diff --git a/devices/cli.py b/devices/cli.py
index 6ccfc27..08a93db 100644
--- a/devices/cli.py
+++ b/devices/cli.py
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ from json import dumps as json_dump
 import logging
 
 from config.state import config
+from utils import colors_supported, color_str
 
 from .device import get_devices, get_profile_device
 
 
 @click.command(name='devices')
-@click.option('--json', is_flag=True, help='output machine-parsable JSON format')
+@click.option('-j', '--json', is_flag=True, help='output machine-parsable JSON format')
 def cmd_devices(json: bool = False):
     'list the available devices and descriptions'
     devices = get_devices()
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ def cmd_devices(json: bool = False):
         logging.debug(f"Failed to get profile device for visual highlighting, not a problem: {ex}")
     output = ['']
     json_output = {}
+    use_colors = colors_supported(False if json else config.runtime.colors)
     for name in sorted(devices.keys()):
         prefix = ''
         suffix = ''
@@ -36,9 +38,11 @@ def cmd_devices(json: bool = False):
             json_output[name] = device.get_summary().toDict()
             continue
         if profile_device and profile_device.name == device.name:
-            prefix = '>>> '
-            suffix = f'\n\nCurrently selected by profile "{config.file.profiles.current}"'
-        snippet = f'{device}{suffix}'
+            prefix = color_str('>>> ', bold=True, fg="bright_green", use_colors=use_colors)
+            suffix = '\n\n'
+            suffix += color_str('Currently selected by profile', bold=True, use_colors=use_colors) + " "
+            suffix += color_str(f'"{config.file.profiles.current}"', bold=True, fg="bright_green", use_colors=use_colors)
+        snippet = f'{device.nice_str(colors=use_colors, newlines=True)}{suffix}'
         # prefix each line in the snippet
         snippet = '\n'.join([f'{prefix}{line}' for line in snippet.split('\n')])
         output.append(f"{snippet}\n")
diff --git a/devices/device.py b/devices/device.py
index 02c25af..0947800 100644
--- a/devices/device.py
+++ b/devices/device.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from config.scheme import DataClass, munchclass
 from distro.distro import get_kupfer_local
 from distro.package import LocalPackage
 from packages.pkgbuild import Pkgbuild, _pkgbuilds_cache, discover_pkgbuilds, get_pkgbuild_by_path, init_pkgbuilds
-from utils import read_files_from_tar
+from utils import read_files_from_tar, color_str
 
 from .deviceinfo import DeviceInfo, parse_deviceinfo
 
@@ -29,16 +29,18 @@ class DeviceSummary(DataClass):
     package_name: Optional[str]
     package_path: Optional[str]
 
-    def nice_str(self, newlines: bool = False):
+    def nice_str(self, newlines: bool = False, colors: bool = False) -> str:
         separator = '\n' if newlines else ', '
-        return separator.join([
-            f'Device: {self.name}',
-            'Description: ' +
-            (self.description or f"[no package {'description' if self.package_name else 'associated (?!)'} and deviceinfo not parsed]"),
-            f'Architecture: {self.arch}',
-            'Package Name: ' +
-            (f"{self.package_name}{separator}Package Path: {self.package_path}" if self.package_name else "no package associated. PROBABLY A BUG!"),
-        ])
+        assert bool(self.package_path) == bool(self.package_name)
+        package_path = {"Package Path": self.package_path} if self.package_path else {}
+        fields = {
+            "Device": self.name,
+            "Description": self.description or f"[no package {'description' if self.package_name else 'associated (?!)'} and deviceinfo not parsed]",
+            "Architecture": self.arch,
+            "Package Name": self.package_name or "no package associated. PROBABLY A BUG!",
+            **package_path,
+        }
+        return separator.join([f"{color_str(name, bold=True, use_colors=colors)}: {value}" for name, value in fields.items()])
 
 
 @munchclass()