diff --git a/cat_win/cat.py b/cat_win/cat.py
index 47c7b901..91ee796c 100644
--- a/cat_win/cat.py
+++ b/cat_win/cat.py
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@
 
 working_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 
-coloramaInit()
 cconfig = CConfig(working_dir)
 config = Config(working_dir)
 
@@ -66,6 +65,8 @@
 color_dic = default_color_dic.copy()
 const_dic = config.load_config()
 
+coloramaInit(strip=(not os.isatty(sys.stdout.fileno()) and const_dic[DKW.STRIP_COLOR_ON_PIPE]))
+
 arg_parser = ArgParser(const_dic[DKW.DEFAULT_FILE_ENCODING])
 converter = Converter()
 holder = Holder()
@@ -995,7 +996,9 @@ def init_colors() -> None:
     """
     # do not use colors if requested, or output will be piped anyways
     global color_dic
-    if holder.args_id[ARGS_NOCOL] or not sys.stdout.isatty() or sys.stdout.closed:
+
+    if holder.args_id[ARGS_NOCOL] or sys.stdout.closed or \
+        (not os.isatty(sys.stdout.fileno()) and const_dic[DKW.STRIP_COLOR_ON_PIPE]):
         color_dic = dict.fromkeys(color_dic, '')
     else:
         color_dic = default_color_dic.copy()
diff --git a/cat_win/const/defaultconstants.py b/cat_win/const/defaultconstants.py
index 14b8ee66..737d434b 100644
--- a/cat_win/const/defaultconstants.py
+++ b/cat_win/const/defaultconstants.py
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ class DKW:
     DEFAULT_COMMAND_LINE = 'default_command_line'
     DEFAULT_FILE_ENCODING = 'default_file_encoding'
     LARGE_FILE_SIZE = 'large_file_size'
+    STRIP_COLOR_ON_PIPE = 'strip_color_on_pipe'
diff --git a/cat_win/persistence/config.py b/cat_win/persistence/config.py
index a4c220ed..6c0926ae 100644
--- a/cat_win/persistence/config.py
+++ b/cat_win/persistence/config.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class Config:
     default_dic = {DKW.DEFAULT_COMMAND_LINE: '',
                    DKW.DEFAULT_FILE_ENCODING: 'utf-8',
                    DKW.LARGE_FILE_SIZE: 1024 * 1024 * 100,  # 100 Megabytes
+                   DKW.STRIP_COLOR_ON_PIPE: True,
                    }
 
     elements = list(default_dic.keys())
@@ -40,6 +41,63 @@ def __init__(self, working_dir: str) -> None:
         self.longest_char_count = 30
         self.rows = 3
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def convert_config_element(element: str, element_type: type):
+        """
+        Parameters:
+        element (str):
+            the element to convert
+        element_type (type):
+            the type the element should have
+        
+        Returns:
+        (element_type):
+            whatever the element got converted to
+        """
+        if element_type == bool:
+            if element.upper() in ['FALSE', 'NO', 'N', '0']:
+                return False
+            return True
+
+        return element_type(element)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def is_valid_value(value: str, value_type: type) -> bool:
+        """
+        check if a given value is a valid argument for an element
+        in the constant dict.
+        
+        Parameters:
+        value (str):
+            the value to check
+        value_type (type):
+            the type the value should have
+        
+        Returns
+        (bool):
+            indicates whether the value is valid.
+        """
+        if value == '':
+            return False
+        try:
+            value_type(value)
+            if value_type in [int, float]:
+                return value_type(value) >= 0.0
+            if value_type == bool:
+                return value.upper() in [
+                    'TRUE',
+                    'YES',
+                    'Y',
+                    '1',
+                    'FALSE',
+                    'NO',
+                    'N',
+                    '0',
+                ]
+            return bool(value)
+        except ValueError:
+            return False
+
     def get_cmd(self) -> list:
         """
         split the default command line string correctly into a parameter list
@@ -60,8 +118,9 @@ def load_config(self) -> dict:
             config_colors = self.config_parser['CONSTS']
             for element in self.elements:
                 try:
-                    type_def = type(self.default_dic[element])
-                    self.const_dic[element] = type_def(config_colors[element])
+                    self.const_dic[element] = Config.convert_config_element(
+                        config_colors[element],
+                        type(self.default_dic[element]))
                 except KeyError:
                     self.const_dic[element] = self.default_dic[element]
         except KeyError:
@@ -111,19 +170,8 @@ def save_config(self) -> None:
         print(f"Successfully selected element '{keyword}'")
         print(f"The current value of '{keyword}' is '{self.const_dic[keyword]}'")
 
-        def is_valid_value(value: str) -> bool:
-            type_def = type(self.default_dic[keyword])
-            try:
-                type_def(value)
-                try:
-                    return type_def(value) >= 0
-                except TypeError:
-                    return bool(value)
-            except ValueError:
-                return False
-
         value = ''
-        while not is_valid_value(value):
+        while not Config.is_valid_value(value, type(self.default_dic[keyword])):
             if value != '':
                 print(f"Something went wrong. Invalid option '{value}'.")
             try:
diff --git a/cat_win/tests/mocks/std.py b/cat_win/tests/mocks/std.py
index 84acbe75..fbf8dc8d 100644
--- a/cat_win/tests/mocks/std.py
+++ b/cat_win/tests/mocks/std.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ class StdOutMock(io.StringIO):
     # def reconfigure(self, encoding = None) -> None:
     #     return
 
-    # def fileno(self) -> int:
-    #     return 0
+    def fileno(self) -> int:
+        return 1
 
 
 class StdOutMockIsAtty(io.StringIO):