diff --git a/color.c b/color.c
index fc0b72ad59..d4ae83f9b7 100644
--- a/color.c
+++ b/color.c
@@ -191,3 +191,31 @@ int color_fprintf_ln(FILE *fp, const char *color, const char *fmt, ...)
 	va_end(args);
 	return r;
 }
+
+/*
+ * This function splits the buffer by newlines and colors the lines individually.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success.
+ */
+int color_fwrite_lines(FILE *fp, const char *color,
+		size_t count, const char *buf)
+{
+	if (!*color)
+		return fwrite(buf, count, 1, fp) != 1;
+	while (count) {
+		char *p = memchr(buf, '\n', count);
+		if (p != buf && (fputs(color, fp) < 0 ||
+				fwrite(buf, p ? p - buf : count, 1, fp) != 1 ||
+				fputs(COLOR_RESET, fp) < 0))
+			return -1;
+		if (!p)
+			return 0;
+		if (fputc('\n', fp) < 0)
+			return -1;
+		count -= p + 1 - buf;
+		buf = p + 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/color.h b/color.h
index 6cf5c88aaf..cd5c985eb7 100644
--- a/color.h
+++ b/color.h
@@ -19,5 +19,6 @@ int git_config_colorbool(const char *var, const char *value, int stdout_is_tty);
 void color_parse(const char *var, const char *value, char *dst);
 int color_fprintf(FILE *fp, const char *color, const char *fmt, ...);
 int color_fprintf_ln(FILE *fp, const char *color, const char *fmt, ...);
+int color_fwrite_lines(FILE *fp, const char *color, size_t count, const char *buf);
 
 #endif /* COLOR_H */