diff --git a/lib/appearance.bash b/lib/appearance.bash
index 9f02f74f..e77a1a80 100644
--- a/lib/appearance.bash
+++ b/lib/appearance.bash
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 
-# colored ls
-export LSCOLORS='Gxfxcxdxdxegedabagacad'
+: "${CLICOLOR:=$(tput colors)}"
+export CLICOLOR
 
 : "${CUSTOM_THEME_DIR:="${BASH_IT_CUSTOM:=${BASH_IT}/custom}/themes"}"
 
diff --git a/lib/log.bash b/lib/log.bash
index 87b9ddf1..a8cb8080 100644
--- a/lib/log.bash
+++ b/lib/log.bash
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function _bash-it-log-prefix-by-path() {
 
 function _has_colors() {
 	# Check that stdout is a terminal, and that it has at least 8 colors.
-	[[ -t 1 && "${_bash_it_available_colors:=$(tput colors 2> /dev/null)}" -ge 8 ]]
+	[[ -t 1 && "${CLICOLOR:=$(tput colors 2> /dev/null)}" -ge 8 ]]
 }
 
 function _bash-it-log-message() {
diff --git a/themes/base.theme.bash b/themes/base.theme.bash
index d7479b3f..77c8b621 100644
--- a/themes/base.theme.bash
+++ b/themes/base.theme.bash
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # Expected behavior for themes.
 
+# Colors for listing files, using default color scheme.
+# To customize color scheme by theme, check out https://geoff.greer.fm/lscolors/
+export CLICOLOR LSCOLORS LS_COLORS
+
 CLOCK_CHAR_THEME_PROMPT_PREFIX=''
 CLOCK_CHAR_THEME_PROMPT_SUFFIX=''
 CLOCK_THEME_PROMPT_PREFIX=''