diff --git a/src/libs/utils/outputformatter.cpp b/src/libs/utils/outputformatter.cpp
index 9f7b0b58475..2bcdffb5864 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/outputformatter.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/outputformatter.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "link.h"
 #include "qtcassert.h"
 #include "stringutils.h"
+#include "stylehelper.h"
 #include "theme/theme.h"
 
 #include <QDir>
@@ -273,6 +274,14 @@ void OutputFormatter::overridePostPrintAction(const PostPrintAction &postPrintAc
     d->postPrintAction = postPrintAction;
 }
 
+static void checkAndFineTuneColors(QTextCharFormat *format)
+{
+    QTC_ASSERT(format, return);
+    const QColor fgColor = StyleHelper::ensureReadableOn(format->background().color(),
+                                                         format->foreground().color());
+    format->setForeground(fgColor);
+}
+
 void OutputFormatter::doAppendMessage(const QString &text, OutputFormat format)
 {
     QTextCharFormat charFmt = charFormat(format);
@@ -292,6 +301,7 @@ void OutputFormatter::doAppendMessage(const QString &text, OutputFormat format)
                 ? *res.formatOverride : outputTypeForParser(involvedParsers.last(), format);
         if (formatForParser != format && cleanLine == text && formattedText.length() == 1) {
             charFmt = charFormat(formatForParser);
+            checkAndFineTuneColors(&charFmt);
             formattedText.first().format = charFmt;
         }
     }
@@ -302,8 +312,10 @@ void OutputFormatter::doAppendMessage(const QString &text, OutputFormat format)
     }
 
     const QList<FormattedText> linkified = linkifiedText(formattedText, res.linkSpecs);
-    for (const FormattedText &output : linkified)
+    for (FormattedText output : linkified) {
+        checkAndFineTuneColors(&output.format);
         append(output.text, output.format);
+    }
     if (linkified.isEmpty())
         append({}, charFmt); // This might cause insertion of a newline character.
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
index 52ca9538756..1f57baf5804 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.cpp
@@ -726,4 +726,29 @@ bool StyleHelper::isReadableOn(const QColor &background, const QColor &foregroun
     return contrastRatio(background, foreground) > 3;
 }
 
+QColor StyleHelper::ensureReadableOn(const QColor &background, const QColor &desiredForeground)
+{
+    if (isReadableOn(background, desiredForeground))
+        return desiredForeground;
+
+    int h, s, v;
+    QColor foreground = desiredForeground;
+    foreground.getHsv(&h, &s, &v);
+    // adjust the color value to ensure better readability
+    if (luminance(background) < .5)
+        v = v + 64;
+    else if (v >= 64)
+        v = v - 64;
+    v %= 256;
+
+    foreground.setHsv(h, s, v);
+    if (!isReadableOn(background, foreground)) {
+        s = (s + 128) % 256;    // adjust the saturation to ensure better readability
+        foreground.setHsv(h, s, v);
+        if (!isReadableOn(background, foreground)) // we failed to create some better foreground
+            return desiredForeground;
+    }
+    return foreground;
+}
+
 } // namespace Utils
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
index 26869797f69..75b82f38a22 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ public:
 
     static double luminance(const QColor &color);
     static bool isReadableOn(const QColor &background, const QColor &foreground);
+    // returns a foreground color readable on background (desiredForeground if already readable or adaption fails)
+    static QColor ensureReadableOn(const QColor &background, const QColor &desiredForeground);
 
 private:
     static QColor m_baseColor;