
+    [ -t 1 ] && __tty=1
+    # don't print colors if NO_COLOR is set to anything
+    [ "${#NO_COLOR}" -ne 0 ] && __tty=0
+}
+
 # {% endraw %}
 
+if ! [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ]; then
+   echo "${0}: This command must be run as root"
+   exit 1
+fi
+
 while getopts ':hq' OPTION; do
   case "$OPTION" in
     h)
       display_help
       exit 0
       ;;
-    q)
-      QUIET=true
-      ;;
+    q) QUIET=true ;;
     \?)
       display_help
-      exit 0
+      exit 1
       ;;
   esac
 done