diff --git a/src/StyledStrings.jl b/src/StyledStrings.jl
index 5b92cbc3..f198aff4 100644
--- a/src/StyledStrings.jl
+++ b/src/StyledStrings.jl
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ include("faces.jl")
 include("regioniterator.jl")
 include("io.jl")
 include("stylemacro.jl")
+include("legacy.jl")
 
 function __init__()
     userfaces = joinpath(first(DEPOT_PATH), "config", "faces.toml")
     isfile(userfaces) && loaduserfaces!(userfaces)
+    Legacy.load_env_colors!()
 end
 
 if Base.generating_output()
diff --git a/src/legacy.jl b/src/legacy.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3f972e66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/legacy.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+# This file is a part of Julia. License is MIT: https://julialang.org/license
+
+# StyledStrings provides a new way of handling colored output, however the
+# ~decade of colored printing in Julia before now has left us with a legacy,
+# and we should try to maintain compatibility as much as reasonable possible.
+
+module Legacy
+
+using ..StyledStrings: SimpleColor, Face, loadface!
+
+"""
+A mapping from 256-color codes indicies to 8-bit colours.
+"""
+const ANSI_256_COLORS =
+    map(SimpleColor,
+        [0x000000, 0x800000, 0x008000, 0x808000, 0x000080, 0x800080, 0x008080,
+         0xc0c0c0, 0x808080, 0xff0000, 0x00ff00, 0xffff00, 0x0000ff, 0xff00ff,
+         0x00ffff, 0xffffff, 0x000000, 0x00005f, 0x000087, 0x0000af, 0x0000d7,
+         0x0000ff, 0x005f00, 0x005f5f, 0x005f87, 0x005faf, 0x005fd7, 0x005fff,
+         0x008700, 0x00875f, 0x008787, 0x0087af, 0x0087d7, 0x0087ff, 0x00af00,
+         0x00af5f, 0x00af87, 0x00afaf, 0x00afd7, 0x00afff, 0x00d700, 0x00d75f,
+         0x00d787, 0x00d7af, 0x00d7d7, 0x00d7ff, 0x00ff00, 0x00ff5f, 0x00ff87,
+         0x00ffaf, 0x00ffd7, 0x00ffff, 0x5f0000, 0x5f005f, 0x5f0087, 0x5f00af,
+         0x5f00d7, 0x5f00ff, 0x5f5f00, 0x5f5f5f, 0x5f5f87, 0x5f5faf, 0x5f5fd7,
+         0x5f5fff, 0x5f8700, 0x5f875f, 0x5f8787, 0x5f87af, 0x5f87d7, 0x5f87ff,
+         0x5faf00, 0x5faf5f, 0x5faf87, 0x5fafaf, 0x5fafd7, 0x5fafff, 0x5fd700,
+         0x5fd75f, 0x5fd787, 0x5fd7af, 0x5fd7d7, 0x5fd7ff, 0x5fff00, 0x5fff5f,
+         0x5fff87, 0x5fffaf, 0x5fffd7, 0x5fffff, 0x870000, 0x87005f, 0x870087,
+         0x8700af, 0x8700d7, 0x8700ff, 0x875f00, 0x875f5f, 0x875f87, 0x875faf,
+         0x875fd7, 0x875fff, 0x878700, 0x87875f, 0x878787, 0x8787af, 0x8787d7,
+         0x8787ff, 0x87af00, 0x87af5f, 0x87af87, 0x87afaf, 0x87afd7, 0x87afff,
+         0x87d700, 0x87d75f, 0x87d787, 0x87d7af, 0x87d7d7, 0x87d7ff, 0x87ff00,
+         0x87ff5f, 0x87ff87, 0x87ffaf, 0x87ffd7, 0x87ffff, 0xaf0000, 0xaf005f,
+         0xaf0087, 0xaf00af, 0xaf00d7, 0xaf00ff, 0xaf5f00, 0xaf5f5f, 0xaf5f87,
+         0xaf5faf, 0xaf5fd7, 0xaf5fff, 0xaf8700, 0xaf875f, 0xaf8787, 0xaf87af,
+         0xaf87d7, 0xaf87ff, 0xafaf00, 0xafaf5f, 0xafaf87, 0xafafaf, 0xafafd7,
+         0xafafff, 0xafd700, 0xafd75f, 0xafd787, 0xafd7af, 0xafd7d7, 0xafd7ff,
+         0xafff00, 0xafff5f, 0xafff87, 0xafffaf, 0xafffd7, 0xafffff, 0xd70000,
+         0xd7005f, 0xd70087, 0xd700af, 0xd700d7, 0xd700ff, 0xd75f00, 0xd75f5f,
+         0xd75f87, 0xd75faf, 0xd75fd7, 0xd75fff, 0xd78700, 0xd7875f, 0xd78787,
+         0xd787af, 0xd787d7, 0xd787ff, 0xd7af00, 0xd7af5f, 0xd7af87, 0xd7afaf,
+         0xd7afd7, 0xd7afff, 0xd7d700, 0xd7d75f, 0xd7d787, 0xd7d7af, 0xd7d7d7,
+         0xd7d7ff, 0xd7ff00, 0xd7ff5f, 0xd7ff87, 0xd7ffaf, 0xd7ffd7, 0xd7ffff,
+         0xff0000, 0xff005f, 0xff0087, 0xff00af, 0xff00d7, 0xff00ff, 0xff5f00,
+         0xff5f5f, 0xff5f87, 0xff5faf, 0xff5fd7, 0xff5fff, 0xff8700, 0xff875f,
+         0xff8787, 0xff87af, 0xff87d7, 0xff87ff, 0xffaf00, 0xffaf5f, 0xffaf87,
+         0xffafaf, 0xffafd7, 0xffafff, 0xffd700, 0xffd75f, 0xffd787, 0xffd7af,
+         0xffd7d7, 0xffd7ff, 0xffff00, 0xffff5f, 0xffff87, 0xffffaf, 0xffffd7,
+         0xffffff, 0x080808, 0x121212, 0x1c1c1c, 0x262626, 0x303030, 0x3a3a3a,
+         0x444444, 0x4e4e4e, 0x585858, 0x626262, 0x6c6c6c, 0x767676, 0x808080,
+         0x8a8a8a, 0x949494, 0x9e9e9e, 0xa8a8a8, 0xb2b2b2, 0xbcbcbc, 0xc6c6c6,
+         0xd0d0d0, 0xdadada, 0xe4e4e4, 0xeeeeee])
+
+"""
+A mapping from old named colours to the new names, specifically from `light_*`
+to `bright_*`.
+"""
+const RENAMED_COLORS = Dict{Symbol, Symbol}(
+    :light_black => :bright_black,
+    :light_red => :bright_red,
+    :light_green => :bright_green,
+    :light_yellow => :bright_yellow,
+    :light_blue => :bright_blue,
+    :light_magenta => :bright_magenta,
+    :light_cyan => :bright_cyan,
+    :light_white => :bright_white)
+
+legacy_color(color::Symbol) = SimpleColor(get(RENAMED_COLORS, color, color))
+legacy_color(color256::Int) = get(ANSI_256_COLORS, color256+1, nothing)
+
+"""
+    legacy_color(color::Union{String, Symbol, Int})
+
+Attempt to obtain a `SimpleColor` for a "legacy" color value `color`.
+
+When this is not possible, `nothing` is returned.
+"""
+function legacy_color(color::String)
+    namedcolours = ("black", "red", "green", "yellow", "blue", "magenta",
+                    "cyan", "white", "bright_black", "grey", "gray",
+                    "bright_red", "bright_green", "bright_yellow",
+                    "bright_blue", "bright_magenta", "bright_cyan",
+                    "bright_white", "light_black", "light_red", "light_green",
+                    "light_yellow", "light_blue", "light_magenta", "light_cyan",
+                    "light_white")
+    if color in namedcolours
+        legacy_color(Symbol(color))
+    elseif 0 <= (color256 = something(tryparse(Int, color), -1)) <= 255
+        legacy_color(color256)
+    else
+        nothing
+    end
+end
+
+"""
+    load_env_colors!()
+
+Try to emulate the effect of the various `*_color()` functions of `Base`, by
+loading any specified colours as foregrounds of the relevant faces.
+"""
+function load_env_colors!()
+    for (fname, envkey) in ((:error,     "JULIA_ERROR_COLOR"),
+                            (:warn,      "JULIA_WARN_COLOR"),
+                            (:info,      "JULIA_INFO_COLOR"),
+                            (:log_debug, "JULIA_DEBUG_COLOR"))
+        if haskey(ENV, envkey)
+            ecolor = legacy_color(ENV[envkey])
+            if !isnothing(ecolor)
+                loadface!(fname => Face(foreground = ecolor))
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 16404215..0e0b6b3b 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -207,3 +207,21 @@ end
             @macroexpand styled"{(foreground=$color):val}"
     end
 end
+
+@testset "Legacy" begin
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(:blue) == SimpleColor(:blue)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(:light_blue) == SimpleColor(:bright_blue)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(-1) === nothing
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(0) == SimpleColor(0x000000)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(44) == SimpleColor(0x00d7d7)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(255) == SimpleColor(0xeeeeee)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color(256) === nothing
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("blue") == SimpleColor(:blue)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("light_blue") == SimpleColor(:bright_blue)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("-1") === nothing
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("0") == SimpleColor(0x000000)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("44") == SimpleColor(0x00d7d7)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("255") == SimpleColor(0xeeeeee)
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("256") === nothing
+    @test StyledStrings.Legacy.legacy_color("invalid") === nothing
+end