diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9349c19..fd9f563 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -91,6 +91,24 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "b8f8bdf33df195859076e54ab11ee78a1b208382d3a26ec40d142ffc1ecc49ef"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "proc-macro2"
+version = "1.0.66"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "18fb31db3f9bddb2ea821cde30a9f70117e3f119938b5ee630b7403aa6e2ead9"
+dependencies = [
+ "unicode-ident",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "quote"
+version = "1.0.32"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "50f3b39ccfb720540debaa0164757101c08ecb8d326b15358ce76a62c7e85965"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "redox_syscall"
 version = "0.2.13"
@@ -126,6 +144,15 @@ version = "0.6.28"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "456c603be3e8d448b072f410900c09faf164fbce2d480456f50eea6e25f9c848"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "strip-ansi-escapes"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "55ff8ef943b384c414f54aefa961dd2bd853add74ec75e7ac74cf91dba62bcfa"
+dependencies = [
+ "vte",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "strsim"
 version = "0.8.0"
@@ -161,22 +188,55 @@ dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "lazy_static",
  "regex",
+ "strip-ansi-escapes",
  "termion",
  "unicode-width",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-ident"
+version = "1.0.11"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "301abaae475aa91687eb82514b328ab47a211a533026cb25fc3e519b86adfc3c"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "unicode-width"
 version = "0.1.10"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c0edd1e5b14653f783770bce4a4dabb4a5108a5370a5f5d8cfe8710c361f6c8b"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "utf8parse"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "711b9620af191e0cdc7468a8d14e709c3dcdb115b36f838e601583af800a370a"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "vec_map"
 version = "0.8.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "f1bddf1187be692e79c5ffeab891132dfb0f236ed36a43c7ed39f1165ee20191"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "vte"
+version = "0.11.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f5022b5fbf9407086c180e9557be968742d839e68346af7792b8592489732197"
+dependencies = [
+ "utf8parse",
+ "vte_generate_state_changes",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "vte_generate_state_changes"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d257817081c7dffcdbab24b9e62d2def62e2ff7d00b1c20062551e6cccc145ff"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "winapi"
 version = "0.3.9"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 582943a..b268fe9 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ clap = "2.34.0"
 base64 = "0.13.1"
 unicode-width = "0.1.10"
 lazy_static = "1.4.0"
+strip-ansi-escapes = "0.2.0"
 
 [[bin]]
 name = "thumbs"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dfc5af1..d30dcff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ NOTE: for changes to take effect, you'll need to source again your `.tmux.conf`
 * [@thumbs-multi-bg-color](#thumbs-multi-bg-color)
 * [@thumbs-contrast](#thumbs-contrast)
 * [@thumbs-osc52](#thumbs-osc52)
+* [@thumbs-keep-colors](#thumbs-keep-colors)
 
 ### @thumbs-key
 
@@ -344,6 +345,18 @@ For example:
 set -g @thumbs-osc52 1
 ```
 
+### @thumbs-keep-colors
+
+`default: 0`
+
+Keep text styling of the input when displaying matches.
+
+For example:
+
+```
+set -g @thumbs-keep-colors 1
+```
+
 #### Colors
 
 This is the list of predefined colors:
@@ -433,19 +446,20 @@ cargo install thumbs
 And those are all available options:
 
 ```
-thumbs 0.7.1
+thumbs 0.8.0
 A lightning fast version copy/pasting like vimium/vimperator
 
 USAGE:
     thumbs [FLAGS] [OPTIONS]
 
 FLAGS:
-    -c, --contrast    Put square brackets around hint for visibility
-    -h, --help        Prints help information
-    -m, --multi       Enable multi-selection
-    -r, --reverse     Reverse the order for assigned hints
-    -u, --unique      Don't show duplicated hints for the same match
-    -V, --version     Prints version information
+    -c, --contrast       Put square brackets around hint for visibility
+    -h, --help           Prints help information
+        --keep-colors    Preserve text styling of input
+    -m, --multi          Enable multi-selection
+    -r, --reverse        Reverse the order for assigned hints
+    -u, --unique         Don't show duplicated hints for the same match
+    -V, --version        Prints version information
 
 OPTIONS:
     -a, --alphabet <alphabet>                          Sets the alphabet [default: qwerty]
@@ -456,12 +470,16 @@ OPTIONS:
 
         --hint-bg-color <hint_background_color>        Sets the background color for hints [default: black]
         --hint-fg-color <hint_foreground_color>        Sets the foregroud color for hints [default: yellow]
+        --multi-bg-color <multi_background_color>
+            Sets the background color for a multi selected item [default: black]
+
+        --multi-fg-color <multi_foreground_color>
+            Sets the foreground color for a multi selected item [default: yellow]
+
     -p, --position <position>                          Hint position [default: left]
     -x, --regexp <regexp>...                           Use this regexp as extra pattern to match
         --select-bg-color <select_background_color>    Sets the background color for selection [default: black]
         --select-fg-color <select_foreground_color>    Sets the foreground color for selection [default: blue]
-        --multi-bg-color <multi_background_color>      Sets the background color for a multi selected item [default: black]
-        --multi-fg-color <multi_foreground_color>      Sets the foreground color for a multi selected item [default: cyan]
     -t, --target <target>                              Stores the hint in the specified path
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 49ded04..cf774ff 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ fn app_args<'a>() -> clap::ArgMatches<'a> {
         .short("t")
         .takes_value(true),
     )
+    .arg(
+      Arg::with_name("keep-colors")
+        .help("Preserve text styling of input")
+        .long("keep-colors"),
+    )
     .get_matches()
 }
 
@@ -149,6 +154,7 @@ fn main() {
   let reverse = args.is_present("reverse");
   let unique = args.is_present("unique");
   let contrast = args.is_present("contrast");
+  let keep_colors = args.is_present("keep-colors");
   let regexp = if let Some(items) = args.values_of("regexp") {
     items.collect::<Vec<_>>()
   } else {
@@ -172,7 +178,19 @@ fn main() {
 
   let lines = output.split('\n').collect::<Vec<&str>>();
 
-  let mut state = state::State::new(&lines, alphabet, &regexp);
+  let mut state;
+  // strip ansi color codes for match searching
+  let unescaped: Vec<_> = lines
+    .iter()
+    .map(|line| String::from_utf8(strip_ansi_escapes::strip(line)).unwrap())
+    .collect();
+  let reference = unescaped.iter().map(|x| &**x).collect();
+
+  if keep_colors {
+    state = state::State::new_extended(&lines, reference, alphabet, &regexp);
+  } else {
+    state = state::State::new_extended(&reference, reference.clone(), alphabet, &regexp);
+  }
 
   let selected = {
     let mut viewbox = view::View::new(
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index 2e3e00c..3e5d1fb 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -56,19 +56,36 @@ impl<'a> PartialEq for Match<'a> {
 
 pub struct State<'a> {
   pub lines: &'a Vec<&'a str>,
+  pub unescaped: Vec<&'a str>,
   alphabet: &'a str,
   regexp: &'a Vec<&'a str>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> State<'a> {
+  #[cfg(test)]
   pub fn new(lines: &'a Vec<&'a str>, alphabet: &'a str, regexp: &'a Vec<&'a str>) -> State<'a> {
     State {
+      unescaped: lines.clone(),
       lines,
       alphabet,
       regexp,
     }
   }
 
+  pub fn new_extended(
+    lines: &'a Vec<&'a str>,
+    unescaped: Vec<&'a str>,
+    alphabet: &'a str,
+    regexp: &'a Vec<&'a str>,
+  ) -> State<'a> {
+    State {
+      lines,
+      unescaped,
+      alphabet,
+      regexp,
+    }
+  }
+
   pub fn matches(&self, reverse: bool, unique: bool) -> Vec<Match<'a>> {
     let mut matches = Vec::new();
 
@@ -91,8 +108,7 @@ impl<'a> State<'a> {
     // This order determines the priority of pattern matching
     let all_patterns = [exclude_patterns, custom_patterns, patterns].concat();
 
-    for (index, line) in self.lines.iter().enumerate() {
-      let mut chunk: &str = line;
+    for (index, &(mut chunk)) in self.unescaped.iter().enumerate() {
       let mut offset: i32 = 0;
 
       loop {
diff --git a/src/swapper.rs b/src/swapper.rs
index c901f48..abc4a80 100644
--- a/src/swapper.rs
+++ b/src/swapper.rs
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ impl<'a> Swapper<'a> {
           let name = captures.get(1).unwrap().as_str();
           let value = captures.get(2).unwrap().as_str();
 
-          let boolean_params = vec!["reverse", "unique", "contrast"];
+          let boolean_params = vec!["reverse", "unique", "contrast", "keep-colors"];
 
           if boolean_params.iter().any(|&x| x == name) {
             return vec![format!("--{}", name)];
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ impl<'a> Swapper<'a> {
     };
 
     let pane_command = format!(
-        "tmux capture-pane -J -t {active_pane_id} -p{scroll_params} | tail -n {height} | {dir}/target/release/thumbs -f '%U:%H' -t {tmp} {args}; tmux swap-pane -t {active_pane_id}; {zoom_command} tmux wait-for -S {signal}",
+        "tmux capture-pane -J -et {active_pane_id} -p{scroll_params} | tail -n {height} | {dir}/target/release/thumbs -f '%U:%H' -t {tmp} {args}; tmux swap-pane -t {active_pane_id}; {zoom_command} tmux wait-for -S {signal}",
         active_pane_id = active_pane_id,
         scroll_params = scroll_params,
         height = self.active_pane_height.unwrap_or(i32::MAX),
diff --git a/src/view.rs b/src/view.rs
index e92cf95..97d9224 100644
--- a/src/view.rs
+++ b/src/view.rs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ impl<'a> View<'a> {
       };
 
       // Find long utf sequences and extract it from mat.x
-      let line = &self.state.lines[mat.y as usize];
+      let line = &self.state.unescaped[mat.y as usize];
       let prefix = &line[0..mat.x as usize];
       let extra = prefix.width_cjk() - prefix.chars().count();
       let offset = (mat.x as u16) - (extra as u16);