diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99emergency-timeout/timeout.sh b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99emergency-timeout/timeout.sh
index 85fb3d761d..f7cee78bb8 100644
--- a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99emergency-timeout/timeout.sh
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99emergency-timeout/timeout.sh
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ EOF
         echo "Displaying logs from failed units: ${failed}"
         for unit in ${failed}; do
             # 10 lines should be enough for everyone
-            journalctl -b --no-pager --no-hostname -u ${unit} -n 10
+            # For color suppression, see https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-config/pull/1079
+            # and 10-coreos-nocolor.conf.  Our console logs often end up saved into
+            # files and the ANSI codes just look like corruption (and are invalid UTF-8).
+            SYSTEMD_COLORS=0 journalctl -b --no-pager --no-hostname -u ${unit} -n 10
         done
     fi
 
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99journal-conf/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99journal-conf/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf
rename to overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/10-coreos-nocolor.conf b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/10-coreos-nocolor.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e750ac813c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/10-coreos-nocolor.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# We deploy on servers.  The ANSI colors codes in the console
+# output often end up in e.g. log files where they both
+# make the logs hard to read *and* they make log files
+# invalid UTF-8.
+[Manager]
+LogColor=false
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99journal-conf/module-setup.sh b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/module-setup.sh
similarity index 65%
rename from overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99journal-conf/module-setup.sh
rename to overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/module-setup.sh
index e6626b2899..8955515cb1 100755
--- a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99journal-conf/module-setup.sh
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/99systemd-conf/module-setup.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# Configuration for systemd in the initramfs.
 # -*- mode: shell-script; indent-tabs-mode: nil; sh-basic-offset: 4; -*-
 # ex: ts=8 sw=4 sts=4 et filetype=sh
 
@@ -7,6 +8,8 @@ depends() {
 }
 
 install() {
+    inst_simple "$moddir/10-coreos-nocolor.conf" \
+        "/etc/systemd/system.conf.d/00-coreos-nocolor.conf"
     inst_simple "$moddir/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf" \
         "/etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/00-journal-log-forwarding.conf"
 }
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/systemd/system.conf.d/10-coreos-nocolor.conf b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/systemd/system.conf.d/10-coreos-nocolor.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e750ac813c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/systemd/system.conf.d/10-coreos-nocolor.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# We deploy on servers.  The ANSI colors codes in the console
+# output often end up in e.g. log files where they both
+# make the logs hard to read *and* they make log files
+# invalid UTF-8.
+[Manager]
+LogColor=false