diff --git a/src/cli_util.rs b/src/cli_util.rs
index fb623f49f..45d685c93 100644
--- a/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -1472,12 +1472,13 @@ impl ValueParserFactory for RevisionArg {
 pub fn create_ui() -> (Ui, Result<(), CommandError>) {
     // TODO: We need to do some argument parsing here, at least for things like
     // --config, and for reading user configs from the repo pointed to by -R.
+    let mut ui = Ui::new();
     match read_config() {
-        Ok(user_settings) => (Ui::for_terminal(user_settings), Ok(())),
-        Err(err) => {
-            let ui = Ui::new();
-            (ui, Err(CommandError::ConfigError(err.to_string())))
+        Ok(user_settings) => {
+            ui.reset(user_settings);
+            (ui, Ok(()))
         }
+        Err(err) => (ui, Err(CommandError::ConfigError(err.to_string()))),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui.rs b/src/ui.rs
index 9424e0be1..de76591a4 100644
--- a/src/ui.rs
+++ b/src/ui.rs
@@ -122,10 +122,7 @@ impl Default for Ui {
 
 impl Ui {
     pub fn new() -> Ui {
-        Self::for_terminal(UserSettings::from_config(crate::config::default_config()))
-    }
-
-    pub fn for_terminal(settings: UserSettings) -> Ui {
+        let settings = UserSettings::from_config(crate::config::default_config());
         let cwd = std::env::current_dir().unwrap();
         let color = use_color(color_setting(&settings));
         let progress_indicator = progress_indicator_setting(&settings);
@@ -141,6 +138,14 @@ impl Ui {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn reset(&mut self, settings: UserSettings) {
+        // TODO: maybe Ui shouldn't take ownership of UserSettings
+        self.color = use_color(color_setting(&settings));
+        self.progress_indicator = progress_indicator_setting(&settings);
+        self.formatter_factory = FormatterFactory::prepare(&settings, self.color);
+        self.settings = settings;
+    }
+
     /// Reconfigures the underlying outputs with the new color choice.
     pub fn reset_color(&mut self, choice: ColorChoice) {
         self.color = use_color(choice);