diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_toml.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_toml.go
index 2c297fd0..a5ef74db 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_toml.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_toml.go
@@ -546,12 +546,20 @@ func (te *tomlEncoder) colorizeToml(input []byte) []byte {
 	color.NoColor = false
 
 	// Create color functions for different token types
-	commentColor := color.New(color.FgHiBlack).SprintFunc()
-	stringColor := color.New(color.FgGreen).SprintFunc()
-	numberColor := color.New(color.FgHiMagenta).SprintFunc()
-	keyColor := color.New(color.FgCyan).SprintFunc()
-	boolColor := color.New(color.FgHiMagenta).SprintFunc()
-	sectionColor := color.New(color.FgYellow, color.Bold).SprintFunc()
+	// Use EnableColor() to ensure colors work even when NO_COLOR env is set
+	commentColorObj := color.New(color.FgHiBlack); commentColorObj.EnableColor()
+	stringColorObj := color.New(color.FgGreen); stringColorObj.EnableColor()
+	numberColorObj := color.New(color.FgHiMagenta); numberColorObj.EnableColor()
+	keyColorObj := color.New(color.FgCyan); keyColorObj.EnableColor()
+	boolColorObj := color.New(color.FgHiMagenta); boolColorObj.EnableColor()
+	sectionColorObj := color.New(color.FgYellow, color.Bold); sectionColorObj.EnableColor()
+
+	commentColor := commentColorObj.SprintFunc()
+	stringColor := stringColorObj.SprintFunc()
+	numberColor := numberColorObj.SprintFunc()
+	keyColor := keyColorObj.SprintFunc()
+	boolColor := boolColorObj.SprintFunc()
+	sectionColor := sectionColorObj.SprintFunc()
 
 	// Simple tokenization for TOML colouring
 	i := 0
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/toml_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/toml_test.go
index e3501036..23ccf8e1 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/toml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/toml_test.go
@@ -632,6 +632,11 @@ func TestTomlScenarios(t *testing.T) {
 // TestTomlColourization tests that colourization correctly distinguishes
 // between table section headers and inline arrays
 func TestTomlColourization(t *testing.T) {
+	// Save and restore color state
+	oldNoColor := color.NoColor
+	color.NoColor = false
+	defer func() { color.NoColor = oldNoColor }()
+
 	// Test that inline arrays are not coloured as table sections
 	encoder := &tomlEncoder{prefs: TomlPreferences{ColorsEnabled: true}}
 
@@ -655,8 +660,9 @@ alpha = "test"
 	// for actual table sections, not for inline arrays.
 
 	// Get the ANSI codes for section colour (Yellow + Bold)
-	sectionColour := color.New(color.FgYellow, color.Bold).SprintFunc()
-	sampleSection := sectionColour("[database]")
+	sectionColourObj := color.New(color.FgYellow, color.Bold)
+	sectionColourObj.EnableColor()
+	sampleSection := sectionColourObj.Sprint("[database]")
 
 	// Extract just the ANSI codes from the sample
 	// ANSI codes start with \x1b[