diff --git a/tools/buildman/control.py b/tools/buildman/control.py
index aeb128a6a3e..46053d8db3b 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/control.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/control.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
         return 0
 
     gitutil.Setup()
+    col = terminal.Color()
 
     options.git_dir = os.path.join(options.git, '.git')
 
@@ -122,14 +123,17 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
     if options.fetch_arch:
         if options.fetch_arch == 'list':
             sorted_list = toolchains.ListArchs()
-            print 'Available architectures: %s\n' % ' '.join(sorted_list)
+            print col.Color(col.BLUE, 'Available architectures: %s\n' %
+                            ' '.join(sorted_list))
             return 0
         else:
             fetch_arch = options.fetch_arch
             if fetch_arch == 'all':
                 fetch_arch = ','.join(toolchains.ListArchs())
-                print 'Downloading toolchains: %s\n' % fetch_arch
+                print col.Color(col.CYAN, '\nDownloading toolchains: %s' %
+                                fetch_arch)
             for arch in fetch_arch.split(','):
+                print
                 ret = toolchains.FetchAndInstall(arch)
                 if ret:
                     return ret
@@ -138,7 +142,6 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
     # Work out how many commits to build. We want to build everything on the
     # branch. We also build the upstream commit as a control so we can see
     # problems introduced by the first commit on the branch.
-    col = terminal.Color()
     count = options.count
     has_range = options.branch and '..' in options.branch
     if count == -1:
diff --git a/tools/buildman/toolchain.py b/tools/buildman/toolchain.py
index 1e1ce42e8fe..38876c23f57 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/toolchain.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/toolchain.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import urllib2
 
 import bsettings
 import command
+import terminal
 
 (PRIORITY_FULL_PREFIX, PRIORITY_PREFIX_GCC, PRIORITY_PREFIX_GCC_PATH,
     PRIORITY_CALC) = range(4)
@@ -179,9 +180,11 @@ class Toolchains:
         """
         toolchains = bsettings.GetItems('toolchain')
         if show_warning and not toolchains:
-            print ('Warning: No tool chains - please add a [toolchain] section'
-                 ' to your buildman config file %s. See README for details' %
-                 bsettings.config_fname)
+            print ("Warning: No tool chains. Please run 'buildman "
+                   "--fetch-arch all' to download all available toolchains, or "
+                   "add a [toolchain] section to your buildman config file "
+                   "%s. See README for details" %
+                   bsettings.config_fname)
 
         paths = []
         for name, value in toolchains:
@@ -294,7 +297,9 @@ class Toolchains:
 
     def List(self):
         """List out the selected toolchains for each architecture"""
-        print 'List of available toolchains (%d):' % len(self.toolchains)
+        col = terminal.Color()
+        print col.Color(col.BLUE, 'List of available toolchains (%d):' %
+                        len(self.toolchains))
         if len(self.toolchains):
             for key, value in sorted(self.toolchains.iteritems()):
                 print '%-10s: %s' % (key, value.gcc)
@@ -509,6 +514,8 @@ class Toolchains:
             Architecture to fetch, or 'list' to list
         """
         # Fist get the URL for this architecture
+        col = terminal.Color()
+        print col.Color(col.BLUE, "Downloading toolchain for arch '%s'" % arch)
         url = self.LocateArchUrl(arch)
         if not url:
             print ("Cannot find toolchain for arch '%s' - use 'list' to list" %
@@ -523,7 +530,7 @@ class Toolchains:
         tmpdir, tarfile = self.Download(url)
         if not tarfile:
             return 1
-        print 'Unpacking to: %s' % dest,
+        print col.Color(col.GREEN, 'Unpacking to: %s' % dest),
         sys.stdout.flush()
         path = self.Unpack(tarfile, dest)
         os.remove(tarfile)
@@ -531,16 +538,15 @@ class Toolchains:
         print
 
         # Check that the toolchain works
-        print 'Testing'
+        print col.Color(col.GREEN, 'Testing')
         dirpath = os.path.join(dest, path)
         compiler_fname_list = self.ScanPath(dirpath, True)
         if not compiler_fname_list:
             print 'Could not locate C compiler - fetch failed.'
             return 1
         if len(compiler_fname_list) != 1:
-            print ('Internal error, ambiguous toolchains: %s' %
-                   (', '.join(compiler_fname)))
-            return 1
+            print col.Color(col.RED, 'Warning, ambiguous toolchains: %s' %
+                            ', '.join(compiler_fname_list))
         toolchain = Toolchain(compiler_fname_list[0], True, True)
 
         # Make sure that it will be found by buildman